Another eventful year is inching towards a close. With all my work projects well within their deadlines, I was able to take a few days off last week, with no other agenda than to count my blessings. And off I went to Thailand for a meditation camp. Seated comfortably on my flight, book in hand, I read on.
“The average smartphone user checks his or her device every six and a half minutes,” writes Arianna Huffington in The Third Metric, as the announcement to switch off all electronic devices was being made.
“Is it true?”, I questioned myself. I admit, I’m often guilty of wanting to be constantly connected. Technology has made it so easy for us to carry on business as usual even when we’re travelling. But like in everything, there are after-effects too which arise from overuse — burnout, sleep deprivation and stress. I decided to give the non-stop movie marathon a miss this time and chose to sleep, looking forward to the next few days of meditation.
The purpose of the “Meditation Camp’ was to learn about conditions that work overdose leads us to. It was about learning to be mindful of what our bodies want.
It is work culture that is driving so much stress into our lives. I’ve met people who pride themselves in getting just four hours sleep or working even while they are sick. To them, these are signs of success, but in the long run we all know where this leads.
I came away from this camp truly inspired, and amazed by how a few days of meditation and mindfulness can change your perspective. It is as simple as finding a few minutes of peace in your entire day, preferably as soon as you wake up. You’ll be amazed at how these moments sets the tone for the day.
Health, truly is our biggest wealth, and what pleased me to know is that more and more people the world over are beginning to see this. Companies are starting to realise how deeply connected the health and well-being of their people is to the health and profitability of the company. Well-being is no longer a new-age concept but something that is now appearing in every aspect of our lives.
We all know what the problem is, and we know the solution too. The aim now is to start the journey from just knowing to doing. It is the only way forward.
— Follow Uma on social media on @umagd
