Written by Balaji Rajagopalan
I have been working for more than three decades, ever since I was 19. I have undergone major surgeries in both ears. I fell 27 feet from a water tank during Covid. I have been managing rheumatoid arthritis for over 10 years. And I am still able to smile while writing this, with a deep sense of gratitude, because of what my Guruji Sundar and meditation have given me.
I lost my father at 19. My family situation demanded that I join a job immediately. I had nowhere to go and no one to guide me. The world was wide open.
Both my spiritual journey and my corporate journey started the same year: 1995. I should be thankful to the almighty for blessing me with my Guru. He was himself employed at a top bank, was a family man carrying out his daily responsibilities, yet had the greatest wisdom as a self-realized being. It was his initiation, his grace, his nurturing that taught me meditation techniques which helped me handle whatever corporate life threw at me.
Work and spirituality are not opposites
I have always tried to strike a balance between work and spirituality. Many people think they are contradictory. I would say they are complementary.
Life has not been rosy for me. But the fragrance of meditation is what has carried me across all the seasons, both success and failure. On one hand, I had good jobs, the lovely moments of marriage and children. On the other hand, I came across stressful situations at work and at home. Meditation helped me manage all of it.
When there was success, meditation kept me grounded. When there were failures, it helped me grow. I never allowed stress to take over me. I never got entangled in my own mind.
Pressure is not the same as stress
This is something most people miss. Pressure is what everyone faces at work. But stress is determined by how personally you take that pressure. Work pressure will help you grow. The stress you carry inside will damage your body and mind.
Meditation makes you more productive because it saves your energy and helps you channelise it properly. At work, whenever I faced a difficult situation, I learned to respond rather than react. This was possible only through meditation.
There was always a calmness in me that my colleagues could recognize. They could feel something was different. They felt comfortable around me. This was not something I cultivated deliberately, it came through practice.
Acceptance is the key
Acceptance is the most important thing when it comes to overcoming any situation. Meditation teaches you the art of acceptance.
And there is another gift that people forget, the smile. If you smile, you reduce stress. If you smile totally, which comes through deep meditation, in that very moment you feel relieved. When you smile at work, your colleagues get inspired too. Even managing tough calls becomes a different experience.
I turned my travel into practice
When I started my career as a service engineer, I travelled across the country. I actually enjoyed it because I could close my eyes and meditate while commuting from one place to another. I explored both the outer world and the inner world at the same time.
While I worked hard throughout the day, I made it a point to visit the local temple or samadhi mandir every evening, as per my Guruji’s guidance.
Think of it this way, the same way an operating system catches viruses and needs regular cleanup and updates, we also need to keep ourselves clean and updated. Meditation recycles your energy. It frees you from unnecessary thoughts. Once that energy is saved, you can feel the difference immediately.
Meditation also gave me a kind of clairvoyance in decision-making, especially while negotiating with partners.
When work becomes worship
If someone truly learns meditation, they will know what it means to be totally dedicated and focused. For the one who brings complete commitment, focus, and devotion to his work, the office becomes a temple, the desk becomes the sanctum sanctorum, and the work itself becomes worship. That person will never get tired easily.
Every day after coming home, one must meditate for at least 15 to 20 minutes to shed all the non-essential gatherings of the day.
Two techniques that helped me the most
Meditation over a cup of coffee. This is a simple technique I learnt from my Guruji. You watch your breathing while sipping a cup of coffee or tea or even during lunch. Rather than engaging in gossip, you re-energize yourself through every sip. You can learn this within an hour and practice it whenever you get time.
Digital fasting. We have all heard of fasting. It helps us rejuvenate. In today’s world, we need what I call digital fasting, staying away from electronic devices and social media voluntarily for a few hours a day, or one full day every week. It will energize you in ways you don’t expect.
Balaji Rajagopalan has worked across manufacturing, IT, and banking over three decades. After working at IBM as Vice President he’s now a project manager at Citi and a life coach at Aathman Awareness Centre, Chennai.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. While the author has incorporated expert medical guidance while producing the story and ensured full authentic information is provided to the reader, you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. While the author has incorporated expert medical guidance while producing the story and ensured full authentic information is provided to the reader, you should always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.