A Guided Meditation on Mindful Working

A particular arm of our research work at the moment is concerned with evaluating
the utility of an eight-week secular (i.e., non-religious) mindfulness intervention we
developed called Meditation Awareness Training (MAT). As discussed in our
recent post on Mindfulness in the Workplace where we provided a summary of
findings from a recent randomised-controlled trial that we conducted, part of our
empirical work with MAT involves exploring its potential applications in the
workplace setting. The version of MAT that we use in work-related contexts is still
based on the original intervention protocol (that was primarily developed for use in
clinical settings), but it has undergone a number of modifications. These
modifications mostly relate to making the intervention more appealing to
organisations who are more likely to support the introduction of mindfulness to
their employees where it can be demonstrated that any benefits to psychological
wellbeing resulting from participation in MAT also somehow improve overall work
effectiveness. Consequently, the majority of mindfulness exercises taught in MAT
specifically focus on how to cultivate and practice mindfulness whilst engaging in
everyday work situations (e.g., working at the computer, attending meetings,
speaking on the telephone, undertaking manual work, etc.). Todays post features
part of a guided mindfulness meditation that is used in week one of the eight-week
MAT program in order to help introduce employees to the basic principles of
breath awareness and to idea of practising mindfulness on the job.













Ven Edo Shonin & Ven William Van Gordon
Further Reading
Chapman M. Mindfulness in the workplace: what is the fuss all about?
Counselling at Work. 2011; 74 (Autumn):20-24.

Chapman M. Where are we now? Counselling at Work. 2013; 82 (Autumn):4-9.

Dane E, Brummel BJ. Examining workplace mindfulness and its relations to job
performance and turnover intention. Human Relations. 2014; 67:105-128.
Guided Mindfulness Meditation: Mindful Working
1. Breathing in, when I am working, I remember that I am also breathing;
breathing out, I remember to observe my breath as it enters and leaves the
body.
2. Breathing in, I notice whether my breath is deep or shallow, short or
long; breathing out, I allow my breath to follow its natural course.
3. Breathing in, I become fully aware of each individual moment of my
breath; breathing out, I taste and experience the texture of breath.
4. Breathing in, I am aware of my lungs as they rise and fall; breathing out,
I am aware of my heart beat.
5. Breathing in, when I am working, I am fully aware of my bodily posture
and movements; breathing out, I remember to go calmly and gently.
6. Breathing in, there is nowhere else I need to be; breathing out, I am
already home.
7. Breathing in, when I am working, I observe my feelings; breathing out, I
cradle my feelings in awareness.
8. Breathing in, when I am working, I observe the thoughts moving
through my mind; breathing out, I allow my thoughts to come and go.
9. Breathing in, I listen deeply to what others are saying and not saying;
breathing out, I observe how these words influence my feelings and
thoughts.
10. Breathing in, I am here; breathing out, I am now.


Grgoire S, Lachance L. Evaluation of a brief mindfulness-based intervention to
reduce psychological distress in the workplace. Mindfulness. 2014;
DOI::10.1007/s12671-014-0328-9.

Malarkey WB, Jarjoura D, Klatt M. Workplace based mindfulness practice and
inflammation: A randomized trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2013; 27:145-
154.
Shonin E, Van Gordon W Managers experiences of Meditation Awareness
Training. Mindfulness. 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s12671-014-0334-y.
Shonin E, Van Gordon W, Dunn T, Singh N, Griffiths MD. Meditation
Awareness Training for work-related wellbeing and job performance: A
randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
2014; DOI 10.1007/s11469-014-9513-2.
Shonin E, Van Gordon W, Griffiths MD. The treatment of workaholism with
Meditation Awareness Training: A Case Study. Explore: The Journal of Science and
Healing. 2014; 10: 193-195.
Van Gordon W, Shonin E, Zangeneh M, Griffiths MD. Work-related mental health
and job performance: Can mindfulness help? International Journal of Mental Health
and Addiction. 2014; 12:129-137.