Title: Get Some Headspace
Author: Andy Puddicombe
Year: 2013
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Synopsis: Andy Puddicombe is on a mission to demystify the world of meditation and spread the word about the powerful positive effects it can have of your mind. As a previous cynic of anything 'spiritual' I am now totally converted and would encourage anyone and everyone to read this book!!
I am completely in awe of Andy Puddicombe! In his early twenties he decided to trade in his life as a sports science student to head off into the depths of Asia to become a Buddhist monk. Throughout the book Andy shares a number of stories and anecdotes from the numerous monasteries he lived in which give a really interesting insight into the life of a monk which overwhelmingly constituted meditating.
Now if you are like me six months ago, you would be switching off at the first mention of the M word, thinking its something for hippies sat in meadows with long hair and psychedelic tie dye t-shirts. Well, I was completely wrong, meditation is a serious business which is scientifically proven to improve brain function and structure.
Andy articulates it well when he compares the mind to a computer hard drive, central to everything we ever do. As Andy describes, our entire existence is experienced through our mind, yet, unlike our bodies which we are obsessed with keeping fit and healthy, the mind gets totally taken for granted perhaps because we can't see it. However, advancements in brain mapping and MRI technology means scientists are now able to prove that in the same way doing bicep curls will make your arm muscles thicker and stronger, training the mind with meditation can make the area of the brain associated with happiness and well being thicker and stronger - well when you put it like that Andy how do I get started??
Well, by the time you have finished reading this book you will have all the information you need to start incorporating 10 minute meditation sessions into your life. You will learn how to approach each session, the practise itself and the different ways you can integrate meditation into your life whether that be eating, walking, running etc. And if that isn't enough Andy also has a website www.headspace.com where you can download an app to talk you through the ten minute sessions each day. I found this worked better for me as you don't have to think about timing or what comes next as its all explained to you in a a very calm and soothing voice.
Speaking as someone that seems to have a pretty active mind that has a habit of running away with itself, meditation hasn't come easy. The first attempt I found myself feeling really breathless, the next few I couldn't stop my mind from thinking, but over time it has started to get easier and I've started to enjoy a nice feeling of serenity when I finish each session.
I'm new to this book reviewing malarkey and struggling to convey my sentiment in words so if the above hasn't convinced you that this book is worth your time, please take 10 minutes to watch Andy's Ted talk as no one articulates this subject better than him...
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