Staying Connected To Your Work

This meditation begins with an introduction on the signal that runs through all of us. When we're connected to it, we feel alive, on purpose, and are able to bring our best to our work. When we or our colleagues drift from that signal, we start to hide and protect ourselves. This results in poorer connectivity, communication, and seeps into the product or service that we're offering. Let's stay connected - or reconnect - to what's truly important so that we can bring our best selves to our work.

Transcript

I think it's useful to think of the connection, To think of that signal that moves through an organization and also moves back and forth between the creators and the users in all the forms of creation. All the parts of an organization are creating the product or the service, And then those people who are out there who are utilizing what's being created, Which is having a direct effect on their experience and their life, Really, At least for the moments that they're utilizing this product or service. And as builders or as creators, We want to feel that connection and that signal to be active, Moving all through, Back and forth between us and those that we affect in the world, And then through our organization so that we all feel connected. There's something in that signal that reminds us that we're all the same. It takes away the levels of hierarchy and bureaucracy. It allows us to connect as people. Whenever we feel, Either in our work, But you can extend this out into life in general, We start to lose that signal, That connective signal between us and those we work with or the customer or might be in our personal lives between our friends or our families, Then we feel a retreat start to happen within us. We want to guard against that retreat. A retreat starts to build up protection, Layers, Walls, Tries to create a little comfortable space where we're protected. And really what we're seeking, The full experience of being alive is really to feel that signal of life, Of love, Of sharing. It's dynamic and there's energy there. As we retreat and hide from things, We lose that energy or we seem to drift away from the source of that energy. And so it's always worthwhile to evaluate relationship to that signal, Take action to move towards it, Towards the signal, As opposed to further and further. So for here and for now, As we drop into a meditation, Part of what we're doing is releasing some of those layers, Some of that protection, Releasing some of that tension, Moving inward, Not as a retreat, But as a, Almost a search for that source, For that signal, In a way of just letting go of all of the things and all of the thoughts and all of the mechanisms that we've created, Whether consciously or unconsciously, That are trying to protect us. And sometimes with that protection moving us further away. And so our method is simple, To take the breath, Move it down into the belly. As we make that switch, Noticing what has to happen to do so. Release muscle tension in the diaphragm, Those abdominal muscles soften so that we can actually let the belly expand outward. And as we release air, We breathe out, Just letting go of anything, Everything that we can. At the moment, Dropping in, Drooping in a little bit, Letting some of those tense muscles in our body just relax. Stop protecting ourselves for a moment or two. Allow ourselves to be here, Be present, Releasing of these layers of protection leaves us. Need to experience that vulnerability to find the signal. So slowly breathing in, Filling up that belly, Filling up that chest, Softly and gently, And then releasing it. Becoming very easy, But also very active. Putting our attention fully into this breathing. Of communication as the oxygen in the organization. Put our own oxygen mask on first, Regulate our system. Notice the hangups, Or the tense areas that don't want to let go. There's material there, Physical, Mental, Emotional material. Start to notice where you're just not fully able to release and start having curiosity, The very oath curiosity. No need to spend time thinking, Just breathing, Noticing. You notice yourself spending time in your thought stream, Just recognizing that, Pulling yourself back, Maybe putting a little, Just calling it thinking. Lets it move a little farther away as your awareness moves backwards so that you can just watch tension back. Listening to that breath, Feeling that breath starting to release it even further, Letting go more as the end pulling in the belly as though you're squeezing out the air. And on the in-breath getting nice and full where you can't take anymore. You feel all the contours, Your chest, Your belly, Tension, Where there's just no more to take in. As you get to that edge of an in-breath or the edge of an out-breath, Just holding the breath for a few seconds, Noticing that between state, Breathing in, Not breathing out, Noticing the sensations, Body is called releasing with the out-breath. Taking in that, Noticing the areas of tension. If there's any areas more letting go, Just direct that in-breath towards the tension. Out-breath, See if you can just let go a little bit, Become more finely tuned bodies, Retention to what's protecting, Retreating to the next out-breath, Just letting go, Letting go of the breath, Pulling your attention, Awareness back a little further just to watch and to notice. Notice the breath, Breathing, Noticing sensations, Noticing thoughts and feeling, Noticing the quieting, The body, The mind. And to help bring us back, We'll take three quicker, Fuller breaths like this. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out. And then we'll take a deep breath in, And then we'll take a deep breath out.