Michael on the Ropes & Gray Podcast — Meditation as a Tool for Presence, Clarity and Performance
Michael Miller joins senior figures from the legal and compliance world for a conversation about meditation, stress and what it takes to perform well under pressure.
In this episode of the Ropes & Gray podcast, the Culture & Compliance Chronicles, Michael speaks with Amanda Raad, Nitish Upadhyaya and Richard Bistrong about the role meditation can play when the stakes are high.
Amanda is a Ropes & Gray partner specialising in crisis management, investigations and anti-corruption. Richard is an ethics and compliance consultant and CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery, and Nitish is the Director of Behavioral Insights for Ropes & Gray. Both Amanda and Richard have learned to meditate with Michael, and bring their own experiences to their conversation.
Amanda admits she was once “one of the least likely meditators”. She’d tried apps and found them frustrating. Then she learned Vedic Meditation—and it changed her life. Her verdict now? “This is my tip — this is the secret sauce.”
Richard describes the difference it has made for him:
“It has given me the discipline to just buy enough time to really think about what the issues are, to be more present, to be more thoughtful, and to be more kind.”
They also address the question every busy person asks: how can giving up 40 minutes of the day possibly help when there already isn’t enough time?
Michael explains why the time pays for itself. Meditation gives the body deep rest, so you return to the day with more energy and clarity. He also gets into the neuroscience: what happens to the brain under stress and why meditation helps us respond more effectively when it matters.
