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Looking deep together

We are people from all sectors of the economy who practice meditation and mindfulness.

We are entrepreneurs, freelancers, professionals, managers, and employees from a wide variety of industries. Together, we create our economy and can transform it.


We are all people from all sectors of the economy who practice meditation and mindfulness.

We are entrepreneurs, freelancers, professionals, managers, and employees from diverse areas of our economy.

We all create our economy together and together we can change it.

The network was founded by students of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The mindfulness training methods taught by Thich Nhat Hanh form the basis of our shared practice, while the 14 mindfulness exercises of the Order of Interbeing guide our actions.

Currently, the majority of NAW network members have their spiritual home in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, but we are explicitly open to all Buddhist traditions. Today, we already have many dedicated friends from various other Buddhist traditions in our circle, as well as an increasing number of people who have found their way to mindfulness through MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction).

We are open to people of other worldviews and spiritual orientations who wish to practice the art of mindfulness and are seeking inspiration for their own path.

We see the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings, as a precious treasure that we wish to offer to our society as a gift.

The network was founded by students of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The mindfulness training methods taught by Thich Nhat Hanh form the basis of our shared practice, while the 14 mindfulness exercises of the Order of Interbeing guide our actions.

Currently, the majority of NAW network members have their spiritual home in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, but we are explicitly open to all Buddhist traditions. Today, we already have many dedicated friends from

various other Buddhist traditions in our circle, as well as an increasing number of people who have found their way to mindfulness through MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction).

We are open to people of other worldviews and spiritual orientations who wish to practice the art of mindfulness and are seeking inspiration for their own path.

We see the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings, as a precious treasure that we wish to offer to our society as a gift.

The network was founded by students of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The mindfulness training methods taught by Thich Nhat Hanh form the basis of our shared practice, while the 14 mindfulness exercises of the Order of Interbeing guide our actions. Currently, the majority of NAW network members have their spiritual home in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, but we are explicitly open to all Buddhist traditions. Today, we already have many dedicated friends from various other Buddhist traditions in our circle, as well as an increasing number of people who have found their way to mindfulness through MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction). We are open to people of other worldviews and spiritual orientations who wish to practice the art of mindfulness and are seeking inspiration for their own path. We see the Dharma, the Buddhist teachings, as a precious treasure that we wish to offer to our society as a gift.

Take a look!

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Work meditation in the source of compassion

Work meditation in the source of compassion

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Tea ceremony

Tea ceremony

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Corona Retreat 2021

Together: Corona Retreat 2021

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Online events

Online events

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NAW retreat at the Hohe Wand

NAW retreat at the Hohe Wand

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Morning Meditation Retreat Hohe Wand

Morning Meditation Retreat Hohe Wand

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NAW at the University of Firenze

NAW at the University of Firenze

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Mindfulness bell for all occasions

Mindfulness bell for all occasions

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NAW seminars

NAW seminars

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I am a clue

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I am a clue

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Get to know us

A woman with short, curly hair and glasses smiles warmly. She wears a light blouse and a black necklace; behind her hangs a large abstract artwork in warm colors.
"When we change our daily lives—our thoughts, our language, and our actions—we change the world." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Coordinator of Buddha Walk, Frankfurt Regional Group, Online Mindful Co-Working

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At NAW, I experience an open exchange with many practitioners and interested individuals who want to bring mindfulness into organizations and make it effective there. A special energy of action arises – not just of observation.

Mindfulness practice group in organizations, Monday morning meditation

A woman with short dark hair and a matter-of-fact expression is wearing a dark blazer and a white shirt. She is standing in front of a simple grey background.
My wish is to contribute to penetrating existing, widespread constructs of personal and economic success and to developing more wholesome, mindful alternatives that make people sustainably happier and allow them to live in harmony with their human nature.

Regional group representative Graz/Salzburg

A middle-aged man with long, brown, slightly wavy hair stands in front of tall green plants. He is wearing a black zip-up jacket and smiles warmly at the camera. The image is warmly and naturally lit.
My daily life often revolves around work, money, and business. The network reminds me that this is precisely where spiritual practice begins.

2nd Chairman and International Impulses

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"Peace within me – peace in the world!" (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Monday Morning Meditation Team, Ambassador NAW France

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"May all beings be happy." What happens to us and our economy when we take this sentence to heart?

Chairman and Coordinator

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In my work, I practice cultivating mindful working principles such as impulse distance, conscious transitions, regular pauses, minimalism, and moments of leisure. – Mindful Business Commitment of the NAW

Circle Lucky Lunch, Mindfulness in Organizations Practice Group, Walking Meditation Zurich Region

A man with curly hair and a short beard smiles broadly at the camera. The black and white portrait shows him against a light background, which clearly highlights his face.
For me, mindful business practices don't begin with methods, but with an inner attitude.

I want to help create spaces where work can once again be experienced with greater clarity, connection, and meaning.

