"Moments of Waking up": A Doorway to Mindfulness and Presence

Abstract

People have tried for centuries to develop practices that bring them present to what is, in the moment-a transition we refer to as "waking up." This two-year collaborative action research project by 15 professionals explored how intending to wake up makes a difference in one's experiences at work.

On Purpose: Leader Self‐Development and the Meaning of Purposeful Engagement

“…In terms of how involved someone is in a given goal, there is a natural ebb and flow to the depth of their involvement. When purposeful engagement is high, the leader is not only physically present (say, in training or a coaching session), but the leader is emotionally and cognitively present as well, what some describe as “waking up” (Goldman‐Schuyler, Skjei, Sanzgiri, & Koskela, ).…”

Mindfulness, Love, and Greater Good at Work: A Research‐Based Exploration

“…Goldman Schuyler's action research study of mindfulness at work had two phases, grounded in exploring what the authors called “waking up at work” (Goldman Schuyler, Skjei, Sanzgiri, & Koskela, ). During the first phase, we sought to learn whether simply intending to be present would influence what participants experienced in their lives and in those with whom they interacted Goldman Schuyler et al ().…”

“…Goldman Schuyler's action research study of mindfulness at work had two phases, grounded in exploring what the authors called “waking up at work” (Goldman Schuyler, Skjei, Sanzgiri, & Koskela, ). During the first phase, we sought to learn whether simply intending to be present would influence what participants experienced in their lives and in those with whom they interacted Goldman Schuyler et al (). During this phase, two groups of 12–15 people from five continents took notes about their own experience: they were invited to notice and write about moments when they felt more “awake,” and these notes were then analyzed by the author team using grounded theory and phenomenological approaches.…”

Experiences of presence in advancing innovation towards a holistic approach

“…The next level of human development is the stage about bringing back the interior to be in balance to the exterior (Kaipa, 2007;Scharmer and Kaufer, 2013), as the shift in the social field, and as the important part of the needed innovation ability (Scharmer, 2009). By becoming aware of your mind construction by observing it, you may learn a lot about yourself, others, and creativity (Goldman Schuyler, Skjei, Sanzgiri, and Koskela, 2017;Kaipa, 2007;Scharmer, 2009;Scharmer and Kaufer, 2013). World economist Brian Arthur has said: "Every profound innovation is based on an inward bound journey; ongoing to a deeper place where knowing comes to the surface" (Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, and Flowers, 2005, p.13).…”