Hi,
This is Amy J.
Thanks for being my guest for MindGen at work.
This is a series of talks that takes tips from mindfulness,
Meditation,
Yoga,
And Arya Veda and teaches you how to apply them into your workspace and into your life.
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Today I want to share with you a little bit about some criticism that I've seen regarding mindfulness being introduced at work.
I used to pride myself by saying that I have never sat through one Star Wars series.
It was sort of fun to be the odd woman out.
The glimpses I was exposed to from pop culture just didn't interest me.
Then one day things started to change.
It was December over a school holiday and the weather was amazing.
It was sunny and the temperatures were in the 70s in Northern Virginia where I was living.
I was longing to be outside and get some exercise.
And I convinced my young son to take a walk nearby on a trail that was 3.
8 miles long.
Granted,
He was a little young,
But he would play outside running all day long and I wanted to build his stamina so that we could take hikes at nearby parks more regularly.
He was keen to hike the planned loop,
As the halfway point included a playground.
I packed snacks,
Water,
And we hit the trail.
We made it to the playground easily,
Singing carols along the way.
We played for a short while,
Ate a snack,
And then I explained we were at the middle point of our walk.
We could continue the loop or turn around and go back the way we came,
But that the distance was about the same.
We decided to keep going and shortly into the return,
The complaining started.
From my son here,
I'm tired.
I don't want to work anymore.
His pace slowed and he sat down.
I tried to distract him with more carols,
But they were getting boring.
We had already sang all the ones we knew multiple times.
I carried him for a bit,
But that was not sustainable for us either.
I finally took him off my back and said,
Tell me everything you know about Star Wars.
He taught me about the different planets,
The name of different characters,
The millennial Falcon and other ships,
Lightsabers,
The Rebel Alliance,
Jedis and Sith,
The Empire,
And of course the Force.
It all sounded familiar to me,
As the Star Wars plot definitely had influence from ancient philosophies that I actually enjoyed reading and studying.
Maybe this was something I could relate to.
Then my son asked me if I thought the Force was real,
Because he could feel it.
I have no doubt the Force is real,
I replied,
Because I also feel it.
He then asked if bad guys could feel it too,
Because the Empire was bad and they also used the Force.
My mind sparked with a quick list of figures that should have been on the light side,
But used their role of someone good and trustworthy to advance their power and authority.
The dark side can be strong,
I said,
And we need to combine the Force with positive intention to help out the light side.
Mindfulness sometimes is under criticism that companies use it only to increase profits,
To create passive employees who won't question sources of stress,
Or to hide behind a boosted mindful culture only for the company to make poor ethical and moral decisions.
A criminal can be very mindful,
Purposely hurting others in the present moment without judgment.
Those in positions of influence in the light,
Such as yoga teachers,
Religious figures,
And heads of government have abused their power and whatever Force they associate with.
Aligning with the wrong intentions can turn anything dark.
But just because people have abused good forces doesn't mean they shouldn't be introduced to others,
Shared,
Or explored more.
One can practice mindfulness with the intention of stepping into their best self,
To build resilience,
To connect more deeply with others,
And to better understand compassion and empathy.
Intention can be a large influence on how any Force is used.
Talking about Star Wars actually completed our hike,
Which he promptly said at the end of the trail and demanded I go get the car to pick him up.
But that was a win in my book.
His reward?
Mommy finally sat through a Star Wars movie.
And for you Star Wars enthusiasts,
I did not see the original trilogy first but started with Episode I.
I know,
I know.
But over the course of a year,
I watched them all with my son and continued to draw the parallels between what I was studying in mindfulness,
Meditation,
And yoga.
The Force is known as different things to different species,
Such as life current,
Sight,
Galaxy spirit,
Or a field connecting everything to the universe.
In other worldly traditions,
This is similar to prana,
Life force,
Vital energy,
And the breath.
In Star Wars,
The Force resides in all life forms.
However,
Some are born with a higher sensitivity,
Allowing them to harness various powers of the Force.
The Jedi Order realizing the power of the Force use it with the intention of selflessness and service to others and are deemed the light side.
The Sith use the Force with the intention of strength and power and are deemed the dark side.
These Orders fight through millennia annihilating each other.
The Star Wars series can paint a picture of our own future if we do not take steps to close the gap created among us and the planet.
If you have any insights on the Force you'd like to share,
Reach out to me at mindgenllc.
Com.
May the Force be with you.
