MINDFULNESS& LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCEFacilitated By Heather Stang, MANational Hospice & Palliative Care Association2016 Management & Leadership Conference

Let’s GetFOCUSEDBreathing In, I Know That I Am Breathing In.

Breathing Out, I Know That I Am Breathing Out.

“A mindful leader embodies leadership presence by cultivating focus, clarity, creativity, & compassion in the services of others.”

Janice MarturanoFinding the Space to Lead

Definition of Mindfulness

“The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment to moment.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003)

Two Wings Of“Radical Acceptance”• The wing of clear seeing: the quality of

awareness that recognizes exactly what is happening in our moment to moment experience.• The wing of compassion: our capacity to relate in

a tender and sympathetic way to what we perceive.

Tara Brach (2003)

3 Fundamental Componentsof Mindfulness• Intention – clear reason for practice• Attention – direct observation of each moment• Attitude – open-hearted compassion

Shapiro and Carlson (2009)

Mind Full or Mindful?

The 6 Doors of the Senses

• Sight• Smell• Taste• Sound• Sensation (Includes Breath)• Thought (Cognition)

Meditation* Mindfulness

EATING

MINDFULMEDITATION

MANTRA

6 SENSES

More Than Meditation

WALKINGINQUIRY

PRAYER

VISUALIZATION

*Mindfulness is always an option!

SPEECHTASK

RELAXATION

Your Brain on Mindfulness

• Lateral Prefrontal Cortex: Assessment Center• Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Me Center - Empathy• Insula: Gut Feelings• Amygdala: Fear Center Shrinks• Neocortex: Creativity

Mindfulness & CreativityMeditate to Create: The Impact of Focused-Attention and Open-Monitoring Training on Convergent and Divergent ThinkingColzato, L. S., Ozturk, A., & Hommel, B. (2012). Meditate to create: the impact of focused-attention and open-monitoring training on convergent and divergent thinking. Frontiers in psychology, 3.

“Mind the Trap”: Mindfulness Practice Reduces Cognitive RigidityGreenberg, J., Reiner, K., & Meiran, N. (2012). “Mind the trap”: mindfulness practice reduces cognitive rigidity. PloS one, 7(5), e36206.

Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.

Brené BrownDaring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

With equanimity, what passes through your mind is held with spaciousness so you stay even-keeled and aren’t thrown off balance. The ancient circuitry of the brain is continually driving you to react one way or another - and equanimity is your circuit breaker.

Rick Hansen, Ph. D. The Practical Neuroscience of Buddha’s Brain: Happiness, Love & Wisdom

5 Mental Hindrances

• Sensual Desire, Greed• Ill-will• Sloth (Physical) & Torpor (Mental)• Restlessness & Remorse• Skeptical Doubt

Working With Emotions• Recognize - Acknowledge what you are feeling. What is happening inside me right now?

• Allowing (Acceptance) - Be willing to be present to your experience, no matter how unpleasant. Whatever you notice, let it be. (Tara Brach recommends noting “I consent” or “yes” or “this too”).

• Investigate - Unhook yourself from the object or story, so you can witness the emotion with kindness, and from an unbiased perspective. Mindfulness of body is a great technique here, as is asking yourself “what am I believing to be true?”

• Non-Identification - Recognize you are not this emotion or experience; it is just a temporary event arising. Watch it with an attitude of natural presence.

“Working with emotions during our meditation sessions sharpens our ability to recognize a feeling just as it begins,

not fifteen consequential actions later. We can then go on to develop a more balanced relationship with it - neither letting it overwhelm us so that we lash out rashly, nor ignoring it because we’re afraid or ashamed of it.”

Sharon SalzbergReal Happiness

AwarenessBREAK

Take A Few Full Breaths.What’s Happening Now?

Compassion & Lovingkindess“The difference between misery and happiness depends on what we do with our attention.”

Salzberg (2004)

“Each time you meet an old emotional pattern with presence, your awakening to truth can deepen. There’s less identification with the self in the story and more ability to rest in the awareness that is witnessing what’s happening. You become more able to abide in compassion, to remember and trust your true home. Rather than cycling repetitively through old conditioning, you are actually spiraling toward freedom.”

Brach (2013)

In organizational awareness, you understand the feelings, needs, and concerns of individual people and how those feelings, needs, and concerns interact with those of others and how that all weaves into the emotional fabric of the organization as a whole.

Chade-Meng TanSearch Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (And World Peace)

6 Directions of Metta

• Yourself• Teacher or Spiritual Leader (or Pet)• Friend or Family Member• Neutral Person• Difficult Person• All Sentient Beings

May you be happy, as I wish to be happy.

May you know peace,as I wish to know peace.

May you be free from suffering,as I wish to be free from suffering.

8 Pillars of HappinessIn The Workplace• Balance• Concentration• Compassion• Resilience• Communication & Connection• Integrity• Meaning• Open Awareness

How To Practice1. Dedicate A Space For Practice

2. Schedule Formal Practice As You Would An Important Meeting

3. Set Electronics To “Airplane Mode”

4. Set Your Intention/Aspiration

5. Start Small: 5-10 Minutes (Insight Timer App.)

6. Take Regular Awareness Breaks

7. Find Your “Sangha”

8. Don’t Ever Stop! And When You Do, Just Begin Again.

4 Qualities of Leadership Excellence

• Focus• Clarity• Creativity• Compassion

Janice MarturanoFinding the Space to Lead

Mindfulness & Leadership

INQUIRY

Heather’s Approach To Mindfulness & Work

• Leave Work At Work (Ritual)• Optimize My Mind (Mindfulness)• Manage Difficult Emotions (RAIN-C)• Help My Body Help Itself (Body Scan)• Develop Compassion for Myself, Co-workers,

Clients & Their Loved Ones (Metta)• Do One Thing At A Time (Task)• Write Down Ideas When They Arise (Creativity)

Mindfulness is called a “practice” because it doesn’t have to be perfect. Isn’t that a relief?

Stang (2014)

Contact Information

Heather Stanghttp://heatherstang.comheatherstangma@gmail.com240-397-8080Twitter: @heatherstangma

Today’s Workshop Downloadshttp://heatherstang.com/mlc16

Password: takeabreak

Resources

• Brach, T. (2004). Radical acceptance. Bantam.• Colzato, L. S., Ozturk, A., & Hommel, B. (2012). Meditate to create: the impact of focused-attention and

open-monitoring training on convergent and divergent thinking. Frontiers in psychology, 3.• Greenberg, J., Reiner, K., & Meiran, N. (2012). “Mind the trap”: mindfulness practice reduces cognitive

rigidity. PloS one, 7(5), e36206.• Hanson, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain. New Harbinger, Oakland.• Marturano, J. (2014). Finding the space to lead: A practical guide to mindful leadership. Bloomsbury

Publishing USA. • Shapiro, S. L., & Carlson, L. E. (2009). The art and science of mindfulness: Integrating mindfulness into

psychology and the helping professions. American Psychological Association.• Salzberg, S. (2010). Real happiness: The power of meditation: A 28-day program. Workman Publishing.• Salzberg, S. (2013). Real happiness at work: Meditations for accomplishment, achievement, and peace.

Workman Publishing.• Stang, H. (2014). Mindfulness & grief: With guided meditations to calm your mind & restore your spirit.

CICO Books: London.• Tan, C. M. (2012). Search inside yourself: increase productivity, creativity and happiness. HarperCollins.• Kabat‐Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness‐based interventions in context: past, present, and future. Clinical

psychology: Science and practice, 10(2), 144-156.