Cologne Regional Group

A man with short grey hair and a three-day beard smiles subtly at the camera. He is wearing a dark shirt and standing in front of a green background.
Purpose before profit! These three words from Mindful Business Commitment sum up many things and provide concrete help to move forward in challenging situations.

Monday morning meditation, Mindful Business Commitment practice group

A man with white hair and a slight smile looks calmly into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue sweater and is sitting in front of a white brick wall.
The mind is the servant of the heart. (Shaykh Burharnuddin)

Freiburg Regional Group

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I want to bring a mindful attitude into my everyday (working) life and thus into the company where I work, in order to contribute to the change that is urgently needed for our Earth.

Mindful Co-Working Rhine-Neckar/Odenwald

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I witness how crises amplify fear and push mindfulness into the background. I want to contribute to ensuring that, especially when things get difficult, we pause, consciously acknowledge our fears, and find a mindful and healing way to deal with them.

Coordination of the Cologne Regional Group, Practice Group on Mindfulness in Organizations
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Together

Learning and growing together

In our community, we practice mindfulness, learn from one another, and remember what truly matters. Especially during periods of intensive practice, such as retreats, we experience what is possible in human connection. A large group listening without judgment. Shared silence and touch. Sharing pain, joy, and inspiration. In these times of connection, we experience that work, consumption, handling money, and shaping organizations and businesses can be different. That products, services, and projects can be born in the spirit of connection.

A group of about fifteen people are standing and sitting outside a building, smiling at the camera, some holding their hands in a heart shape. The atmosphere is warm, friendly, and connected, like a shared retreat or group meeting. In the background, green spaces, bushes, and a modern building are visible.
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Have courage: lightness and depth

We believe in the power of small acts and the strength of community. We could despair if we opened the newspaper every day, but that doesn't stop us from searching for healing alternatives in our immediate surroundings. Within our own minds, we find everything that steers the world in a positive or negative direction. When we can laugh at ourselves, when we can understand ourselves more deeply, our interactions with one another become easier and more compassionate.

Cultivate goodwill and smile at our shortcomings.

Meditation reveals to us what we send out into the world in every moment. Thoughts, emotions, words, and physical actions like glances or gestures have a powerful impact on ourselves and our surroundings. By taking responsibility for these actions, patiently exploring them, and aligning them in a healing way, our lives and our relationships with one another are transformed. In everything we do, we need goodwill. Goodwill for ourselves, because we are often our own harshest critic. And goodwill towards everyone and everything else. Mutual goodwill is a great blessing. Cultivating this in our community is our heartfelt desire and our practice.

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Support

A large group of people sit in a wide circle on meditation cushions in a bright seminar room. Everyone is looking attentively towards the center, some taking notes. The room feels calm, focused, and inviting – like a mindfulness or dialogue circle.

You personally support us by seeing yourself as part of the change and practicing mindful business practices in your daily life and work, embodying them in your thoughts and actions in the long term.

You support our vision of a mindful economy by embracing the Mindful Business Commitment and applying it to your life.

Or by sharing your experiences and inviting others to our community and our events.

Your donation and regular financial support help us pursue our long-term goals, launch projects, and organize and coordinate our community.

Our practice ethics for everyday economic life

Over several years, our network has developed a mindfulness-based work and business ethic. This ethic summarizes the network's extensive experience in a concise document. Our Mindful Business Commitment offers alternatives to central economic theories and assumptions, and sheds new light on key economic concepts, problems, and established norms.

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FAQ

Here are some questions that we are frequently asked in the Mindful Economy network.

What is your vision? What do you stand for?

We are committed to an economy that serves life.

For workplaces where people can flourish – awake, present, and connected.


For leadership that arises from inner clarity and acts from compassion.

For organizations that see trust, creativity, and leisure not as luxuries, but as the foundation of their success.


We are committed to a society in which consumption is conscious, money flows responsibly, and success is measured not by speed, but by meaning, impact, and humanity.


We practice living a culture of togetherness:
in which listening is more important than To prevail,
in which humanity is not a means to an end,
in which our decisions contribute to reducing suffering and increasing joy.


We practice creating an economy from mindfulness – from a clear mind, an open heart, and the awareness that we are all interconnected.


This is how an economy is created that sows healing seeds.
For us. For others. For future generations.

What are the goals of your non-profit association "Netzwerk Achtsame Vereins e.V."?

The association supports people in integrating mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom into their economic activities—in companies, as freelancers, as consumers, or as citizens. By being guided by the principles of Mindful Business Commitment, the association aims to help people make decisions that do not harm but create benefit—for employees, customers, organizations, and society. The association creates spaces for personal and collective practice: regional groups, retreats, seminars, and exchange formats. These Sangha structures support people in anchoring mindfulness in everyday life.


The association develops initiatives on topics such as leadership style, mindful consumption, handling money, mindful organization, and successful collaboration. The goal is a long-term cultural shift towards an economy that prioritizes purpose over profit.

Why do you refer to your work as a project of the millennium?

