Tassa’s path to meaningful connection, peace and community

When life throws you a curveball or the pace becomes overwhelming, we always have a choice – to let the challenge of modern living get the better of us, or we can stop, breathe, and look at the world with a new perspective.

So, when the pandemic descended on the world, Credit Card Features Product Manager, Tassa Williams, took stock of her life – with a little help from her friends in the Health Hub meditation community.

“During the lockdown, at the beginning of the day, I was already feeling stressed, but as soon as meditation began, I’d take a deep breath and slow everything down. And I’ve always felt part of a community… you can see the feedback that comes through in the Teams chat group – it’s lovely to see the connection – and the huge numbers that log on – it’s amazing!”

Setting the tone for the day

As part of a regular wellness and exercise regime, Tassa has found that her morning meditation creates a positive tone for the day.

“Those morning sessions really set the tone for me. Just ten minutes gives me the space to really think about what’s important. I take a deep breath and re-focus. Especially during the lockdown, my classes really helped keep me grateful… and gratitude doesn’t need to be a big thing.”

As Tassa’s dedication to her daily meditation practice grew, she discovered a sense of calm and a feeling of ‘being present’.

“Meditation helps me stay in the moment. It clears my mind and provides perspective and clarity. The consistency helps. It also makes me stop and really think about the simple things in life… like breathing!

I’m more conscious during the day with my feelings, my thoughts. It’s helped me make better choices and decisions and, in some cases, the sessions have helped me set the tone for my meetings. So valuable.” 

“Meditation makes you aware of being in the moment – and we’re so far removed from being present. I found this super important.”

Tassa’s online meditation journey began with one presentation

What started out as a ‘normal’ day at the bank, ended with a new awareness of a practice that would change the way Tassa viewed her professional and personal life. Jasmine from the Health Hub presented to Tassa’s team and the rest, as they say, is history.

“That’s right! Meditation has always been on my radar, but I was galvanised into action when Jasmine presented to our team that day. She was talking about the benefits of wellbeing and the Health Hub’s online resources. I thought she was amazing. Part of her presentation was a meditation session. And she inspired me to book into my first class. I’ve never looked back.

I do the 8:30 or 9am class. And when each session ends, I have this feeling of lightness. If my shoulders were up near my earlobes, by the end of a session, they’re relaxed. My body’s softer and my mindset is clearer. Even my breathing changes. You realise that you don’t take breaths, we just do this shallow, stressful breathing that’s not doing you any good.”

For Tassa, meditation isn’t just about being present in your body.

“You can think about something that's troubling you and then you just raise your awareness to ask yourself, ‘why am I in a bad mood’? It becomes easier to untangle an issue that’s been bothering you for too long.”

Connecting with the online meditation community

Even though Tassa never sees her fellow meditating colleagues, she feels connected to them.

“It never felt like ten minutes with a stranger – or a bunch of people I don’t know online. The women who run the sessions, like Jasmine, really make you feel like you belong to a community. I feel connected to these amazing girls! And it’s reassuring.”

Tassa can’t emphasise enough, the importance of community and meditation sessions during lockdown.

“It was amazing. So many people dialling in from all over the country. I remember Jasmine was great at welcoming people from every state. To be connected by this 10-minute activity felt so good because we never felt alone. You know you’ve got the meditation community there.”

“Meditation helped so many people who were feeling isolated during lockdown – it’s a real community of like-minded humans.” 

When work supports a holistic approach to wellbeing – employees shine

Tassa has been a loyal and valued CBA employee for 24 years, but with the advent of lockdown, she was particularly impressed by the full extent of her employer’s support for health and wellbeing practices.

“I’m so grateful for all the resources we have at CommBank. I know that lots of people benefited from having access to the Health Hub activities and webinars. The meditation especially has been a huge support for a lot of my colleagues.”

She goes on to explain the impact meditation has had on her work life,

“When you’re doing a Health Hub activity as part of the working day, you know it’s important to your employer. And the HH resources are amazing – I’ve done the exercises, the Pilates class, a couple of lunchtime sessions. I really believe that these resources helped us cope with COVID… through all the changes, the negativity. Meditation helped me focus on what I could control.

And I’ve also been inspired to add more value to the organisation. In fact, one of the reasons why I’ve persisted with meditation is because I believe it makes me a better person at work. My problem-solving abilities have improved, as well as how I approach my colleagues. And I don’t feel guilty doing the classes because it’s during work. Very grateful!”

“I love that the bank takes a holistic approach to wellbeing. It’s wonderful to know they’re so supportive – they’re really invested.”

Sending love and thoughts to distant family experiencing an illness

The regular meditation sessions helped Tassa feel a sense of comfort when her sister-in-law received a cancer diagnosis during the lockdown. Meditating was her way of sending a prayer for her recovery.

“When she was going through breast cancer treatment, the meditation gave me the space to think about my sister-in-law and send her love. I remember during our sessions Jasmine would encourage us to think about someone who was going through a hard time and to send them our love and thoughts.

I guess that’s why for me, meditation is also like taking time out to pray for a loved one. You have the presence of mind to stop and think about someone other than yourself.”

“Meditation has helped me be more grateful for meaningful connection – and how important it is in our lives.” 

“I would say to anyone who’s considering taking just ten tiny minutes in the morning to meditate, do it – it’s not a waste of time. It may only be ten minutes, but it can be the most important time in your day. I can’t even begin to describe how big the benefits have been – and continue to be – for me.”

Visit the Health Hub for more details on meditation sessions and other great wellbeing activities.