Speaking & Training
SPEAKING & TRAINING
Change your Relationship Status – with your thoughts.
Hiring David Michie as a speaker is a risk: he is a man with radical ideas, and a powerful ability to engage his audience at the deepest level.
What if it is true that most of us are victims of our thoughts, instead of their managers? That even if we can’t change reality, we can change the way we experience it? What if it were possible to shift our psycho-physical state just by meditating for ten minutes a day?
David inspires, entertains, provokes and motivates. He explains mindfulness and its compelling benefits with the same crystal clarity that make his books best-sellers around the world. More importantly, he gives his audiences practical tools to take away, so they can start their own process of transformation themselves. Ask David Michie to speak to your audience, and you risk the possibility that they will never be quite the same.
As the prolific author of many books drawing readers into different worlds – including that of the much-loved Dalai Lama’s Cat – David is connected with some of the most enlightened beings on the planet. Drawing together insights from the converging lines of contemplative neuroscience, mindfulness-based CBT, Tibetan Buddhism and – as important as any conceptual framework – direct, first hand experience, David’s presentations offer game-changing insights.
Delivery methods:
• Group teaching session
• Guided mindfulness and meditation sessions
• Experiential learning and feedback
• Opportunity for Qs and As
• Access to MP3 Guided Meditation files for future, personal use
• Copy of David’s book: Why Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate
Why wouldn’t you want to be happier?
If meditation was available in capsule form, it would be the biggest selling drug of all time. Given all the physical and psychological benefits, why aren’t more of us doing it?
What exactly is mindfulness and meditation? How can you benefit from these practices personally and professionally? Why are so many public and private sector organisations around the world introducing mindfulness programs to their staff?
In Hurry Up and Meditate!, David Michie introduces you to the basics of mindfulness and meditation. You’ll learn about the extraordinary advantages of the practices, as described by neuroscientists and psychologists. You’ll also have the chance to experience their impact yourself, first hand, during short, guided ‘taster’ sessions.
David’s Hurry Up and Meditate! is an ideal way to experience a profoundly life-enhancing set of practices and understand how to achieve greater balance, better health and a more panoramic perspective on life.
‘Direct, unsentimental, and compelling … If there is someone in your life you’d like to introduce to meditation, Hurry Up and Meditate is an ideal conversation-starter.’
~ Amanda Sinclair, Melbourne Business School
‘If meditation has bobbed up on your radar but appeared too time consuming or inaccessible think again. This book is a key to a new world.’
~ The Good Life Book Club
‘This is one of the most accessible and relevant books available on meditation. Hurry Up and read it!’
~ Ian Gawler, OAM, author of Peace of Mind and Meditation: An in-depth guide
‘You get the sense that this guy practices what he preaches. There’s a confidence and peace that inspires.’
~ Modern Sage Magazine
‘This compact, humorous and informative book demystifies the practice of meditation for the curious and sceptical alike …’
~ Mandala Magazine
Optimise your mental performance
Mindfulness practice can help you reduce stress, improve performance, manage pain and increase wellbeing. These are the reasons why elite athletes, performing artists and business leaders are taking up the practice, and why it is being introduced into the world’s most successful companies, banks, business schools – even the US Army.
The challenges we face at work are unprecedented and multiplying. They include economic hurdles; unprecedented volatility in our external environments; tougher performance measurements; the demand for immediate, round-the-clock responsiveness; and the constant need to do more with less.
These challenges are not insurmountable. But sometimes we need a circuit breaker. Which is exactly what this seminar delivers! In this two and a half hour seminar, David Michie introduces you to a full range of mindfulness tools to suit people with a wide variety of temperaments and challenges.
Just as physical training delivers quantifiable performance improvements, neuro-scientific research shows that mindfulness training can deliver dramatically enhanced working capabilities. These include:
• Improved capacity to manage stress effectively
• Greater emotional resilience
• Enhanced clarity of thinking, objectivity and perspective;
• Improved executive functioning of the brain enabling greater innovation and the ability to ‘join the dots’;
• Enriched empathy and ability to engage more effectively with others;
• The building of more resonant, focused teams;
• Ultimately, a more coherent sense of meaning and purpose in what we do.
From an organisational perspective, mindfulness programs have been shown to help improve attendance rates and staff retention, enhance job performance, as well as unleash greater creativity.
Most of us are hired not for our good looks, but for our minds. Use this opportunity to start optimising the performance of your most important asset!
‘David Michie demonstrates a fine knack for capturing the essence of this important topic and presenting it in a fun and accessible way.’
~ Dr Timothy Sharp, The Happiness Institute
‘A practical and informed exposition of meditative techniques, complemented by a lucid scientific overview.’
~ Gordon Parker, AO, Scientia Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales
‘Essential reading for leaders who want to train their minds to engage in strategic thought.’
~ Emeritus Professor Gary Martin, CEO, Australian Institute of Management, WA
‘Through rigorous and playful writing, David Michie provides an excellent perspective of the “why” and “how” of mindfulness practice. This book is better than chocolate!”
~ Tal Ben-Shahar, New York Times bestselling author of Happier and Choose the Life You Want
Michie is a warm, funny writer and by the end of his book you, like he, may well be saying, “Chocolate, schmocolate. Show me the meditation cushion!”’
~ Wellbeing magazine
Awareness. Authenticity. Productivity. Compassion.
Being a smart and decisive leader isn’t good enough if you don’t bring your team with you. Sustained stress can degrade this capability. When we suffer from stress, our behaviour cascades through the workplace. Culturally stressed organisations promote fear-driven, risk-averse behaviour that limits corporate performance.
