I read an article in the NYT Sunday business section. The article was about a popular class Google offers to some of it's employees. The class is to help the employees find some way to work in what the article repeatedly says is a stressful situation.
When I think of struggling US workers, my heart does not automatically go out to the privileged workers at Google. But I do feel I owe Google something because they enable me to offer my unfocused thoughts, without charge. So in exchange, I'm going to suggest some changes to their class so that they can all be even more successful.
The article says that this course is called "Search Inside Yourself" and was developed with the help of "nine experts in the use of mindfulness at work" including the former Zen monk Mark Lesser.
The NYT writes: "One tool the course teaches is S.B.N.R.R ... short for Stop, Breathe, Notice, Reflect and Respond." This is very exciting because it shows that cutting edge in-house education is getting closer to the wisdom of the AT and Zen. Here are my thoughts on S.B.N.R.R:
Stop. I'm in total agreement. Why stop? Because if we don't stop we can't put an end to obsessive end-gaining which interferes with accurately perceiving reality. Further, it's only when we stop that we can realize we have a choice in how we respond. That's why we need to stop. For how long? Better not be long! They've got deadlines! I recommend stopping long enough to end the end-gaining and prevent interference with the primary control. Stopping does not have to take time, it only means you have given up on end-gaining and stopped interfering with the primary control.
Breathe. No, sorry, not a good idea. You might be able to settle your nerves a bit - any smoker will tell you it helps to take a big breath - but it's the wrong choice for several reasons:
1. Weird breathing is a symptom and not the problem. The problem is the end-gaining and poor use, the breath is a small part.
2. You are fragmenting yourself into parts: the mind, body, emotions, spiritual lives, intellect, personality are not separate. It is all the Self. If you want to make improvements and find success, then you have to address the Self and how its brought to bear in any task. Your back pain is not a symptom of your stress: it is your stress. Your obsessive end-gaining is not different than your physical tension and breath holding.
3. Trying to change the breathing is "doing". And the poor Google employee is already being asked to do more than enough. Zen is not about doing either, and being successful is also not about doing. Being less stressed is not about doing. It is all about DOING LESS!
4. Who has time for long slow breathing? We have work to do!
Notice, Reflect. Sure, obviously important. But these spring naturally from the cessation of end-gaining and foregoing interfering with the primary control. There is no need to make any effort to notice and reflect. These spring up naturally right after we stop. The deeper we were involved with our end-gaining the more startling coming back to reality will be. There is no reason to dwell there. Save the navel gazing for your time off.
Respond. Whoa! Hold on there! You're almost ready to open-your-mouth-send-the-email-Buy-IBM but not quite. Consider, what got you into all that end-gaining to begin with? Your end-gaining is caused by ignorance of how to reach your goal and a lifetime of poor use of yourself. Once you have stopped, here is how to proceed. Simply wish, allow and direct your head to go forward and up, the torso to lengthen and widen, the knees to go forward and away to allow the ankles to release and the heals to drop. THIS IS NOT DOING: simply allow it to all happen. This is sending directions to allow you to stop misusing yourself.
OK! Now, while directing yourself: Off you go! Stop and direct throughout the day as needed.
Enjoy!
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