Is COVID-19 getting you down? Just close your eyes and say, “Om.”
Meditation can help many people get through the current crisis. At the financial services and wealth management firm Yeske Buie in Vienna, Va., Dave Yeske is offering calming techniques to clients and the professionals the firm works with.
“Mindfulness training is one of the ways we've learned to stay as mentally alert and emotionally calm as possible to support our clients and each other,” Yeske said. On Monday, the same guided meditation training that has been used by the firm's staff will be available to clients during a meditation session led by consultant David Brand and Jane Cunningham, his wife.
Brand and Cunningham, who is a psychotherapist and meditation teacher, “have helped guide us in developing our mindfulness skills” at the firm, Yeske said. “Given the current societal challenges we all are facing, we want to offer the Yeske Buie community the same benefits we’ve received from our mindfulness work.”
The session will focus on “Balance and Self-Care in Challenging Times.” Sessions will be offered on an ongoing basis.
The firm has used meditation and deep breathing for several years to help team members “think more clearly and approach situations in a more balanced way,” Yeske said. “Now, clients are becoming unsettled because of the pandemic and its consequences. A lot of clients are developing free-floating anxiety.”
Advisors can help clients feel better by assuring them that their finances are in order and that their financial plans and investments are designed to weather downturns, Yeske said. “But sometimes, you have to care for the body and mind. Meditation is not a replacement for financial planning, but a valuable adjunct,” he said.
Brand and Cunningham work with Yeske Buie on the company’s retreats and monthly meetings. “It is part of our culture. We know how powerful it can be.”