The Mindfulness Blog

Woo woo--it's a term, or phrase, you can ask the kids about. It's also in the dictionary, and is definitely something you can search on the Internet.

Merriam-Webster defines, "woo woo" as an adjective describing something that is, "dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural or unscientific"--three words that do not describe either mindfulness or meditation.

Mystical they are not. Both mindfulness and meditation--as observed and practiced by some--might be a bit woo woo, but not for me. I am much more secular in my attitude and approach. One might label me an acolyte of "McMindfulness"--someone who believes meditation and the state of awareness known as mindfulness are both very much of this world and have a place in the office, as well as at home.

Supernatural they are definitely not. We don't have to be able to fly, or levitate, or stop our hearts from beating, in order to meditate or be mindful. And we certainly don't have to spend hours or days sitting in a full lotus position, on top of a mountain. Let's dispense with those silly notions, once and for all.

Unscientific they are most definitely not. Just check out the spate of scientific and academic studies that have been published the past 10-plus years--if you're interested it's all there for the reading. And if you take time to scratch your scientific itch, you will soon come to understand that both mindfulness and meditation can yield multiple objectively verifiable benefits for regular practitioners, both personally, and professionally.

Just as the term woo woo is making its way into our vocabulary, so too are mindfulness and meditation making their way into the workaday world. The broader business world figured that out some time ago, and has invested substantial time, energy and financial resources into incorporating the two into their business platforms.

The legal world--which is a piece of the larger business pie--has been notoriously slow to embrace or recognize the obvious benefits of mindfulness and meditation. For a profession that is built upon the minds of its lawyers, I have to ask the obvious question: What's up with that?

Hold for the answer--my bad. Sorry. There isn't one!