Being in the Moment – Breath & Meditation

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It’s hard to promote, write about and coach presence, executive or otherwise, without talking about meditation. In fact it’s probably been present (pun intended), when I’ve discussed breathing, calming nerves, pausing and connecting in the moment, but it goes deeper than that. Throughout my acting career, my whole career in fact, I had never practiced any meditation or yoga, and like many, thought it was a bit ‘out there’, sitting on a mountain top with too much time on your hands. Sure I’d done stretching and breathing to warm up before a show but I couldn’t see how moments of doing nothing could have any benefit and surely action is where it’s at. Until last year, when the fast paced world, stress, anxiety got on top of me and I decided to give it a go.

I signed up for yoga meditation classes and what I liked straight away was the mix of and link between yoga and meditation. Concentrating and being focussed on practicing the postures, combined with breath, followed by breathing techniques, meditation and even chanting. Just having that hour and a half session, or half an hour at home to close off the rest of the world and be in that room, in that moment. And you have to admit that in itself is pretty rare. In essence what we do is listen to and focus on the breath in the back of the throat, in and out, letting thoughts come and go, in fact ‘stepping back’ and observing them. It’s not always easy or relaxing but being able to stop for that time works for me and its only with practice benefits will come. So what are the benefits? For me its reducing anxiety, negative thoughts, being able to focus on what I’m doing, dealing better with stress and anxiety and changes in how I react to situations. It’s turning me into a deeper breather (I’ve always been short and shallow, a fast paced person in general) which helps with nerve management (useful for acting and training) and also with being present and more focussed on the moment, instead of a mind that’s firing off in all directions. This to me is the key; whether an actor, a presenter or executive, those that have the ability to be completely present and connected in the moment and to the people they are with, have presence.

But don’t just believe me. Andy Puddicombe in his Ted Talk ’10 Mindful Minutes’ talks about refreshing your mind for 10 minutes a day “simply by being mindful and experiencing the present moment” and that this can be a preventative for stress. He says we spend so much time outside the present moment that we miss out. In fact he references a Harvard study that says our minds are lost in thought 47% of the time. His approach is to step back and see thoughts clearly, witness the thoughts and emotions without judgement, rather than getting anxious about feeling anxious. He too says this gives us a different perspective and though we can’t change all of the things that happen to us we can change the way we experience them. So, 10 minutes a day to “refresh”, reboot if you like, step back, focus on the present moment and experience calmness and clarity.

Sure but where’s the science I hear some of you cry! I’m glad you asked. Bloomberg recently published an article ‘Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof of Meditation Benefits’. In a five year study they are finding a “True biological effect…The kinds of things that happen when you meditate do have effects throughout the body, not just the brain”. The research focuses on stress and how the mind body techniques of yoga meditation “can switch on and off genes linked to stress and immune function”. Interestingly the lead researcher emphasises the importance of breath and inhabiting the present moment and while a daily regimen is best, “simply knowing breath management techniques and having a better understanding of stress can help build resilience”.

So how does this help you, where can you use it? Well regular practice appears to have some strong ongoing benefits, as illustrated above, but there are certainly situational uses as well. Breathing really is the key to managing nerves and this is a fundamental technique I teach for those anxious about giving presentations or even those that find their presentations undermined by what’s going on in their body and mind. These techniques also give you the appearance of calmness which elevates your presence and most importantly it grounds you, connects you to the present moment and assists you to focus fully on the situation and person or people that require your undivided presence.

So, find time to stop, breath, connect with yourself first of all and bring this presence into all of your interactions. Try it, adapt it, apply it and you be the judge of the results.

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