Because the transformation of our economic thinking and actions doesn't happen in just a few years. It touches deeply ingrained habits – within ourselves, in organizations, and in entire societies. Mindfulness shows that change begins within: in the mind, in our perception, in our decisions. It takes time, practice, and many generations learning together before this inner transformation is reflected in structures, cultures, and economic systems. We see the economy as something living that shapes us all – and that we can only renew gradually, mindfully, and together. We are the economy.


This makes our work a project of the century or millennium: ambitious in its goal, patient in its pace, driven by the confidence that every small, beneficial step is part of a much larger transformation.

What does your constitution say?

In our statutes, we have defined the following purposes of the association:


(1) To promote mindfulness, compassion, understanding, and wisdom among members through the organization and implementation of meditation gatherings, retreats, ceremonies, and other events for practicing and deepening Buddhist practice, as well as for exchanging information on the application of Buddhist practice.


(2) The shared meditation and mindfulness practice of members.


(3) The innovative development of Buddhist methods and insights for our time and our economy.



(12) Supporting and establishing NAW initiative and regional groups.


(13) Initiating projects and knowledge and practice communities in the field of mindful business (e.g., "Mindfulness in Organizations")


(14) Further developing our core topics through our own research, research collaborations, and other suitable methods and projects.


(15) Developing and disseminating proven methods of mindful business (e.g., "A-L-I").


(16) The development and dissemination of a mindfulness-based and Buddhist-inspired business ethic. (17) The establishment of a network of practitioners in various sectors of our economy, in companies, universities, among students, in editorial offices, and in various Buddhist institutions. (18) Systematic public relations work on this topic. (19) The aim and purpose is not to exploit the Dharma economically, to propagate a "Buddhism lite," or to promote a concept of mindfulness that dispenses with ethical foundations. class="font_8">

(20) To finance these tasks, the association collects membership fees and donations.

What topics are you working on?

We are concerned with everything that contributes to a mindful, humane, and responsible economy. We are inspired by Buddhist wisdom teachings.


Our topics include mindful leadership, mindful work principles, a healthy approach to consumption and money, mindfulness in the digital world, and wholesome entrepreneurship.


You can find an overview of our topics here.


We are working towards an economy that creates meaning, brings joy, connects and nourishes us, and does not harm.

What makes your community special?

Lightness and depth.


Joy in togetherness and exchange.


Openness and curious exploration.


Love for the practice of meditation and Buddhist wisdom.


Pragmatism and experimentation.


Deep listening and honesty with ourselves and others.





What do we practice in the NAW?

We practice mindfulness in everyday life, conscious self-management, and an attitude of compassion and clarity.


We practice mindful communication, mindful work practices, a conscious approach to consumption and money, and a supportive way of interacting with one another.

Why did you found the NAW?

We are working on an economy that creates meaning, connects people, and does not harm.

How can I participate in the NAW?

You can participate in our regional groups, online meetings, workshops, or retreats. You can find an overview on our "Circle" page.


All offerings are open to people who want to bring mindfulness into their economic activities.


Simply drop by, log in, practice along, and engage in the exchange.


Once you get to know the network better and find its values ​​and practice methods inspiring, and practice them in your own life, you can consider initiating a Circle (regional, thematic, etc.) that enriches our community.

How Buddhist are you?

Our roots lie in the Buddhist wisdom teachings – the Dharma – which inspires and guides our community. We draw on insights and practices from various Buddhist traditions, with a particular focus on the practice of Thich Nhat Hanh. We cultivate classic Buddhist qualities of mind within ourselves and in our interactions with one another, such as mindfulness, concentration, compassion, and loving-kindness. Everyone is welcome here, regardless of religious background.

Are you an enlightened, holy circle of blameless beings?

No, unfortunately, we can't offer enlightenment; we are terribly imperfect in many ways....


One ​​of our most important exercises is to smile at our own imperfections, to recognize our inner critic, and not to take our surroundings too seriously.


One ​​of the paradoxes of mindfulness practice is that with growing self-awareness, we recognize more and more areas in which we ourselves are not acting mindfully. This awareness and acceptance of our own imperfections makes it easier for us to see the flaws and imperfections of others and not to judge ourselves or others, but instead to understand them better.

How can I support the NAW?

Personally, you support us by seeing yourself as part of the change and practicing mindful business practices in your everyday life and work, embodying them in your thoughts and actions in the long term.


You support our vision of a mindful economy by embracing the Mindful Business Commitment and applying it to your life.


Or by sharing your experiences and inviting others to our community and our events.


Your donation and regular financial support help us pursue our long-term goals, launch projects, and organize and coordinate our community.


Support the
Network for Mindful Business e.V.

We are a non-profit organization that relies on donations to pursue its long-term goals. Donations are, for us, "warm money," often called "Dana" in Buddhist terminology. Dana represents giving freely and without ulterior motives to support beneficial causes. Dana is loving-kindness and goodwill, enabling the Buddha's wisdom teachings to flow powerfully onward.

Receive news from the network

If you'd like to connect with us more deeply, subscribe to our NAW newsletter. In addition to the general newsletter, some Circles have other communication channels, which you can sign up for here.

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