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There are no exact statistics on how many corporations are utilizing meditation in the workplace, but it is estimated that around a quarter of US employers are using stress reduction initiatives and the number is growing. Many large companies have introduced mindfulness programs to their employees. In 2010, Aetna, one of the largest healthcare benefits company, developed, launched and studied two mindfulness programs - Viniyoga Stress Reduction and Mindfulness at Work. "The goal was to help reduce stress and improve reactions to stress". Aetna now offers its program to its customers. Another company that implements mindfulness is Google. The company offers more than a dozen meditation courses but its most prominent one is called "Search Inside Yourself" and has been implemented since 2007. General Mills is one of the top companies in the world with strong leadership training programs, which includes the Mindful Leadership Program Series. "The course uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, yoga and dialog to develop the mind's capacity to pay attention."

The increasing amount of quantifiable research that mindfulness has on the brain and body is one of the major reasons why corporate mindfulness programs has become more prominent in the modern day business world. Studies conducted by Yale University found that mindfulness meditation is associated with lower levels of activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN), which is part of the brain network that is responsible for self-related thinking and mind wandering. Volume changes in key areas of the brain are also found as a result of meditation. In 2011, a team at Harvard found that mindfulness can actually change the structure of the brain after conducting an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) on participants. The research found an increase in cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which controls learning, memory and emotion regulation. The research also found decreases in brain cell volume in the Amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety and stress. These changes were also aligned with the participant's self-reports of their stress levels.

According to a study on spirituality and performance in organizations, the increase in corporate meditation programs can also be linked to a complex paradigm shift in the structure and system of organizations. The changes in management include a shift from an economic focus to a balance of profits, quality of life, spirituality and social responsibility concerns. For the past 300 years, the mechanical paradigm shaped the economy where the main corporate objectives were to satisfy shareholders by increasing competition and exploitation. The new emerging business paradigm is called the "Spiritual Movement" and moves away from a materialistic to a more spiritual orientation. In this new paradigm, a company's competitive advantage resides in how much it invests in its human capital and the qualities of its employees. The shift in business paradigm's can be explained by the fact that the business world is more competitive, globalized and fast-pace than ever. The boundaries between work and home are blurred, where work has become central to people's lives and employees can be connected to their work whenever. The increase in the importance of work has lead to an increase in stress and burnout. The workplace is a place where employees spend most of their lives, develop friendships, create value and make meaningful contributions to society. This means that they are looking for satisfaction beyond work. According to a report on emerging cultures, the shift in paradigm can also be explained by American demographics. "The American adult population is divided into three groups, each with a different set of values and view of the world." The "Cultural Creatives," whom constitute 24% of U.S adults are the newest and increasingly growing worldview. "Their values align with ecological sustainability, globalism, women's issues, social conscience, self-actualization and spirituality". They reflect a major change that has been growing in American culture.Nursing professionals work in a stressful environment. According to a report conducted at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (LVHHN), nurses are at high risk for chronic burnout and and stress. The nurse's roles are regarded as stress-filled based upon physical labor, human suffering, work hours, staffing, and interpersonal relationships. Work stress and burnout are significant concerns on both an individualistic and an organizational level. On an individualistic level, stress symptoms can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes. On an organizational level, work stress may lead to absenteeism and turnover, which impedes on the quality of care. According to a 2016 National Healthcare Retention & RN Staffing Report published by NSI Nursing Solutions, the national average turnover rate among nurses is 17.2%, a 0.8% increase from 2014. During the study, 27 nurses voluntarily participated in an 8-week-stress-reduction program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Data analyses revealed that the MBSR program had significant benefits that could be categorized into two. “The early weeks of the training program conveyed that benefits were related to increased relaxation, slowing down, feeling a sense of peace, and learning to be in the present moment." Results in the late weeks of the training program were linked to self-acceptance, self-awareness and self-care.

Employee turnover rate is a significant problem in many industries. According to a 2008 report, turnover rate among sales people has exceeded 40% annually with similar figures in the USA. This is a disadvantage to businesses because replacing labor is extremely costly. The report studied the impact Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy had on 166 financial service sales agents from a major British Insurance Company which had recently been acquired by a competitive, results-oriented organization. Measurements were based on employee well-being, job satisfaction, productivity and turnover. Major organizational changes lead to a substantial amount of employees quitting. Three months prior to the study, 71% of the participants reported experiencing work-related stress and performing poorly. According to the results, there were major improvement in employees’ attributional style, psychological distress, self-esteem, job satisfaction and intention to quit. Symptoms of psychological stress warranting intervention reduced from 37% of the sample to 10% after training. The psychological changes were also accompanied by a 66% reduction in employee turnover rate. Productivity had also improved post two years after training where 65% of the sample had achieved sales figures above the average. This is a significant increase prior to training where 29% of participants were barely performing at acceptable standards.