{"id":47572,"date":"2023-10-20T15:54:12","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/why-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-are-doing-vedic-meditation-twice-a-day-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:54:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:54:12","slug":"why-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-are-doing-vedic-meditation-twice-a-day-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/why-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-are-doing-vedic-meditation-twice-a-day-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Why entrepreneurs and business owners are doing Vedic Meditation twice a day – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Ronnelle Richards<\/em><\/p>\n

If the word meditation still conjures up an image in your mind of a person sitting cross-legged humming, then you\u2019re living in the past.<\/p>\n

Meditation today, particularly the Vedic or Transcendental branch of meditation, is becoming increasingly popular amongst business owners and entrepreneurs as a way to relieve stress and enhance focus.<\/p>\n

Read more: How meditation can make you a better salesperson<\/p>\n

Vedic Meditation (VM) is it is an \u201ceffortless\u201d technique that is usually practised for around 20 minutes twice a day.<\/p>\n

The meditation requires you to sit comfortably with your eyes closed and repeat a mantra or sound inside your head.<\/p>\n

This type of meditation was introduced to the Western world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s and is hailed as simpler to undertake than some other forms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe highs and lows wear you down and make you tired\u201d<\/h3>\n

Gary Tramer, co-founder of LeadChat, has been consistently practising Vedic Meditation since May last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d heard about it in a bunch of different blogs and articles and [they] raved about it and I always thought it was one of those really weird voodoo type things people do,\u201d Tramer tells SmartCompany.<\/p>\n

But then Tramer went on a corporate retreat in Byron Bay that included three days of Vedic Meditation training by teacher Gary Gorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of those defining moments, to unlock another dimension to life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Gorrow has been practising Vedic Meditation for 17 years and teaching it for 11 years mostly around Melbourne, Sydney and Byron Bay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was first drawn to VM because I was quite stressed and was finding it difficult to maintain balance, which probably isn\u2019t surprising given the fact that I was running three businesses at the time,\u201d Gorrow says.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning to meditate profoundly shifted things within me, so much so that I felt compelled to dedicate my life to teaching this technique to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gorrow told SmartCompany the common perception that meditation is difficult doesn\u2019t apply to Vedic Meditation and that with the right teaching, anyone can do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there are a number of reasons for the surge in popularity of Vedic Meditation,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cStress is certainly one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEntrepreneurs are typically inspired, hardworking people, committed to achieving their lofty goals. Many business owners push themselves to achieve their success, but this very often comes at the expense of their health [and] relationships. Many of my clients utilise meditation as a practical means to neutralise stress and enhance their overall wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tramer, who has a degree in neuroscience, now wakes up at 5am daily to make sure he has time for 20-minute Vedic Meditation session and says he is seeing the many benefits of it, particularly as a business owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cParticularly with the rise of entrepreneurialism there\u2019s more and more people who are doing their own things, which comes with a lot of pressure, a lot of hours lot of stress,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s many moments of seeming failures, issues crisis that will happen every other day to make your stomach churn and your anxiety rise. Then there\u2019s days where you\u2019re on top of the world \u2026 the highs and lows wear you down and make you tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI find it balances. So where you have a situation like a key staff member quitting, or a client unhappy, the negatives don\u2019t seem to faze you as much, and equally a good outcome, you don\u2019t jump for joy either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tramer says the simplicity of the VM technique appeals to him, as it\u2019s not necessary to be in a quiet spot or a dark room and there\u2019s no need to sit in a particular way.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I\u2019ve] meditated in a plane, on an Uber, at home whilst the kids are falling asleep in their rooms \u2013 it\u2019s very portable,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Gorrow agrees, saying the effortless technique can be mastered quickly in just a few sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s free from dogma and brings immediate benefit to anyone who practices it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only requirement is that you can sit for 20 minutes and close your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tramer believes VM is becoming increasingly popular in business circles, noting that VM is now being associated with Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re looking to buy a car you\u2019ll suddenly notice everyone else is driving the same car \u2026 now it seems everybody is doing [VM] too,which is quite telling I think,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

How Vedic Meditation can improve your business<\/h3>\n

Lea Waters, director of the Positive Psychology centre at the University of Melbourne, is currently completing a meta-analysis on the impact of meditation in the workplace, compiling the results of 100 studies into meditation.<\/p>\n

The research will be completed over the next six months, in time for it to be presented at the European conference in Positive Psychology to be held in France in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely finding that people who engage in meditation either in a formal program the workplace has provided or on their own are showing higher performance at work, they\u2019re showing better cognitive functions and there\u2019s higher levels of wellbeing,\u201d Waters told SmartCompany.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there also is an emotional element. If you\u2019re a business owner, there\u2019s a lot of emotional investment. You want to be able to think clearly but also manage and control the emotional response in the ownership of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waters says research shows regularly practising meditation \u2013 half an hour daily for eight weeks \u2013 starts to change the structure of our brains.<\/p>\n

According to Waters, the amygdala that processes fear becomes thinner, as the brain is able to calm itself down, while the hippocampus becomes thicker, making it easier to regulate our emotions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur pre frontal cortex, which also plays a role in that cognitive function piece like problem solving decision making and the ability to pay attention, has become more active in people that engage practice in meditation,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Gorrow says organisations that are implementing meditation programs are no longer seen as laughing stocks. Instead, meditation is now considered to be a practical tool that can ultimately help businesses increase the bottom line.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m seeing a new paradigm emerging within businesses where more and more organisations are understanding the vital role the mind plays in proceedings,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeuroscientists estimate that we use only 9% of our brain power and VM is a science-based technique known to increase the grey matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe benefits are irrefutable. Thousands of scientific studies have proven meditation transforms the brain, dissolves stress and improves all aspects of mental functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the greatest assets to any organisation are its people and if there was a way to develop the full and clear functioning of the minds of those people which makes it something worth investing in,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

This piece was originally published on SmartCompany.<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> <\/em>Facebook,<\/em> <\/em>Twitter,<\/em> <\/em>LinkedIn<\/em> <\/em>and<\/em> <\/em>Soundcloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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