The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day

by Andy Puddicombe

If the purpose of meditation is to know one’s own mind, then with this approach you’ll only ever get to know the happy and calm aspects of the mind, and never the more troublesome aspects. This may sound quite appealing at first, but when was the last time you had a problem with feeling too happy or too relaxed? So it’s the troublesome thoughts and emotions that we need to get to know the best. In order to know your own mind, and therefore experience life with a renewed sense of perspective, it’s important to always cross the finishing line, to complete the ten minutes, no matter what. By the same measure, on those days when you’re feeling great, as though you could continue forever, it’s best if you stop when the timer goes off. This way you’ll develop a very honest and useful practice. Of course, if you want to repeat the exercise later in the day, then do, but continue to follow the same ten minute rule to begin with.