By contrast, when we’re able to access sustainable ways to self-regulate, and operate at an optimal mental level, we promote very different dynamics. We are at the top of our game, benefiting from high level critical thinking and innovation, objectivity and perspective, greater empathy and the promotion of happier relationships and teams. Research shows that more mindful workplaces are also more productive, engaged – and profitable.
In this one day, Mindful Leadership program, David Michie and leadership development specialist Clare Goodman work with you to experience the benefits of the four pillars of mindfulness:
Self awareness
• Greater self-awareness, including of your own strengths and weaknesses and how your behaviours impact on others
• Enhanced clarity supporting more objectivity and the ability to mindfully respond rather than automatically react
• The capacity to recognise habitual thinking patterns – avoiding those that don’t serve you well, and promoting those that are helpful
Authenticity
• Diminished engagement in negative self-talk and destructive self-criticism
• Improved ability to experience situations and encounters without judgement, especially self-judgement
• Enhanced self-acceptance and willingness to ‘be yourself’ without the need for role-playing
Productivity
• Keeping calmer under pressure, enhancing decision-making and supporting greater output
• Stronger resilience to stress and emotional upset, making you less vulnerable to distraction
• Creating space in your schedule by changing not what you do, but how you do it
Compassion
• Improved ability to pay attention to others when engaging with them
• Techniques to improve your meetings and conversations
Clare Goodman works exclusively with CEO’s and executives to achieve business growth by enhancing their skills and abilities to unify, engage and lead their people. Her focus is to build the strength of the organization via the development of strong leadership capability. She has held a series of senior leadership roles in Australia and Europe and has also established and grown successful consultancy practices in the UK and Australia. Her advice and insight is based on significant commercial experience as well as academic rigour.
SPEAKING & TRAINING
Testimonials
David is a first-class speaker, author and leading light in the field of mindfulness. He has presented to the Australian Institute of Management WA’s members on a number of occasions and always receives fantastic feedback. A few of the team here at AIM WA use David’s mindfulness techniques and guided meditations on a daily basis. Thanks, David, for sharing your expertise and passion for the benefits of mindfulness through your writing, presenting and your community work.
The sessions run by David on the theory and benefits of mindfulness and meditation with real practice were enthusiastically embraced by the Perth office with a large attendance and most importantly the discussion and practice of mindfulness has continued long after the program stopped. We will certainly be working with David again.
To be honest it was a risk, and we weren’t sure how it would go – but we witnessed a room filled with nearly 600 industry professionals and students held quietly and in a state of calm while participating in a group mindfulness experience – it was astonishing, and we are still in awe that David Michie was able to achieve this during his presentation at our Women in Mining and Resources WA Summit. The feedback, from the attendees, was overwhelmingly positive and we received many calls for David to return in 2016. There is no doubt that adding David’s presentation provided a unique experience for our audience and added real value to our event.
David’s meditation sessions are extremely insightful and inspiring. They have taught me the importance of slowing down in what is often a very fast paced world, and feedback from colleagues shows they really valued the sessions too. Give this program a try, your mind will thank you for it!
David’s address at our conference was exceptional. He kept the audience fully engaged, spoke with obvious passion and intelligence, and explained things clearly but without over-simplification. His talk was both entertaining and educational. What impressed me the most however, was the way he made a special effort to connect to his audience — so that he came across not as some pundit speaking from above, but as a fellow and friend, sharing his insights and troubles, and expressing a genuine concern for others.
Australian Meditation Conference
David inspired our clients who are going through cancer diagnoses with a passionate presentation on the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. He shared his wonderful knowledge in a profound and entertaining way and we are very grateful to have him as a Guest Speaker at our organization.
David Michie was a big success speaking to a predominantly young professional audience at our club. He presented his own story and the topic of meditation in an engaging way, connecting with real life issues for people trying to balance demanding career situations with growing family and personal commitments. A measure of his success was the level of discussion among our members after the breakfast. Great content, humour, and an excellent presentation style. We’ll certainly ask him back again.
David’s presentation was very well received by our delegates, many of whom highlighted it as a feature of our conference in their feedback. It focused on the practical benefits and techniques of meditation in daily life with a refreshingly down to earth approach.
David Michie presented at our Holyoake Conference on ‘The true purpose of mindfulness’. David conveyed his expert knowledge on mindfulness and meditation in a highly engaging and rich story telling way, connecting deeply with our staff and conference delegates. I highly recommend David as a presenter and speaker.
David and Clare exude passion for the practice and the teaching of mindfulness and meditation. They have delivered a number of practical and highly engaging workshops encouraging the application of mindfulness to everyday life as well as in the workplace. David and Clare are authentic in their delivery and offer their own experiences along with a wealth of information and knowledge. They are the reason I now practice!
Laura Depczynski , Institute for Health Leadership, Department of Health.
David’s two hour workshop on Mindfulness was engaging, witty, passionate and informative. Through sharing his own story together with insightful analogies, David described the benefits and application of mindfulness in everyday life. David also guided us through a number of different mindfulness techniques for our staff to practice. Feedback was extremely positive and as a result, a number of attendees have now formed their own mindfulness groups to continue to explore the power of the present.
We were fortunate to have David and Clare conduct a mindfulness session with our team. Both Clare and David were highly engaging speakers and delivered an extremely informative and entertaining session on the subject of mindfulness and meditation.
The general feedback was extremely positive with many embracing a daily ongoing meditation session within our workplace.
David proposes an age-old practice for a modern world: to stop and not think. Complex as it might seem, it is actually pretty simple to sit with eyes closed for 15 minutes or so. The impact can be startling in the most gentle of ways.
