I had the pleasure last week of hearing the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. For those of you whose “woo” detection meter has just started clicking, well, hang in there, I think you’ll see the business relevance in a moment.

The experience of meditating with 3000 people at Royal Festival Hall was refreshing and energizing. The focus, even before the man spoke, was on breathing. The guided meditation we all did together had us simply being mindful of the breath going in and out. When you do this, it’s actually difficult to not be “in the moment.”

Thich Nhat Hanh’s comments were amazingly simple. And yet, the elegance of his poetic and wise words almost masked how deeply practical they are. It’s worth pointing out this is someone who has written over 100 books and influenced figures like Martin Luther King. At 86 he’s still active in promoting peace.

Here’s the “business” point: creativity and subsequent innovation don’t happen when people are filled with fear and anxiety. How can you think imaginatively if your mind is filled with angst and rehearsals of the future and rehashes of the past? If your mind is lost on these excursions you’re not present to: your team and peers, those you love, and… great ideas. When you relax, take deep breaths and slow down, you often see things that are right in front of you that you didn’t see before.

So, notice your breathing, and take mindful steps, relax, and return home, to the present. You’ll not only be a better innovator, you might just be a happier person.

“Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, author of Peace In Every Step