All of this talk about TED Talks in class made me look back on the many that I have watched over the years. I was reminded of my favorite TED Talk--one that has been pretty influential in my life. It is a lecture by Andy Puddicombe on the nature of mindfulness meditation.
In middle and high school, I was your typical attentionally-challenged kid. I was lost in thought for most, if not all, of the day, and my grades suffered. I didn't know that this was somewhat of a bad thing until, one day, I got a 0 out of 16 on an algebra quiz because I didn't pay one bit of attention to the lecture. After that, I made it a point to pay attention in class more often, but telling myself to pay attention wasn't going to make it happen immediately.
Coincidentally, my friend and I started becoming interested in Buddhism and its many facets around the same time period. He and I would always have phases of interest, and this was one of those phases. However, in my research of Buddhism, I found out about mindfulness meditation. While mainly helping with those that are stressed and anxious, it also addresses the problem of wandering thoughts. Seeing this, I definitely wanted to start trying it. My friend and I would tell our cross-country coach that we were going on a run, head to the woods, and meditate for a while. Each time after these sessions, I noticed that I was much calmer. Also, my senses seemed to be heightened, Of course, since I was only a beginner, I wasn't using the most efficient meditative techniques possible, but even these baby steps had a noticeable effect. The mindfulness meditation sort of wrenched my focus away from my wandering mind and toward the real world.
Nowadays, when I have the time, or if I feel that I especially need it, I will sit down and meditate--sit upright, take deep, regular breaths, and practice my focus. Whenever a distracting thought pops up, you aren't supposed to freak out and try to suppress it--this will stress you out more. Calmly acknowledge all of your thoughts and emotions, take note of them, and then let them pass. Stress is a reactive state of mind; things don't stress you out, you stress yourself out over things by reacting in a negative way.
All in all, this talk had about as much an effect on my life as a TED talk could. It only lasts around ten minutes, but in it, Andy Puddicombe covers a very intriguing and influential topic. I would recommend anyone to watch this video and, if you have the time, to try out mindfulness meditation. I still find myself lost in thought much of the time, as this isn't some sort of miracle cure that works after a week or two, but there is no question of its positive effects.
I cannot agree more that being calm and collecting yourself during a time of stress is extremely, extremely important. Stress may be a reactive state of mind, but as around 80 to 90% of the things we worry about don't come to fruition, it is also, in many times, an unnecessary form of self-preparation for what may or may not occur. Neat how just 10 minutes of a talk can completely change our innate perception of life!
ReplyDeleteI definitely need some mindful meditation; I've never been more stressed out in my life! I will definitely have to check this speaker out.
ReplyDeleteI received a text last night from a friend asking me to join her next week at a Buddhist meditation club here on campus. I too have been interested in exploring different types of mediation in order to help with stress and problems in my life, and I am eager to try Buddhist meditation. If you ever have time, I also suggest yoga as form of meditation.
ReplyDeleteThis very interesting and I want to try it! I am not usually a very anxious or stressed person, but on a week with two exams and an essay, this might come in handy. I have never been a true believer of the power of the mind in meditation, but more and more I have been surprised by the power of focusing and taking a deep breath can have on our lives.
ReplyDeleteLately I sit at my desk and get absolutely nothing done. Not because I'm on social media like most people, but because I'm either so stressed I don't want to do anything or I'm thinking about things that are not relevant at the time. After watching the TED talk, I will put the information to good use.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of making a comment entirely unrelated to what you wrote about mindful meditation, did you happen to notice that based on the screen shot's angle and the background, Puddingcombe looks like he's juggling fire?
ReplyDeleteI am extremely appreciative of this blog post. I am queen of developing stress and then getting more stressed out because I am thinking about being stressed. I am well aware that this is a really poor way to respond, but I cannot help myself. I look forward to watching this video and trying out the techniques associated.
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