Podcast: The School Of Greatness
Guests: Andy Puddicombe
If you asked me who I would most like to sit next to at a dinner party. Andy Puddicombe may just be the guy. He's become somewhat of a hero of mind in recent years. Like many of you, I first came across Andy's work when he gave his TED talk on meditation here. He has an amazing story to tell, having achieved, what to me is the definition of greatness. The ability to quiet the monkey mind - the restless mind we are all afflicted.
When I saw Lewis had interviewed him, I had to jump on it. For anyone that cares, I listened to this interview on the Waterloo train at 7am last week from Putney south West London. The train was packed - I could hardly breathe.
To give you some background - Andy is the founder of the meditation app Headspace. He is also a meditation teacher. Increasingly working with blue chip corporate executives to help them unlock the power of the mind. At the age of 22 he moved to Nepal and became a monk (something I have considered doing a few times now!) - 10 years later, after training in several countries and ending up in Moscow when he decided he wanted to share the gift of meditation to a larger audience. And here we are. Millions of users worldwide later - including myself (Pro Pack 6 for 20 minutes every morning) as well as a number of my close friends, who have all seen the incredible benefits.
People tend to see happiness or enlightenment as this elusive - esoteric 'thing'over there. Truth is...it is actually here. Right here - right now - from one moment to the next....If we allow ourselves to experience it. You almost have to develop an analytical approach. You see it - process it and move on. Meditation is the practice that builds your capability to witness these moments. Andy suggest that in his experience, meditation is actually best used as a preventative measure. I see his point. I have always considered myself to be a hugely positive individual who appreciates the day to day adventures of life - however having supplemented my daily routine with a meditative practice - my levels of awareness and depth of appreciation within moments is on another level. The key take away is - you don't need to meditate just because you feel stressed.
'It is not about stopping thoughts. It is about stepping back and witnessing thought'
Studies have shown, meditation increases blood flow to the cortex and and even makes it thicker and stronger. When meditating remember these three things to ensure you don't come down on yourself too hard:
1. Your mind will think - it's normal.
2. You don't have to try too hard.
3. Peace of mind is within us. Find it.
The full interview is here.