Peace Starts With You: What a Day at a Monastery Taught Me About Running a Business
I recently spent a morning at Deer Park Monastery, a 400-acre Buddhist monastery in the hills of Escondido, California. It was founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, one of my greatest teachers.
This was their very first Day of Mindfulness of 2026. The monastery had been closed for three months while the monks and nuns observed their winter Rains Retreat. When the gates opened again, there was a palpable sense of renewal in the air. It felt like the first day of a new season.
I go to places like this because, after 27 years of building businesses, I’ve learned something that took me a long time to accept: the most productive thing I can do is slow down.
I know that sounds counterintuitive. But hear me out. Because everything I experienced that day has direct applications to how we lead, how we make decisions, and how we show up for the people who depend on us.
Walking Meditation: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time
The morning started at 9 AM with silent walking meditation alongside the monks. No phones. No talking. Just walking, slowly, coordinating each breath with each step.
In the Plum Village tradition, you silently say “I have arrived” with the in-breath and “I am home” with the out-breath. You’re not walking to get somewhere. You’re practicing being fully where you are.
Here’s what hit me: how often do we, as business owners, rush through everything? We eat lunch at our desks. We half-listen in meetings while checking Slack. We’re physically in one place and mentally in three others. And then we wonder why we feel scattered and burnt out.
Walking meditation is the opposite of multitasking. It’s single-tasking, with your full attention. And the clarity that comes from it is remarkable.
The Bell of Mindfulness: How to Reset in the Middle of Chaos
One of the most powerful practices at Deer Park is the bell. Throughout the day, a bell is “invited” to sound. When it does, everyone stops. You stop talking, stop moving, and take three conscious breaths.
I watched an entire dining hall go completely still at the sound of a single bell. And here’s what I noticed: when one person stopped, the people around them stopped too. The calm spread without anyone trying.
Think about that in the context of your business. When you walk into a room stressed and reactive, your team feels it. When you walk in grounded and calm, they feel that too. Your energy sets the tone for everyone around you.
What if you built your own “bell of mindfulness” into your workday? A moment between meetings where you pause and take three breaths. A ritual before you open your laptop. A walk around the block before a hard conversation. These small resets change everything.
When the Tears Came: Vulnerability Is Not Weakness
The monk who gave the dharma talk that morning wept in front of all of us. He was talking about a school that had been bombed, and the grief overwhelmed him. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t rush past it. He said, “I guess my tears came out. I think we feel it together. I know I’m not alone.”
And then, through those same tears, he smiled. He said that in suffering, you can still find joy. The two can live side by side.
As entrepreneurs, we’re taught to be strong. To push through. To never let them see you sweat. But the most powerful leaders I’ve ever met are the ones who can be honest about what they’re feeling. Vulnerability builds trust. It makes people want to follow you, not because you’re untouchable, but because you’re real.
The Bike With Rainbow Streamers: Don’t Forget Where You Started
His grief brought him right back to his own childhood. He told us about leaving Vietnam as a refugee at eight years old. And what came to him wasn’t the terror of that moment. It was a memory of his bike. Rainbow-colored streamers on the handlebars. Grabbing the brake and skidding. How much he loved that.
He didn’t know, as a child, that he was leaving forever.
It reminded me of something I think about often in business: don’t forget the version of you who started this. The one who was excited. The one who didn’t know what they were doing but did it anyway. That energy, that original spark, is still in you. Come back to it when things get heavy.
Where Does War Begin? (And What This Has to Do With Your Team)
The monk asked a question that stopped me: Where does war begin?
Not between countries. Inside us. In the moment we blame instead of listen. In the moment we make someone “the other” instead of trying to understand them. He said,
“In the moment of crisis, we will also react and attack.”
Sound familiar? Think about the last conflict you had with a business partner, a client, or a team member. How quickly did you move to blame? How quickly did you build a story about the other person being wrong?
The monk’s point was this: the pattern of war starts in our own minds. And the practice of peace starts there too. If you can catch yourself in that moment of reactivity, pause, breathe, and choose a different response, everything changes. In your relationships. In your leadership. In your culture.
Peace in the Smallest Moments: Your Business Runs on Your Energy
The monk said something I keep coming back to:
“Don’t wait for a protest. Every day, every morning, can be an act for peace.”
He talked about yielding to someone in line at Costco. About watering a plant with full attention. About washing dishes without rushing.
These sound small. But here’s what I’ve learned after building five businesses over three decades: the quality of your attention determines the quality of your results. When you’re rushing, you miss things. When you’re present, you see opportunities. When you’re grounded, you make better decisions.
Your business doesn’t just run on strategy and cash flow. It runs on your energy. And if your energy is depleted, reactive, and scattered, your business will reflect that. If your energy is clear, calm, and purposeful, your business will reflect that too.
The One Child Revolution: It Starts With One
The monk described a vision called the “one child revolution.” The idea that you don’t need a massive movement to change things. You need one person who has learned to take care of their own mind and heart.
That person goes into the world grounded. They become a leader. And their inner stability changes every room they walk into.
As entrepreneurs, we are that person. When you take care of yourself, you take care of everyone who depends on you. Your team. Your clients. Your family. Your community.
- “When you love yourself, you would never harm,” the monk said. “Because you know that you respect life.”
A Step-by-Step Guide: Building Mindfulness Into Your Business
Here are five practices you can start this week. None of them require a monastery or a meditation cushion.
Step 1: Create Your Own Bell of Mindfulness
Set a gentle alarm on your phone for three times during your workday. When it goes off, stop what you’re doing and take three slow, conscious breaths. That’s it. Do this for one week and notice what shifts.
Step 2: Single-Task for 30 Minutes a Day
Pick one task. Close your email. Put your phone in another room. Give that one thing your complete attention for 30 minutes. Notice how much more clearly you think and how much more you accomplish.
Step 3: Start Your Day Before Your Phone
Before you check email, Slack, or social media, take five minutes to sit quietly. Breathe. Set an intention for the day. This one practice has changed my mornings.
Step 4: Practice the Pause Before Hard Conversations
Before you walk into a difficult meeting, a negotiation, or a feedback conversation, stop. Take three breaths. Ask yourself: What outcome do I actually want here? This pause prevents you from reacting out of stress and helps you respond from clarity.
Step 5: Walk Without Your Phone
Once a day, take a short walk without your phone. Even five minutes. Coordinate your breath with your steps, just like walking meditation. Silently say “I have arrived” on the in-breath and “I am home” on the out-breath. Let your mind settle.
Quotes From the Dharma Talk
“When you’re at Costco, it’s very busy. You yield for another person. That’s peace.”
“In the moment of crisis, we will also react and attack.”
“Don’t wait for a protest. Every day, every morning, can be an act for peace.”
“When you love yourself, you would never harm. Because you know that you respect life.”
Ready to Build a Business From a Place of Calm and Clarity?
If you’re feeling the pull to run your business with more intention and less burnout, I’d love to talk. I work one-on-one with entrepreneurs who want to grow their business while staying grounded in who they actually are.
Book a discovery call: calendly.com/Kalika
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Peace Starts With You
This worksheet is designed to help you look honestly at how your inner state is showing up in your business.
