Transcriber: Tijana Mihajlović Reviewer: Denise RQ
I'd like to begin with an aspiration.
"May you hear something today that ignites a spark in your consciousness
and enables you to live a life that is in alignment
with your highest ideals and deepest values."
Easier said than done, right?
We live in a world that's addicted and afflicted.
So, either it's food, angry birds
(Laughter)
or something more immediately and obviously destructive,
like drugs or alcohol,
the process is essentially the same:
anything that takes us out of the moment,
creates a distraction or an illusion of comfort,
can be extremely seductive.
So, what's the solution?
Don't worry, I'm not going to tell you
to ask your doctor if X, Y, or Z medication is right for you.
But I want to propose something much simpler
that can be practiced by people of all ages.
Possible side effects may include:
lower blood pressure,
improved immune functioning,
better sleep,
more adaptive emotional responses,
improved ability to focus,
and a general increase in sense of well-being.
It's one letter different than medication and it rhymes with accreditation,
sort of.
Meditation, yoga,
another ancient traditions of focusing the mind and the body
have been practiced around the world for centuries.
And science has only recently began to scratch the surface,
in terms of understanding the impact of these powerful habits.
Still, why meditate?
Well, like it or not,
our minds are programmed to function essentially like an iPod shuffle.
For those of you in the audience who still have Walkman at home,
an iPod shuffle is this colorful little device
that has all our pre-downloaded programs and music,
and randomly shuffles through the tracks.
Similarly, the untrained monkey mind
is automatically and unconsciously switching
between familiar scripts and patterns of behavior,
and driving our thoughts and actions most of the time.
So, how do we get the monkey off our minds?
To borrow an analogy
from a best-selling author and Buddhist teacher, Jack Kornfield,
we train the mind essentially in the same way we would train a puppy.
Be patient, be consistent,
and hopefully, you'll have some fun along the way.
And eventually, we may develop the ability to pay attention
and begin to see the beauty that's inherent in each moment.
Beauty that is more often than not missed,
missed because there's something more important happening
five years from now, or this weekend, or last year.
Yes, but …
I can't turn my mind off,
I don't have time,
I can't do a full lotus yet.
You name it, I've made the excuse.
But finally, I decided to stop making excuses and just start sitting,
and my life got different.
I'm still an imperfect perfectionista with unrealistic expectations,
but somehow, life feels lighter, more fluid.
And it's never enough, and I'll always want more,
but I'm learning to take a timeout every day,
and take responsibility for my own quality of life.
Because there's a million and one new apps, programs, devices, and gadgets
all promising greater health and happiness.
And I'm here to say that all we really need is our breath,
now available for 3,99.
(Laughter)
But with that being said,
if you can find something that helps you
commit to a more regular practice or a healthier lifestyle,
and it's not overly distracting,
then, by all means, go for it.
But in the words of Sharon Saltzberg, meditation is the ultimate mobile device.
You can use it anytime, anywhere, unobtrusively.
Anyway, don't take my word for it.
Let's try out for ourselves.
So I invite you to sit comfortably with both feet on the floor,
or run out of the room screaming -
that's fine, too; we all have free will here.
(Laughter)
But if you're still with me,
let's go into the experience of focusing on the breath.
(Meditation gong sound)
You can start by dropping the awareness into the body.
Gently focus on the rising and falling of the in and out breath.
You are likely to have thoughts competing for your attention.
When you notice this is happening,
gently bring your awareness back to the sensation of the breath.
(Meditation gong sound)
Thank you for joining me for that experience.
And hopefully, you'll see
that it doesn't have to be complicated or mystical.
It can be as simple as setting aside some time in the morning
or before you go to bed at night,
and stopping throughout the day to take a few mindful breaths.
You're worth it.
(Applause)