You’ve heard about some of the largest corporations in America starting to offer Mindfulness and Meditation programs to their employees. Now, you’re curious about why corporations are providing these programs, what they look like, how your organization could benefit from one of these programs, and what they cost. INSCAPE, formerly known as Meditation House, specializes in providing corporate meditation and mindfulness classes to organizations.
What Are the Benefits of a Corporate Meditation Program?
Here is a partial list of the benefits:
- Dramatic reduction in absenteeism and tardiness
- Dramatic reduction in stress levels
- Increase in productivity
- Increase in creativity
- Managers become better leaders
- Positive atmosphere, workforce, workplace
- Happier employees
What Does a Corporate Meditation Program Look Like?
Our programs are typically 3, 6 or 12-month programs. These are designed to last for specific periods of time so that the organization can measure the program’s effectiveness (using INSCAPE’s surveys. They can be one or more classes per week with classes lasting 30, 45 or 60 minutes each. Most corporations opt for a 3-month program with one 60-minute class per week. Three months is a sufficient time frame to measure the potential of a Meditation program for an organization.
What Are the Goals of the Program?
If you have specific goals for a Meditation program, we will custom-design a program to meet these goals. If you do not have specific goals, please note that most corporations share similar goals. These goals include:
- Reducing stress
- Reduce and remove anxiety
- Learn how to prepare for a stressful presentation and/or meeting
- Learn how to quiet the mind to tap into creativity and productivity
- Rest the body and mind so that after meditation, your productivity increases
- Learn how to become a better listener with clients, management, and co-workers
- Learn not to react to criticism and learn from criticism
- Learn how to quiet the mind so that you can get the most restful sleep you have ever had
Where and How Do We Start?
Start by booking an Intro to Meditation class. This is a 60-minute class. The first part of the class includes a very brief overview of what Meditation is, followed by step-by-step instructions on how to meditate. We then discuss what we did, how Meditation helps people at work (and at home), and take questions. The last part of the class is a 15+ minute guided Meditation. This is where people truly get a chance to experience what Meditation is, how it feels, and to have a very positive experience with it.
What Happens After the Intro to Meditation Class?
Now that you have had a direct experience with Meditation, you can then decide whether a “Meditation Program” could potentially yield positive benefits for the organization. How do you determine this? After the class, most people should feel some degree of calm, relaxation, stillness in the mind, and peacefulness. These conditions will allow them to be more focused, creative and productive when they return to work. We recommend that you poll people after the class and ask them about their experience. If you find that people are unsure about their experience, we recommend a 2nd class where the same people return. In the second class, the attendees now know how to meditate, and we can do a couple of guided meditations focused on reducing stress/anxiety and building confidence. If the first class does not convince a corporation of the value of Meditation, the second class will.
How Do You Measure the Effectiveness of a Corporate Meditation Program?
Corporations need a sufficient time period to measure the effectiveness of a Meditation program. We recommend a program consisting of at least 3 months with once-a-week classes lasting 60 minutes per class. At the end of the 3 months, we can work with your HR department to survey the participants and gather sufficient information so that your organization can determine whether there are in fact measurable benefits of the meditation program.
Corporate Meditation programs create and save revenue for organizations. They do so by reducing tardiness and absenteeism, increasing productivity, fostering creative approaches, re-training people to become better listeners, helping people to learn how to let go and get the best rest and sleep they have ever had, and creating a much more positive work environment. Should you have any questions, please contact INSCAPE.