Meditation in the Workplace and the Changing Face of Prayer
"Just around the corner is our meditation room. Any employee is free to make use of it. We also offer weekly yoga classes and discount subscriptions to meditation apps."
-Adapted from my new employee orientation at Google - June 6th, 2011
Businesses these days are taking a collective deep breath.
According to the results of a 2012 CDC survey, 9.9% of American professionals now meditate regularly, a number that is expected to rise.
This increase comes as the Harvard Business Review reports that many high-performing businesses, including Google, Target, Aetna, General Mills, and Intel have implemented workplace mindfulness offerings to deprogram "multitasking tendencies," to encourage employees "to slow down and focus on the present," and to promote engagement and effective decision making.
Since joining the workforce in 2011, I have been fortunate to work for two companies that provide access to meditation spaces, mindfulness instructors, and support and encouragement for a daily practice.
With a recent McKinsey study concluding that companies can save $4.58 for every $1.00 they spend on meditation initiatives (mostly due to the reduced medical costs), it is likely that more and more firms will turn to meditation programs to keep their employees focused, calm, and productive.
Companies that invest in meditation in the workplace will continue to site its myriad scientifically demonstrable benefits. But could it be that workplace meditation, packaged and presented as a secular experience, is subtly redefining spirituality and prayer, particularly among young adults?
Curiously, the marked increase in meditation, which evolved over millennia as a spiritual practice in each of the world's major religions, comes at a time of declining participation in spiritual exercises like prayer.
According to the Pew Research Center, only 10% of Millennials pray on a daily basis (as compared to 34% of Boomers), while the percentage of Americans who never pray at all increased from 18 to 23% between 2007 and 2014. Since the publication of the Pew data in 2014, it is likely that the number of daily meditators has surpassed the number of daily prayer participants, particularly among those born after 1981.
I personally have found it far easier to talk to Millennials about their mindfulness practice than their prayer life, while anecdotally I know far more Millennials who meditate than who participate in spiritual practices. The reasons for these divergent trends are multifaceted, but come down to how a generation that values selflessness and compassion understands prayer and meditation in our culture.
For younger Americans, prayer seems self-serving, possibly even dishonest or disingenuous. Millennials, raised on the preaching of the Prosperity Gospel, seem to view prayer as a one-way list of personal requests sent up to a wish-granter in the sky. Prayer means advocating for one's own needs first - thus promoting a self-serving orientation towards the world!
Meditation, on the other hand, has been scientifically proven to cultivate selflessness, even when practiced individually. To quote Kabat-Zinn's definition of meditation, meditation, or paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, is viewed by younger Americans as something that makes us more compassionate, more service-oriented, and more empathetic. With the mounting scientific evidence on the efficacy of mindfulness meditation and increased support for the practice in the workplace, particularly in younger companies, what Millennial wouldn't choose to practice meditation over prayer?
Yet as I consider the many Biblical forms of prayer, I find it interesting how few forms resemble what we think in America think of as prayer - or what we might observe while tuning into a Washington DC prayer breakfast! In the Old Testament, prayer is sometimes describes as requesting - but is often depicted as listening. There is a line of narrative in the Hebrew scriptures (see how God comes to Elijah in 1 Kings 19) that illustrates the practice of prayer not as a one-way series of demands, but as stillness, silence, and concentration, done with the intention of listening for the quiet voice of God. For this reason, each of the Abrahamic faiths has a strong contemplative tradition that sees prayer as something far different from how it is practiced in American churches, and far more similar to what is practiced in American businesses.
The institutional church is clearly alarmed about the declining practice of prayer. But when we recognize the emerging practice of mindfulness meditation - of silence, stillness, and contemplation - we might recognize an ability to become attuned to the work of God in the world like never before. The secular practice of meditation in the workplace has only begun to redefine our understanding of prayer. As these trends accelerate, we may be surprised where we hear the movement of God in our midst - provided we are willing to take a deep breath, sit with the silence, embrace the change, and listen.
@RyanPanzer is a theology blogger and semi-regular practitioner of mindfulness meditation. He recommends the 10% Happier Podcast, the Calm app, and employment at Google to anyone interested in learning more.
