The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness

The author, Andy Puddicombe, writes that meditation came «in a hurry» from East to West, that techniques were taught without context, «extracted», and that is why many tried and gave up. Headspace was founded in 2010 to remove the mystery of meditation and make it relevant to modern life and accessible to all: «nothing weird, just simple tools to make a little room». He says meditation is not just sitting for a time each day but part of a broader system of mind training with three components — approach, practice, integration — and notes that he left the monastery and began work as a Clinical Mindfulness Consultant.

In «How to get the most out of this book» the author gives the bicycle example: you are taught how to ride a bicycle, and what you use it for is up to you. Meditation is the same: an aspirin for stress, emotional stability, relationships, sport and job performance. He writes that NICE in the UK has approved meditation for anxiety, depression, insomnia and so on, and that groups such as the US Olympic team and the marines also use it. The main message: meditation is an experience; it is gained not by reading but by doing — like describing a meal versus tasting it.

The author says «meditation will not make you a different, new or better person»; the aim is to understand yourself and your thoughts and gain a healthy perspective. He keeps the book's demands simple: ten minutes a day, short techniques (the two-minute «Take 10»), stories, brain research (neuroplasticity) and clinical cases. The chapter's main distinction is between «mindfulness» and meditation: mindfulness is «being present in the moment without distraction», meditation the best condition for learning this skill — like a quiet country lane, «choosing a quiet road instead of a busy motorway when learning to drive».

The style is friendly and humorous; the most memorable episode takes place in Moscow: the author hides his 500 dollars in his clothing for a retreat and, worrying about customs, drops the money into the toilet — «carelessness brings mistakes». The weakness is that the introduction is long and some points repeat; scientific claims are shown briefly. The strength is that the author does not promise «quick results», puts the technique in context and ties practice to everyday life.

• In each chapter technique, story, science and clinical case are given in separate sections
• The author's own mistakes and monastery experience (the Moscow episode etc.) explain the subject with humour
• Short techniques such as «Take 10» invite the reader to try at once
• The introduction and chapters remind the reader every time that meditation has to be «done»