More
than nine million Britons are suffering from 'financial phobia', according
to researchers at Cambridge University.
And in a survey of 1,000 people, nearly half
said their heart raced when faced with managing money.
Whether earning it, managing it or spending it,
our relationship with money is invariably a stressful one. Self-help guides
are legion, advice from a friendly IFA just a phone call away but, as
yet, there is clearly no panacea for levelling the road to financial harmony
and a happier life.
Serious practitioners of meditation, however,
say it is a useful way of tackling work-related stress, and the multiple
agendas of modern life. But few are talking about it - at least not in
the workplace.
Lesley Kirk, a teacher of transcendental meditation
since 1977, says: 'In some workplaces admitting you are stressed - and
therefore not dealing with it - is an admission of weakness. Meditators
keep it quiet; some feel it is their secret edge.'
Although meditation is increasingly recognised
for its ability to reduce stress - many GPs recommend it to help slow
or control chronic diseases - the more typical image of a monk meditating
in a mountain retreat still seems at odds with the cut and thrust of an
increasingly secular society, whose primary focus is the acquisition of
wealth.
Theresa Hale, founder of London's Hale Clinic,
says this should not put people off: 'People can have both a material
and spiritual life.'
While some methods do come wrapped in a belief
system that calls for a more frugal existence, other more popular techniques,
such as transcendental meditation, vipassana and the Ishaya's ascension
do not.
Although slightly different in approach, they
all claim to quieten the mind as a means of restoring mental clarity,
while improving health through lowering the physiological rate. They should
be practised for as least 30 minutes a day. Kirk says: 'Transcendental
meditation is not opposed to the good things in life - it offers people
the chance to be more creative and successful in their career and lifestyle.'
Oliver Segilman, 28, was a sales trader at Merrill
Lynch before quitting to teach business people ascension meditation. 'I
continued to day-trade after leaving the City, and quickly realised a
35 per cent increase in capital within four months,' he says. 'Where previously
my mind was more active, ascension meditation helped me to calm it and
work more from instinct, like a sportsman playing in the "zone".'
While not all meditators can specify an increase
in income in this way, they all agree it helps cultivate a sense of balance
and objectivity that leads to improved performance.
Walter Reid, a retired chairman of finance training
company MDA Ltd, took up transcendental meditation five years ago, when
aged 64, to help recover from major bypass surgery. 'It has improved both
my health and mental alertness,' he says. 'This has led to improved confidence,
which significantly helps while working within a team. I can step back
and see where people are coming from without becoming involved in their
emotions.'
Chris Levine, an artist recently commissioned
to produce a holographic portrait of the Queen, says vipassana meditation
lends the focus he needs: 'I can feel more of a sense of positive challenge
in my work rather than being consumed by a negative fear of work commitments,
deadlines, expectations and matters generally out of my control.'
It seems that less stress allows meditators to
take a more measured approach in all areas of life. If something goes
wrong they are less likely to be overwhelmed.
Daniel Kirk, a graduate aged 23 and Lesley's
son, says: 'A lot of students have problems with finance because they
simply feel so overwhelmed as part of the overall experience of leaving
home and having to manage their lives for the first time. Transcendental
meditation gave me the clarity to take that experience in my stride.'
Segilman adds: 'When the mind is busy with lots of thoughts, it's more
likely to distort, leading to decisions made in haste.'
Less haste is something many would benefit from,
at least as far as personal finance is concerned, whether managing debt
or finding the right investment.
Ian Lawson, 34, a property developer from Brighton,
says ascension meditation has given him the staying power and focus to
develop a 10-year-plan to invest in property for early retirement. 'It
has given me an inner calm that allows me to be more responsive and less
reactive. The ability to make more balanced judgments has had a bearing
on the success so far, but sometimes it's just intuition I've learnt not
to ignore. Next year I hope to capitalise on new legislation mooted to
come into force regarding real estate investment trust schemes and self-invested
personal pension schemes.'
While it is difficult to imagine financial markets
run by calm and serene traders - bulls and bears do aptly describe their
mood - a little meditation might not be such a bad thing. Especially if
it helps cultivate the type of balance clearly absent in recent financial
fiascos such as Barings and Enron.
Hale adds: 'By being more detached people become
more objective and less likely to be influenced by the feeling of emptiness
which people often seek to fill through the acquisition of material wealth
for its own sake.'
Too good to be true? You'll only know if you
try it.
Something to think about...
Vipassana: 'An observation-based, self-exploratory
journey to the common root of mind and body. Dissolves mental impurity,
resulting in a more balanced and compassionate mind.' www.dipa.dhamma.org
Ascension meditation: 'A series of simple
techniques designed to help "rise beyond" limited thinking into the peace
of the present moment. Results in improved health, clarity and alertness.'
www.ishaya.org
Transcendental meditation: 'A simple technique
allowing stress and tiredness to be released in a natural way, resulting
in greater energy, clarity and enjoyment of life.' www.t-m.org.uk and
ww.tmhampstead.org.
The author (Nick Kettles) is happy for this article
to be republished by anyone who wishes to do so, as long as they acknowledge
where it first appeared www.observer.co.uk
. Would you please however first contact to inform him where and when
it will appear.
Nick Kettles is a freelance journalist.
His credits include The Times, The Observer and The Independent.
His interests include consciousness and meditation, personal growth,
new science, health and complimentary medicine. Having previously
worked extensively in the personal growth field, he has a keen awareness
of the need to clearly communicate the benefits of the many therapies
on offer. Nick can be contacted at
or via his website www.newmythcreate.com