-Adapted from my new employee orientation at Google - June 6th, 2011
Businesses these days are taking a collective deep breath.
According to the results of a 2012 CDC survey, 9.9% of American professionals now meditate regularly, a number that is expected to rise.
This increase comes as the Harvard Business Review reports that many high-performing businesses, including Google, Target, Aetna, General Mills, and Intel have implemented workplace mindfulness offerings to deprogram "multitasking tendencies," to encourage employees "to slow down and focus on the present," and to promote engagement and effective decision making.
Since joining the workforce in 2011, I have been fortunate to work for two companies that provide access to meditation spaces, mindfulness instructors, and support and encouragement for a daily practice.
With a recent McKinsey study concluding that companies can save $4.58 for every $1.00 they spend on meditation initiatives (mostly due to the reduced medical costs), it is likely that more and more firms will turn to meditation programs to keep their employees focused, calm, and productive.
Companies that invest in meditation in the workplace will continue to site its myriad scientifically demonstrable benefits. But could it be that workplace meditation, packaged and presented as a secular experience, is subtly redefining spirituality and prayer, particularly among young adults?
Curiously, the marked increase in meditation, which evolved over millennia as a spiritual practice in each of the world's major religions, comes at a time of declining participation in spiritual exercises like prayer.
According to the Pew Research Center, only 10% of Millennials pray on a daily basis (as compared to 34% of Boomers), while the percentage of Americans who never pray at all increased from 18 to 23% between 2007 and 2014. Since the publication of the Pew data in 2014, it is likely that the number of daily meditators has surpassed the number of daily prayer participants, particularly among those born after 1981.
I personally have found it far easier to talk to Millennials about their mindfulness practice than their prayer life, while anecdotally I know far more Millennials who meditate than who participate in spiritual practices. The reasons for these divergent trends are multifaceted, but come down to how a generation that values selflessness and compassion understands prayer and meditation in our culture.
For younger Americans, prayer seems self-serving, possibly even dishonest or disingenuous. Millennials, raised on the preaching of the Prosperity Gospel, seem to view prayer as a one-way list of personal requests sent up to a wish-granter in the sky. Prayer means advocating for one's own needs first - thus promoting a self-serving orientation towards the world!
Meditation, on the other hand, has been scientifically proven to cultivate selflessness, even when practiced individually. To quote Kabat-Zinn's definition of meditation, meditation, or paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally, is viewed by younger Americans as something that makes us more compassionate, more service-oriented, and more empathetic. With the mounting scientific evidence on the efficacy of mindfulness meditation and increased support for the practice in the workplace, particularly in younger companies, what Millennial wouldn't choose to practice meditation over prayer?
Yet as I consider the many Biblical forms of prayer, I find it interesting how few forms resemble what we think in America think of as prayer - or what we might observe while tuning into a Washington DC prayer breakfast! In the Old Testament, prayer is sometimes describes as requesting - but is often depicted as listening. There is a line of narrative in the Hebrew scriptures (see how God comes to Elijah in 1 Kings 19) that illustrates the practice of prayer not as a one-way series of demands, but as stillness, silence, and concentration, done with the intention of listening for the quiet voice of God. For this reason, each of the Abrahamic faiths has a strong contemplative tradition that sees prayer as something far different from how it is practiced in American churches, and far more similar to what is practiced in American businesses.
The institutional church is clearly alarmed about the declining practice of prayer. But when we recognize the emerging practice of mindfulness meditation - of silence, stillness, and contemplation - we might recognize an ability to become attuned to the work of God in the world like never before. The secular practice of meditation in the workplace has only begun to redefine our understanding of prayer. As these trends accelerate, we may be surprised where we hear the movement of God in our midst - provided we are willing to take a deep breath, sit with the silence, embrace the change, and listen.
@RyanPanzer is a theology blogger and semi-regular practitioner of mindfulness meditation. He recommends the 10% Happier Podcast, the Calm app, and employment at Google to anyone interested in learning more.
Do you think the inflexibility of faith communities plays a part in public discomfort with the idea of prayer?
ReplyDeleteYep! Sure does!
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