Practicing mindfulness is a great way to reduce stress, gain clarity on what’s most important, and experience more fulfilment in daily life. That’s why the new frontier of practicing mindfulness is becoming popularized with both individual people and organizations. In fact, many notable companies have already introduced mindfulness training into their culture. They have recruited mindfulness leaders to develop programming for employees, established dedicated space for meditation, and hired popular authors who speak on their books. Oprah, a leader in promoting the mindfulness movement, has dedicated programming through her OWN network and has interviewed Jon Kabat-Zinn, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfield, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and NBA coach Phil Jackson, each proponents of mindfulness. Members of the government are even catching on. Congressman Tim Ryan has written a book on the subject: A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit.

With all of the zeal for practicing mindfulness, it’s created a new opportunity in the market for companies to sell products and services that help people. Unfortunately, not all providers are up to snuff. The thing is, practicing mindfulness is a long journey. It is a personal development endeavor, versus a fix-it program. Mindfulness practice is experiential and different for everyone. The results typically match the effort put in, and it takes a lot of effort to get to a place where you can teach others.

I came upon this realization when I participated in my first 10-day silent meditation retreat in 2006. It was a crash course that was intensive by design and both extremely challenging and life changing. As a result of my retreat experience, I devoted my efforts towards personal growth and sharing that experience and subsequent trainings with others. I wanted people to be able to experience what I experienced, but I realized that not everyone can take 10 days out of their busy life for personal growth. When I met Jenny, I learned there was a shorter path into mindfulness—an entry-level option. Jenny was doing a lot of research on stress management and organizational change, and she found that shorter programs allow for the opportunity to meet people where they are and build from there. With our combined backgrounds and years of dedication into our own mindfulness practices, we developed proven programs to help people and organizations experience the benefits of becoming more mindful.

As mindfulness increases in popularity and people invest their time and money in their practice, we realized that people need a way to tell qualified mindfulness programs, trainers, and coaches apart from the rest.

How to identify a skilled mindful leader:

  1. Mindful people are not in a hurry. They walk the talk.
  2. They don’t talk fast.
  3. They listen to you instead of thinking about what they will say next.
  4. There are no promises; results may vary.
  5. Price is negotiable; they are in it for you. (“If you are in it for yourself, you are not there yet.” – Deepak Chopra)

It’s also important to consider your mindfulness leader’s background and training:

  1. Length of personal practice
  2. Formal trainings
  3. Experience in a professional or business environment
  4. Real life business and personal life experience

When you commit to becoming more mindful, your experience will be much greater if you have the right person guiding you. We are all stressed to some degree or another, with most people seeing no end to the perpetual hamster on the wheel of thoughts in their head. A skilled and experienced mindfulness leader understands the journey of overcoming the unhelpful thoughts and habits that hold us back. Before you invest in a mindfulness program, make sure you do your research and work with the right people to guide you or your organization down the best path.