Feel Good Zone – living a simpler life

I thought, wouldn’t it be great if work places had a ‘quiet’ room where people could meditate, pray and be at one with their spirituality.

Like it says on the bottle!

In the 1980s I worked in the financial sector, at the Bank of England, in the city of London. I discovered a relaxation class taking place at lunchtime, near by where I worked. So I started to attend this  ‘quiet time’ where the Reverend Geoffrey Harding led us to a place of stillness, lying down in the choir area. After all our relaxing there was social time with a cup of tea, then back to work feeling more refreshed. In due course I trained with the Relaxation Society and lead some of the city lunchtime sessions. I believe what Rev. Harding instigated was quite unique at the time. The church had a liveliness to it, being used for an holistic spiritual purpose, rather than poorly attended services.
Fast track to now. I’ve continued to teach relaxation and mediation practises privately, within business and adult education. And I wondered whether there were work places that offered a specific ‘quiet’ place for their staff. Bluewater is an indoor shopping centre which I visit to mooch around, gaze at the interesting sculptures and carvings. With it’s spacious avenues and light, high ceilings it is a pleasing place to spend your money and window/people watch.

www.bluewater.co.uk/content/cu_peace I went to check it out with a friend of mine. The visit took place on a weekday so the shopping centre was not as busy as at the weekends. I easily found ‘Quiet Reflection’ marked on the centre maps, mostly used for shoppers locating their favourite stores. Not for me this time, I was focued on finding the quiet zone.

The entrance door required one to push a buzzer to allow entry. I guess this is to monitor numbers and who’s entering as there is a camera watching. The trees/foresty screening provides a natural-like serenity as an initial vibe, feeling to set the scene. Inside a corridor leads in an arc to a circular room decorated in blues and natural wood. Pictures of neutral water scenes decorated the walls, as this is a place for all faiths, that was evident.

My friend put her feet up, taking a breathing space for a while from the buzziness of the retail vibe outside. Some young men were already in the room preparing to do their prayers. So, with a polite ‘you do your thing and we’ll do ours’, we sat a while taking in the peacefulness …
The aircon was pretty cold so it was not comfortable to stay too long here. There was an adjacent room with carpet, red comfy chairs and small table. Here one could simply be quiet, or have a conversation, even a catch up nap. It was not too homey, rather neutral, perhaps to avoid people staying too long but adequate for meditation and relaxation.
If one feels the need to talk through things to a neutral listener then there is a Chaplain available by appointment. Congratulations to the Bluewater management for making this space freely available for staff and visitors.

I wonder if you know of other shopping centres and business centres providing the facility of a ‘Quiet Place’ for reflection, spiritual practise or simply a nap time?

Report by Linzi Martin visiting the award winning designed shopping centre Bluewater, near Dartford, Kent in the south east part of England.

Linzi Martin, Sleep Well Live Well Consultant
Offering natural solutions for those suffering insomnia or seeking to live a healthier simpler life.
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I posted the original question if anyone knows of a Quiet Space within the workplace, on LinkedIn. Here are some responses to the discussion

Melanie Ollenberg •  YES!
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has a chapel, healing room, smudge room, and is working on a sweat lodge. (toronto, ontario):
http://www.camh.net/Care_Treatment/Care_providers_role_descriptions/careproviders_spiritreligious.html
Unfortunately, I found the space was under-utilized, but offering mindfullness meditation facilitation for staff and multi-faith services for both staff and clients were critical in getting folks out.

I’ve also worked on the coordination of conferences which offer a meditation and prayer room, which is particularly important when triggering topics are being presented.

Laurence Harrould • I have heard that the ANZ bank in Australia had this in head office (a whole floor apparently) while John McFarlane was the CEO. Haven’t been able to confirm it though.
It’s interesting how many organisations which you wouldn’t consider particularly enlightened are doing very interesting things. AMP is a large insurance & finance company in Australia and has a role called “Catalyst for Magic”. I’m not entirely sure what the person does but it sounds great.

Dhara Kothari • That’s what i am striving for in Bombay and elsewhere if not in offices then some meditative places where one can come, meditate and learn more about it. Linzi your idea of a company having quite rooms is indeed splendid, but in large cities where real estate is expensive, companies may not go for it despite wanting to. They rather tie-up with existing meditation centers or organize a weekly event in their conference rooms. On the other hand those companies not having a space problem should seriously look into this and create such rooms.

linzi martin • Thanks everyone for your comments. There’s been a few articles in UK newspapers about Mindfulness meditation being used in schools and helped students concentrate more. Perhaps it’s also given the teachers some well deserved quiet time as well!
Some years ago I contacted local big newly built hospital to see if I could run a relaxation/meditation group for staff. Was told there was no quiet or sitting out room available for staff !
Being a bit synical I wonder if some companies state they take staff well being seriously & have measures in place but in reality nothing gets done.

linzi martin • It does seem that when individuals who are decision makers within companies, have personal experience of what meditation offers, then they have more influenence to make it happen within the workplace.

Dawn James • I suggested that to our company – but its VERY low priority..so instead at lunch time I leave the office, and enjoy quiet time in my car to meditate, reflect and center myself.