Your Body is the Boardroom
Whenever I go stay at the monastery, I notice the same thing every time I come back. I come back more sensitive. More aware—of people, of energy, of what’s happening in a room without anyone needing to say anything.
I remember one time I came back after being there for a few months and went into a meeting. It wasn’t even my meeting. It was for a friend, and I was just there. I didn’t have to say anything. But sitting in that room, it felt like I could hear everything. What people were saying, and what they weren’t saying. I could feel the hesitation in certain responses, the tension behind certain words, the shifts in energy when someone spoke.
After the meeting, I shared a thought with my friend. It wasn’t something I had overthought. It was simply what stood out to me.
Later on, it turned out to be advice that fit exactly where he was on his journey.
Looking back, nothing in the room had changed from any regular meeting. I had just shifted into a state where I could observe in a sensitive way.
When I’m at the monastery, everything slows down. My system settles. And when that happens, I become aware of every word, every breath, every moment.
Coming back from that environment, the difference is immediate. The monastery is a more concentrated version of the world. Everything is exposed there. At the same time, there is less distraction, less noise, and nowhere to hide from what is happening internally, so you work through it. And when you return, you realize that most people are moving through the same things, just with more noise around them.
Before anything is said, before any decision is made, your body has already read the room. It has already picked up on what is happening beneath the surface. That is why I say your body is the boardroom. It is not an idea. It is a reality. Every conversation, every decision, every interaction is being processed there first.
It can feel like a superpower, because it is not always accessible. But it is not something you gain. It is something you return to.
And one of the simplest ways to return to it is through pause.
One way this starts to become more accessible is by creating small moments to check in with your body throughout the day. Before walking into a meeting, before responding, even in the middle of a conversation, taking a few seconds to bring your attention to your breath, your posture, and what you are feeling physically.
Not to change anything.
Just to notice.
Over time, those small pauses turn to power, and begin to shift how you show up. You start to catch what your body is picking up in real time, instead of after the moment has already passed.
Over time, something simple becomes clear. A lot of what you are looking for externally is already being picked up internally. It just requires a state where it can be fully felt.
