After a 2014 act of workplace violence, mental health workers from a number of organizations and backgrounds were tapped to help the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s Kingston office come to terms with the incident. Among those brought in were counselors from the New York City Employee Assistance Program, who recommended the department consider offering transcendental meditation classes for employees struggling to deal with their stress. “They mentioned to us that their office had been trained in transcendental meditation and their staff members saw great benefit in it in terms of their ability to focus and have patience working with folks who had real troubles,” said Adam Bosch, the director of public affairs for the Department of Environmental Protection. Practicing meditation, he added, would help employees deal with the traumatic incident they had experienced, maintain focus while at work, and be more productive, even during stressful times. “Transcendental meditation helps people develop an inner calmness. If you have an inner calmness, you have a better ability to cope with whatever those pressures might be,” he said.