During the MBA experience, meditation was one of those words that I constantly heard of, read about and wanted to practice but never actually did. I kept hearing about its benefits from the people practicing it, and it still kept being an item on my long want-to-try list. Whenever I would set the alarm for the next morning to start a 5-minute meditation session, I would fall asleep instead.
Through pop culture, I thought that meditation was something you’re supposed to do in a quiet green field or a cute corner in your bedroom. That was not how my meditation journey started at all.
We had a very difficult consulting class during the MBA program that was supposed to be very intense. It involved data analysis, teamwork, assignments, remote client-meetings, and traveling. The first thing that the professor said when the class started was:
“Now, close your eyes. Place your feet firmly on the ground. Let any conflicting thought you have fly away … Relax your mind … Now slowly take a deep breath … Relax your body … Slowly exhale … Give gratitude for something in your life … Take another deep breath … take two more deep breaths and when you’re ready slowly open your eyes”
I remember this so clearly because we didn’t do it only one time. This practice continued before every class and even before our practice presentations. It became the 2-3 minutes that I looked forward to during the week. The voice of my professor was very calm, he had a charming personality by nature, and found the perfect balance between being an authoritative figure, a mentor and a friend.
That’s when I started understanding why meditation is such a growing practice. Meditation allows you to direct your thoughts, be positive about your state of being, and gives your mind a rest – at least that’s how the experience is for me. Everyone describes meditation differently since it is a personal experience.
Loving the experience so much, I decided to enroll in a class focused solely on meditation. Every Friday for two hours, a group of 8 students would sit around to learn and practice mediation. We learned about the history, benefits, and types of mediation. We did body scans, mindful walks, mindful eating, and mindful speaking. Later I learned about retreats where you can go and practice meditation uninterrupted for a couple of days.
Now I practice meditation every day, at least for a couple of minutes. I wake up before the others to have that peaceful space and meditate typically between 5-15 minutes in the morning. At the beginning I used apps such as Headspace or Youtube videos for guided meditations. It is a skill that you learn, so with time you guide yourself. Through mediation you remain in the present moment, the past and future don’t occupy your mind, it increases self-awareness and mental resilience.
The reason why I am writing about this is because the world of consulting is very stressful. Meditation is a simple tool that you can learn and practice anywhere you are: plane, meeting room (before the clients get in), classroom, bedroom, coffee shop, etc. It doesn’t even have to be a quiet space – you create the quiet space inside your mind. Life often throws curve balls that require hard work and dedication to get through. Those situations can be draining, which is why practicing meditation is such an important skill for you to cultivate – it helps bring order to your mind and build positivity.
And now, place your feet firmly on the ground, remove any thoughts you have, concentrate on your breathing, and start inhaling slowly …
Tringa Krasniqi holds an MBA degree from The George Washington University. She is the founder and consultant at Ivy Journey, an educational consulting firm for gaining admission to universities and winning scholarships.
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