As someone who is tasked with ensuring the wellbeing of employees, I am certain you have already considered corporate mindfulness training. And you’ve probably heard about the benefits, which are very impressive.
One problem that you might be facing is trying to choose which type of mindfulness training you should go for, because there are a lot of options.
As the leading provider of corporate meditation classes, we here at THE DAILY MEDITATION have learned what does and does not work. And we are delighted to present you with this list of the best kinds of mindfulness training for companies.
First we will look at styles of coaching and then actual different types of mindfulness.
Best Corporate Mindfulness Training Styles
1: Corporate meditation workshops
A meditation workshop is usually better than a seminar. The difference is that a workshop involves activities so that participants are active, whereas a seminar is simply a lecture-style academic presentation.
So why is a workshop better? Simple. Meditation is far more effective when participants experience it for themselves rather than simply learning about it.
In THE DAILY MEDITATION’s corporate meditation workshops participants spend a good deal of time actively meditating, so they can directly experience the benefits of meditation. It’s half education, half practice, so your team gets the best of both worlds.
Of course, this still begs the question of when to hold the session, how frequently, and whether online is as good as onsite. So let’s carry on.
2: Meditation lunch and learns
A Lunch and Learn is precisely as it sounds. It is when you carry out training during lunch. There are some inherent problems with this, but also lots of
benefits, as discussed on HubSpot.
Let’s start with the benefits. Holding your corporate mindfulness training event during lunch means that you are not losing work hours, so it saves time and is easy to schedule. Then there is the fact that meditation is largely about relaxing, and your employees want to relax at lunch anyway, so there is some mutual compatibility. Plus, meditating during lunch is one of the best ways to restore energy, so after the Lunch and Learn team members will be more productive.
As I said, there also are some downsides to a meditation Lunch and Learn. For starters, some employees won’t attend and, because the event is happening during their free time, it’s totally their choice. Sadly, some people don’t yet understand the benefits of meditation so they may opt to skip it, not fully understanding how beneficial it would be to them. However, you can work around this. To do so, make sure that your team understands why meditation is important before the event, so that they feel more motivated to attend.
Another problem is that is is harder to meditate both immediately before and immediately after eating, so your team members might struggle with a meditation Lunch and Learn.
3: Meditation Keynote presentations
Keynote presentations for meditation tend to be around 30 to 60 minutes long and can take place either onsite or online. These are an excellent way to introduce the core concepts of mindfulness. They are generally scheduled as part of a larger event, such as a corporate wellness day.
Meditation keynote presentations are very educational but they also should be entertaining and inspiring. A great meditation keynote speaker will cover the core concepts of mindfulness but will also share personal stories that illustrate the facts and inspire. And a great meditation keynote speaker will also weave in moments of humor that energise the audience.
There is a real art to a great keynote speech and a good speaker will leave your audience wanting more. Perhaps this is why groups that attend one of our meditation keynote speeches tend to book a series of guided meditations shortly after.
4: One-off guided corporate mindfulness training
Probably the single most common type of corporate mindfulness training is one-off sessions that you can book on demand. It is a turnkey solution.
Usually these sessions involve guided meditations that focus on specific areas, such as stress reduction, productivity, or teambuilding.
When you book a one-off session with THE DAILY MEDITATION, we help you choose the type of meditation that will be most beneficial for your company. In the session we then introduce the meditation to your team and lead them through it in a guided meditation. In this way, the sessions are both educational and practical, and your employees learn about meditation while also actually meditating, so it’s the best of both worlds.
That said, having tried a one-off session it is best to then incorporate a meditation program for the longer term.
5: One-to-One Mindfulness Training for Executives
Executives will benefit most from a series of sessions that take place on a one-to-one basis. The core benefit of this is that we show your most valuable employees how to apply mindfulness to their lives, on an individual level, and how to use mindfulness to overcome challenges that they might be facing. It os by far the most personal form of delivery and the one that will yield the highest return on investment for your executives.
Working with a mindfulness instructor one-to-one is just like working with any other type of teacher one to one. You get personalised coaching that is 100% catered to the individual and their goals, whether that be anything from stress reduction to mindful leadership coaching. And studies show that corporate mindfulness training can help leaders with everything from communicating with staff more effectively to overcoming their ego, according to Harvard Business Review.
A note on the types of mindfulness companies should try
Now, before we wrap up and I do the obligatory self promotion, I just want to mention the types of mindfulness that you should be aware of. You see, mindfulness encompasses a lot more than just “Mindful breathing”. There are many different types of mindfulness, and different types are important for different reasons.
Certainly you will want to consider the types of mindfulness that reduce stress, and this includes mindful breathing and Body Scan Meditation, as devised by Jon Kabat Zinn.
You will also want to consider meditation techniques that have been shown to improve productivity. The best of these, according to research, is Zazen, a traditional form of Zen.
Also consider Metta and Karuna, which are compassion-based meditations that can help with team building and communication. And speaking of communication, you might like to also consider Mindful Communication, which can do wonders for conflict resolution.
Naturally, we cover all these types of meditation in our corporate meditation classes.
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison
