Spirituality in the Workplace

"Woman meditating in an office cubicle" - Illustrated by Flore Thevoux.

For decades, the pioneers of the consciousness and spiritual development scene have been indiscriminately sharing their ideas to the wider public, and now, more people are joining the wave.

The tides are shifting.

Where there was once major resistance, conversations are opening up.

Nowadays, employee well-being and interpersonal dynamics systems are front and center.

From a Forbes article earlier this year:

"The discovery of innovative tools that enhance self-awareness and team dynamics is always a welcome development. One such tool that has been gaining attention is Human Design."

Tools like the Enneagram, Human Design, Gene Keys, MBTI, have been around for some time. They are powerful systems that promote self-knowledge, curiosity, introspection, compassion for self and other and ultimately, more harmonious relationships.

Paired with consistent meditation practices, the positive, life-changing effects of these systems are greatly enhanced and cemented.

A benefit of meditation is its capacity to open up space in your body for new information and perspectives to come in. It frees you from your calcified belief systems, allowing you to restore your mind’s neuro-plasticity — the creative essence of your childhood.

Mindfulness, meditation, and manifestation practices are very much a form of self-brainwashing, can transform almost every aspect of your life.

The benefits of these techniques are immense, but bringing these techniques into the workplace can have mixed effects.

The workplace relies on hierarchical structures, and where there is hierarchy, there is power, and all of the human baggage that comes with it.

In other words, if the wrong people are in charge, the workplace can easily develop cultish antics.

Intangible reward systems create negative feedback loops where people get caught up in perfecting a technique without realizing their authentic desires for self-improvement are benefiting a system that is taking advantage of them.

An interesting corporate trend I’ve come across lately are wellness rooms, and more specifically, “silent booths”, some with a more overt mindfulness agenda and others as a quiet, soundproof space for meetings.

I am struck by Amazon’s “AmaZen Meditation Booth” — placed in the center of their warehouses, employees are mandated to take a five minute break inside these rectangular coffin-like boxes to stare at a computer screen while repeating positive affirmations. This, like many other corporate gimmicks, is but a bandaid in a much larger issue — the largely unsanctioned exploitation of the planet's and its people's resources.

If, by some miracle, the leadership mandating mindfulness practices is grounded, experienced, and trauma-informed, the ripple effects of these techniques can be truly ground breaking.

Here are some pros and cons of employees being more in touch with themselves:

• They are more productive and efficient because consistent meditation & mindfulness practices allow for focus and flow states to be tapped into more easily.

• They instinctually know what they need to live a healthier, balanced lifestyle. Less energy spent on gossip and other destructive tendencies, contributing to a more harmonious environment.

• Emotions and authentic feelings become harder to conceal. Toxic patterns will get uprooted more quickly. There might actually be a more confrontational work environment for a period before bad actors fall away naturally and balance is restored.

There are many traps and facets to these techniques. I am advocating for companies to hire experienced meditation teachers from accredited lineages that can facilitate safer spaces for the inevitable transformations that come with these teachings.✸