Using meditation to activate your brain to cultivate peak performance in any endeavour – Claire Robbie
Claire Robbie is a meditation coach for a number of New Zealand’s leading business individuals and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about making meditation an integral and ‘normal’ part of our community. She now travels around the world teaching meditation and yoga and also speaking on consciousness, shifting habits, alcohol education, meditation and the mind.
What is your morning routine?
The minute I wake up I meditate for 20 minutes. I then wait for my son to call out his usual morning wake up call, just after 7am. We then have breakfast together, and chat about the day ahead. It’s my favorite time of the day with him. We then walk up the road to school. I do my best to get a work out in and then start work about 11am.
What hours do you work?
Anywhere from 20-60ish depending on what I’m doing that week as I have a few different ‘jobs’.
What do you do in a typical day at work?
My morning routine always stays the same but the rest of the day can be incredibly varied as I do multiple different jobs. I’m a meditation teacher and also a freelance reporter on Seven Sharp. Recently I’ve been reading Tonight – the late new on TVNZ. So depending on what’s happening that week, things are pretty fluid. I spend a couple of hours a day working on my own courses, writing articles and I also mentor students in their meditation, and a big part of teaching is consistent study and reading, so it’s important to keep on top of that too.
What is meditation so important in our daily lives?
Because as a society we’ve lost connection – to ourselves, to our children, to our friends and family and colleagues. Meditation helps us reconnect, first to ourselves and then we open up to others. We become more comfortable with our vulnerabilities and also realise just how similar and connected we are to everyone and everything.
How can it help us perform at our best?
Meditation can be used in ‘normal’ life as an incredibly profound way to reduce stress and reset the nervous system. When we’re overwhelmed or stressed, it’s impossible to function at our ‘best’. When we’re rested and calm we are the most creative, adaptable and open versions of ourselves. We also get to know ourselves really well, our habits, tendencies, the things we avoid and the patterns that have kept us stuck.
What process do you use to work on complex problems?
I give myself space from the issue, usually through meditation if something is really bothering me. Approaching something rested and calm is always a good way to start.
