I was recently asked at a conference how I introduce the subject of meditation to business people - after all, the audience member pointed out, most business people would see meditation as some sort of airy-fairy idea, one step removed from tree-hugging! In response, I explained that the central importance of meditation to our effectiveness in business - and in life in general - becomes obvious when the science is explained. This is the science that confirms that the normal mind is wired to neither change nor focus and, if anything, is wired to be distracted and stressed - the science that confirms that meditation engages key parts of the adult brain that are rarely or accidentally engaged in everyday life - the place where life is supposed to be lived. This is the science that confirms that, when we meditate regularly, we alter the structure and shape of those key neural areas, thereby enabling us to focus more readily as a matter of course.

And, yet, over the years, the message has been couched in such a way as to almost introduce meditation to business people via the back door. I've encouraged business leaders to "Do your mental exercises" encouraged by their leaders in the belief that dropping meditation on them might be a bridge too far. As a consequence, some have failed to grasp the central importance that meditation has in our lives. As things stand, it is the only scientifically validated way we have of deliberately and consciously engaging the brain's Central Executive in our daily lives... and what a difference that engagement makes - you go from being effectively barin-dead to being fully alive, present, in the zone, extraordinarily effective and effortlessly happy and successful.

But let's be clear - the science validates the power of full-blown, formal, structured meditation, teh kind of "mental exercise" that has a 12,500 year pedigree in being done a certain way, according to certain guidelines - as I say in today's video: proper meditation. If we accommodate meditation within some other practice, such as physical exercise, whilst the simultaneous engagement of mind and body reaps enormous benefit, you're still short-changing yourself.

Go into any gym - you'll find running machines that exercise the legs and cardiovascular system. You'll find leg presses that exercise the... legs! You'll find all kinds of wierd implements of torture designed to exercise a particular set of muscles. Meditation is one of those highly specialized machines - and sometimes it does feel like torture!!! So, in the same way that you don't wave your legs in the air when you're sitting on a bench-press, don't wave sundry parts of your body around whilst meditating. Do it right. Sit down. Close your eyes - do proper meditation. We'll discuss it further next week.

Queuing intriques me - the French simply don't do it - the English queue for nothing! The former can be confirmed at any Metro Station in Paris or on any skislope as we speak. The latter was confirmed to me, a couple of years back, whilst strolling down London's beautiful Regent Street: two people had stopped on the edge of the pavement to admire the buildings' curving facades - as they looked skyward, three others, followed by another couple, joined the queue!!!

What particularly intrigues me, though, is how people in a hurry behave - the mindless queuing twit can be observed in his or her native habitat at any airport's check-in or any queue at any railway station's ticket office. They check their watch, heave big sighs, nudge against those in front of them and, when they get to the head of the queue have to be called four or five times, screamed at or nudged by the person behind them to actually go up to the desk!!!!

The mindless queuing twit's cousin can be seen at red traffic lights - they're in such a rush that they stop just past the traffic signal so that, when it does turn green, the person behind has to sound their horn to get them to move!