Welcome! For the next few weeks I will be posting one question each week that commonly comes up when people begin a mindfulness practice. The content of these posts was previously published on Huffington Post under the title 7 Common Mindfulness Questions, Answered.

Enjoy

1. What does sitting still with my eyes closed have to do with my job, or my life in general?

Formal sitting meditation is similar in some ways to practicing your golf putt with a cup on the floor, playing piano scales or shooting hoops. Sitting with your eyes closed while paying attention to the breath or sounds is a training; it's not "the game." But like other activities we practice with repetition, it helps to strengthen our ability to focus. Developing focus is an essential element of leadership excellence; without it, we perpetually skim the surface of experience, never resting long enough to understand what is truly before us and what response is called for now.