Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
00:00
00:00
Duration
The way our minds evolved means that we naturally experience psychological suffering, but there is a way to train and transform it.
One of the things I get
asked very often is, why do I
struggle with my mind so much?
And I, you know, I often hear people say
to me, yeah, look, other people could
be mentally strong, but you don't know
what it's like in my mind, you know.
I know it can feel that way, like
you're the only one who has a mind
that's kind of, you know, really crazy
or tumultuous, but the reality is, is
that what your crazy mind is doing,
all of our crazy minds are doing.
Let me explain a little bit about
the human mind and why we do all
struggle with our minds so much.
So the human mind has evolved to
operate in such a way that it naturally
creates psychological suffering.
That's the bad news.
You see humans have been
evolving for about 200,000 years.
And, you know, for most of that time,
our ancestors lived as hunter-gatherers
or, you know, what we sometimes
refer to as cave men and women.
And their lives were very difficult
and dangerous, very different
to the lives we live today.
So in order to survive, really
their minds had to be constantly
on the lookout for potential
threats, for problems, for dangers.
If they were not constantly hypervigilant,
constantly on the lookout for
danger, they didn't survive long.
So the default setting of the human mind
is survival and safety above all else.
That's the way the mind is programmed.
So we in the modern world, even
though we live a very, very different
life to our ancestors, we still
have inherited this mind from them.
You know, 200,000 years of human
evolution, it's only been a tiny slice
of that time, a couple of thousand
years at best, that life has been
anywhere near what it's like today.
So even though we do live in a very
different world to the caveman,
our minds really still operate
like cave men and women minds.
So the modern mind is still trying to
warn us constantly about things that
could go wrong, threats problems, dangers.
In the caveman days, the mind might've
been saying, Hey, look out that
shadow over there could be a tiger.
Or, be careful there could be a rival
clan coming soon so sharpen your weapons.
Today, our mind still operates like that.
It still fixates on problems.
It worries, but instead of being
worried about rival clans or
tigers, we worry about other things.
We worry about our relationship,
our work, our finances, our health.
The mind says, Hey, what
if you lose your job?
Or, Hey, what if he or she leaves me?
So this pattern in the mind creates a
lot of anxiety, a lot of negativity.
This is what keeps us up
having these restless nights.
And it's also a mind pattern
that can really hold us back
from being our best selves.
Now in the caveman days,
humans only survived in tribes.
We just didn't survive alone.
So our survival really depended on
fitting into the group and having the
approval of other people in the tribe.
So because of this, the mind is
wired to constantly compare you to
other people in the tribe and assess.
Am I fitting in?
Am I contributing enough?
Am I following the rules?
Am I doing anything that
could get me rejected?
Because rejection is going to mean death.
Does this sound familiar?
Any of this sound like
how your mind works?
Now, even though we don't live
in tribes anymore, our mind
is still doing the same thing.
And now we've got a huge challenge
because the media and the internet
are now a part of our lives.
And that gives us this opportunity to
constantly scroll through all these
glossy and polished and airbrushed images
of people who look happier than us,
sexier than us, more successful, more
wealthy, more attractive, having more fun.
And the mind will compare
ourselves to all of those images.
And that ramps up the fear
circuitry in the mind.
So we start to feel more and more
like we're just not good enough.
We're not measuring up.
And the mind starts to
anticipate rejection.
This is probably one of the reasons
for huge surge in depression around
the world over the last decades.
So this creates a lot
of suffering, you know.
And another challenge with the mind,
the way our minds work is that in the
caveman days, resources were very, very
scarce and life was very, very hard.
So the mind would constantly
fixate on getting more resources
and improving life circumstances.
So the mind would say, you need more
food, you need more water, you need
better clothing, you need better shelter.
So unfortunately these days, this tendency
of the mind manifests as a constant
sense of dissatisfaction and craving.
No matter what we ever get, the mind
just keeps telling us it's not enough.
We want more, more, more.
And consumerism is having a seriously
detrimental effect on the planet that
is not really making us any happier.
Now, as if all this wasn't challenging
enough, these out-of-date patterns
in the mind are greatly ramped
up by the demanding busy and
complex nature of modern life.
So when your mind is doing all of
this unhelpful stuff, when it's
playing out these patterns, here's
a really important thing to know.
You are not alone.
This is just what the human mind does.
There's nothing wrong with you.
It's not your fault.
You just have a normal human mind.
And it's precisely because the mind is
wired this way, that it's so important to
train and transform your mind so that you
can unwind the stress, the negativity, the
anxiety, the unworthiness that can hold
you back from unlocking your potential.
So through these mindfulness
based practices in this
course, you can really do that.
You can unlock your potential and
become more of your best self, and of
course, enjoy your life more fully.
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
Congratulations on taking the first step towards a more mindful life! As a token of our appreciation, we want to offer you an exclusive opportunity to upgrade to Mindfulness Plus+ for a price you won't find anywhere else.
Mindfulness Plus+ is our premium membership that includes everything you need to learn mindfulness and keep practicing throughout all stages of life.
Take this exclusive offer to further your mindfulness skills and experience deeper levels of well-being.
Annual membership
$0
Just a small sample of the life-changing 5-star reviews we get on a daily basis.
Vidyamala’s tips on catching anger as it’s happening or about to happen are great - clear, practical, and doable.
- Vicoir
The little talks before the meditations are priceless. It's like I've found my peeps. The topics, the quotes, the goals—it all makes so much sense to me, things I want to be thinking and learning about. Most importantly, the meditations are kindness-centered, which I love. It feels like a new way to approach meditation.
- Lauren
Incredible, easy to navigate app. I would highly recommend this app to anyone who wishes to reduce stress and anxiety or simply as an aid to improve overall mental health.
- Kirtus
I love how the app gives me pointers to new things to explore.
- Lydia
So calm and soothing. I love the new bundle with Kelly Boys, she’s brilliant!
- EJ
Better than Headspace. I've had the paid version of both apps, and I must say I enjoy this one better.
- Gina, Plus+ Member
I am very new to meditation, and am so happy that my first introduction to it has been through this app
The first session was fantastic. I feel safe. And supported. Almost like having someone helping me through my difficult time. I’m very grateful for this app.
- Babi
You get a lot of useful tips for handling stress and anxiety in 'real life'.
- Joy
Highly recommend.
- Humanfrst
Kelly Boys is hands down the best. Everytime I click on one of her guided meditations I get excited for the calmness that lies ahead.
-
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.