Los Suenos Institute

Is The Corporate Pace Sustainable Without Wellness Skills?

by Sueños on 03/07/17

We started teaching and recommending meditation along with yoga to our clients in 1992. I had just left being a VP for Coca Cola and knew my pace of travel and continuous meetings, and seeing my family for a few hours on weekends was not sustainable.  This led me to embrace the teachings from my father which revolved around centering your energy. And developing the energy awareness skills to maintain your energy centered.  I found meditation and yoga to be a very effective way of extending the awareness and sensation of centering your energy to our corporate clients.  In the those days we couldn’t come out and say the M or Y word.   We called them quiet reflective time and stretching exercises.  They were not thought of as too new age, not corporate enough. I always thought these are not new age these are ancient teachings.  They are only new to you.  We for the most part have come to understand and embrace both activities as a healthy wellness regime.  Though there are still certain industries playing catch up.  It begins with understanding that today’s professional faces an unprecedented amount of stress.   There is no longer an off switch. The 9-5 is gone and has been replaced by 24/7.  There is no down time, no time to relax, unplug, and replenish.  I found this especially true when I went off to launch Dell throughout Latin America.  The anxiety and stress builds and it has to go somewhere and  you can choose either to medicate or meditate .  Medication takes many forms over eating, alcohol, drugs prescription, binge TV or gaming, all are forms of medication.  They all are forms of unhealthy stress relief.  It does not have to be this way.  Lets make a Wellness commitment to ourselves! We will incorporate meditation and yoga into our daily routine.  I call it a commitment to yourself because your very soul/spirit is at stake. You know and I know your current pace and way of life is not sustainable nor healthy.  Now is the time to make a commitment to yourself!

Comments (0)     

Avoiding Burnout

by Sueños on 03/03/17

Comments (0)     

What is Authentic Leadership?

by Sueños on 03/01/17

Authentic leadership is one of the most recently conceptualized leadership styles. While many conceptualizations exist, I found the most most accurate conceptualization comes from a 2008 study where the authors define authentic leadership as,

a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders working with followers, fostering positive self-development.

What it boils down to, for me, is a leader that is consistently  oscillating between high and low positive energy states and acting in an ethical fashion, to bring about the same behavior in their employees.

Most exciting is that when the authors conducted a study relating authentic leadership to employee productivity and satisfaction, they found a positive correlation. Meaning authentic leaders tend to have employees who are more productive and more satisfied with their positions. This was true even when controlled for company culture overall.

We are just beginning to scratch the surface on this leadership style; however, it is already looking to be a very promising one. We've always encouraged our clients to find what gives them purpose, and to pursue it with all their might. I'm glad to see that science agrees.

Comments (0)     

What I Learned From My First EFL Experience

by Sueños on 02/28/17

I touched on this a bit yesterday, but I didn't take the time to really delve into what my first EFL experience really meant to me. For those new here the Energy Focused Living(EFL) experience is a four day learning experience created by Juan Manuel Sanchez the founder of Los Sueños Institute. During the week you meditate, do yoga, hike, and kayak (or ski and snowshoe depending on the weather) all while surrounded by picturesque rocky mountains. This is done with the goal of helping its participants discover their true passion and their authentic selves. Oh and did I mention? No. Phones.

Day one without my phone was nerve wracking, however, by the end of day two I was happy to be without it. The experience made me realize I needed a much more balanced relationship with my connectedness.  It made me realize how often I turn to it for entertainment instead of taking a moment to look around. In fact, I loved having my phone off so much, I left it off for the rest of the week. I felt like I controlled the buzzing, flashing rectangle in my pocket, and not the other way around.

The other huge breakthrough was an alleviation of my shoulder pain. I tend to carry my stress in my shoulders, and for a time it seemed I always had some minor kind of tension in them. It was something I had kind of come to accept. Some days were better than others, but no matter what stretches I did or how many massages I got it wouldn't go away. Then, on the third day of the experience, everything changed. I was meditating next to the pond in front of the house listening to the hum of the dragonflies, and the chorus of bird songs, when suddenly my shoulders dropped down. The tension disappeared. I was finally able to fully relax in a way I don't think I ever had before. From that moment on I was able to consciously alleviate the tension whenever I found it creeping its way back.

To sum it up, I found a way of being that was unlike anything I had experienced. I realized that my life is my canvas to paint, and that I can do so however I see fit. I came to a great deal of peace with myself, my goals, and ambitions. I found a happiness I had never experienced, and I was given the tools to continue to create it whenever I needed it. It was truly life changing, and I pray that it's an experience everyone can have one day.

Comments (0)     

What Value Do You Give Your Day?

by Sueños on 02/27/17

During my junior year of college I decided I would save some money by working and going to school full-time. At first it was fun, and it was nice not to take out any additional loans. However, after about three months, I found myself growing to dislike both. My job began to feel repetitive. Each day the customers felt the same and their problems even more similar. College was no longer expanding my mind, because I didn't have the proper time to devote to it. I cut corners, and did the bare minimum to get the grade I wanted. Each day felt more homogeneous than the one before it, and as a result, my grades started slipping as well as my work performance. The earth shattering change came when I joined Los Sueños Institute as an intern.

Comments (0)