Just 10 minutes of mindfulness could change everything. In his (appropriately almost 10-minute-long) TED Talk, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe explains his meditation journey – and the huge value to be found in spending more time in the ‘present’ moment rather than constantly losing yourself in anxious thought patterns.
Andy opens his TED Talk by asking the audience to recall the last moment in which they truly took the time to do nothing, suggesting it was likely a long, long time ago. When he says this, he means nothing in the truest sense. No texting, social media, reminiscing on special memories or worrying about the future. No nothing. He explains that so often in the modern age, we expect the utmost of our brain despite giving it no proper space to refuel and reset.
“This is the same mind that we depend upon to be focused, creative, spontaneous, and to perform at our very best in everything that we do. And yet, we don’t take any time out to look after it. In fact, we spend more time looking after our cars, our clothes and our hair.”
Andy believes that mindfulness is the way to change this lack of care. He first tried meditation at 11 years old, but at the time, he only saw it as a spiritual form of aspirin. As treatment for a crowded mind. Years later, after a difficult period in his life, he became a monk and headed, for some time, to the Himalayas. He learned there that meditation could also be preventative in nature, and he significantly increased his ability to appreciate the present moment and all it contains.
Andy explains that, according to recent statistical data, we spend about 47% of our lives lost in thought. That’s almost half of our time on this planet occupied by distractions, anxieties, and runaway thought trains! When approached with the right framework and attitude, mindfulness is a balm for this – a way to stay in the present as much as possible.
“Most people assume that meditation is all about stopping thoughts, getting rid of emotions, somehow controlling the mind, but it’s quite different from that. It’s more about stepping back, seeing the thought clearly, and witnessing it coming and going.”
We can’t focus too much on any one thing, Andy explains, just as we can’t drop all focus and look away completely. It’s a delicate balancing act, exemplified by the balls that he begins to deftly juggle halfway through his speech. In just 10 minutes each day, if you take the time to watch your mind and learn its patterns, you can change your life dramatically and “experience a greater sense of focus, calm and clarity.”
If you’re hoping to deepen your appreciation of the present moment through mindfulness, we highly recommend checking out this TED Talk.
