Being In The Now

Mindfulness practises have gripped the interest of individuals, organisations and corporate firms looking for a tool to stay calm, centred, and stress-free.

- Shivi Verma

A practitioner of mindfulness, Neha Lehl was working as a consultant in a corporate firm. She recalls a particularly trying time she encountered while on the job. She was having a meeting with two leaders of the same organisation who had a major conflict with each other. The idea of the workshop was to get them to talk and resolve the issue. Sadly, the discussion escalated into a big quarrel and everybody including her went into a tailspin.

She says, “At that moment I took a deep breath and began to ground myself. Then I mentally zoomed out of the heat of the situation and saw from an impartial space, the holistic picture of the company. I thought about what the organisation needed from me at that moment. At that point, when I felt detached from the scene before me, a sense of absolute clarity and confidence came to me. I felt I was being governed by some higher forces.”

Neha was then able to disengage the warring duo without making light of their issue. She acknowledged the seriousness of the conflict and got those who had left, back into the room. She spoke about what the company needed the most. Gradually, both the leaders were able to co-create an acceptable solution. The conflict ended up resolving a real problem that plagued the company.

“I owe it to my consistent practise of mindfulness. I practise it most of the time, whether I am communing with nature, listening to music, watering the plants, or writing a journal,” she adds.

Nothing frees you more from the agony of living than mindfulness. It is an activity that makes you step away from the dramas going on in your head and see life as it is.