I’ve often been asked - sometimes quietly, sometimes critically:
“𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥? 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴?”
I get the question.
I’ve spent years in advanced practice - deep silence, fierce inner storms - while coaching leaders through pressure, complexity, and responsibility.
And my answer is clear:
No, advanced meditation is not selfish.
It’s one of the most 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - personal, systemic, global.
Most efforts don’t fail from lack of skill or effort.
They fail because we act from fear, reactivity, and ego.
We speak of transformation - but operate from the same inner architecture that created the mess.
That’s why serious inner work matters. Not as escape, but as foundation.
And Neuroscience confirms this - when we’re talking about advanced meditation, not the diluted forms of mindfulness that are now repackaged as corporate wellness tools or self-optimization hacks.
The difference?
Mainstream mindfulness often trains attention to cope, perform, or produce more efficiently within the existing system.
𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧…
… dismantles the ego structures that fuel reactivity, separation, and fear - and
… opens the mind to a deeper, more integrated mode of awareness, beyond the habitual self.
… liberates perception and transforms the source from which we act.
It rewires brain regions linked to empathy, clarity, and regulation.
Advanced practitioners show high gamma activity - tied to integrated, compassionate awareness.
The default mode network - seat of egoic rumination - quiets.
Stress reactivity drops. Perspective expands.
Altruism increases - not performatively, but from a lived sense of interconnection.
This isn’t about calm. It’s about becoming someone who can see clearly - and act wisely.
Ask yourself:
- Can we build sustainable systems from unsustainable minds?
- What shifts when leaders train for depth, not just performance?
I’m not suggesting everyone move to a monastery.
But I no longer see deep contemplative work as optional.
In an age of noise and fragmentation, the willingness to sit still, face ourselves, and see through illusion isn’t selfish.
It’s a form of service.
As an Executive Coach, I see it daily:
Without inner development, outer change doesn’t last.
And without 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, we’ll keep repeating the same patterns - just with better branding.
What’s your view:
Is advanced meditation a personal retreat or a deep form of service for collective evolution?