I suppose that the event planners at the CFA Institute know better than to cram too much technical material into the first day of a conference, especially on a Sunday. For one of the first sessions they invited Jeremy Hunter, a professor at the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management and expert in the field of applying mindfulness meditation in business. Jeremy has spent the last 3-years developing a mindfulness meditation program specifically for the investment professionals and here he spoke mostly about the general benefits of mindfulness meditation.

It’s a fascinating subject that has gained a lot of popularity over the last 10 years. Mindfulness Meditation programs are being implemented at companies of all sizes, within NBA teams, in academia and even police departments, with the aim of improving mental sharpness, decreasing stress and doing higher quality work. I was skeptical myself 2 years ago when I was first introduced to it through Headspace, a smartphone app that guides beginners through mindfulness exercises. I’m not very disciplined when it comes to sticking to a formal program, but I notice a difference when I do it regularly.

I encourage even the biggest skeptics to at least check out this 5 minute exercise from Jeremy’s website. Want more? Here’s more.

Tomorrow’s sessions are a little more in line with traditional investing topics. Stay tuned!