Mindfulness Meditation: A Crash Course

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Mindfulness meditation is one of the cornerstone personal development tools of our age. It has become so mainstream that Buddha must be singing and dancing in his grave.

I was recently asked by a client to explain the benefits of mindfulness meditation as well as offer her and her husband a quick guide to getting settled in the practice.

I decided it would be a good idea to share my answer publicly so it benefits the most people.

In this article, I will start by sharing my favorite definition of mindfulness meditation as well as clarify some misconceptions around it. I will then share scientific findings that prove the benefits of MM and offer a few suggestions for successfully getting set up for your first 6–12 months of practice.

Let me first start by saying that there are numerous ways to practice mindfulness meditation, originating mostly from far eastern traditions.

I will focus on the most commonly known, simple, yet still highly potent and powerful mindfulness of breath practice.

I find the definition of American professor and MIT microbiologist Jon Kabat-Zinn pragmatic and insightful:

“Mindfulness meditation is paying attention, in the present moment, non-judgmentally, on purpose, as if your life depended on it.”

That’s it.

Being in the present moment — not lost in the trance of thought.

Non-judgmentally — welcoming what is, even if it’s uncomfortable.

On purpose — to gain certain benefits: otherwise we would not do it!

As if your life depended on it — it sounds dramatic, but I like it. It conveys one important truth: meditation can truly change the quality and the course of your life from the inside out. It has done so for me. I’ve experienced a freedom, independence, boldness, resilience, happiness, and gratitude that I never thought possible prior to dedicating myself to daily practice.

“Nothing binds you except your thoughts; nothing limits you except your fear; and nothing controls you except your beliefs.” — Marianne Williamson

Clearing the Fog: Common Misconceptions

Now, let me address some important MM misconceptions:

1. Meditation is about not thinking — If I am thinking, I am doing it wrong and there is no point.

This is not true. Meditation is about bringing more self-awareness to your mental state. It is about noticing when you have been carried away by the powerful trance of your mind. When you meditate, you can break free from that by creating a strong pattern interrupt. In the simple case of mindfulness of breath practice, you do so by bringing your attention back to your breath (it could be any of your five senses, your body sensations, or a mantra… as I’ve mentioned, for our purposes we will focus on the simple form of breath practice).

2. Meditation is about achieving altered, ecstatic states of mind/experiences.

To reach nirvana while sitting in practice can be an alluring proposition. In fact, I have experienced tremendous moments of euphoria while practicing (especially during retreats), some that would make an MDMA journey jealous. Having said that, seeking altered states is far from the point of meditation — in fact it can become a counterproductive pursuit.

Meditation is not about escaping reality and tough feelings. On the contrary, meditation is about truly being present, welcoming whatever the moment has to offer in an equanimous way. To embrace reality as it is, not as we would like it to be. To develop the ability to be with difficult emotions in a generous and loving way, as well as appreciate beautiful feelings without clinging to them.

Equanimity is about breaking free from the vicious cycle of avoiding difficult feelings and craving pleasurable ones — a recipe for long-term dissatisfaction. Why? Because satisfaction and fulfillment stem from progress, growth, ability, and confidence. If we do not grow and feel capable and strong to maneuver through the challenges of our lives, it doesn’t matter how rich and beautiful we are — we will be miserable.

3. Meditation creates anxiety.

Not true either. Meditation makes you more aware of what is already there. It refines your ability to feel and perceive your own emotions and sensations. That is why it might seem like meditation makes you more anxious, angry, restless… The truth is, meditation is helping you not only become aware of those emotions but also be with them. These are two very important Emotional Intelligence skills: Self-Awareness and Self-Management.

Most of us spend our days running away from our difficult emotions, unconsciously seeking ways to not feel them or override them with substances, entertainment, social media… The idea is to stop doing that, turn towards the emotions, greet them with a smile, and see how long they last. Emotions carry a message; when we listen, we allow them to be released. As the adage goes, the only way out is through.

4. Meditation is passive.

That too is incorrect. A highly encouraged meditation position is the lotus position with a strong back and soft open front. The strong back symbolizes structure and solidity and the soft open front, openness and vulnerability.

Meditation is proactive: every time you catch yourself thinking, you have to bring your attention back to your breath or object of awareness. It is also suggested that you label your thoughts as “thinking” whenever you catch them. This all requires a sense of proactivity and intention. As a matter of fact, it is great practice to take a couple minutes before you sit to set your intentions for your practice and for the day. Just like any other form of exercise, the more energy and intent you put into it, the more it gives back.

5. There are good and bad thoughts.

While meditating, all thoughts are created equal. There are no good and bad thoughts; all thoughts are just thoughts, and during the practice, the discipline is to accept them and let them go, no matter how alluring or horrifying they seem (trust me, it can get very interesting in there).

The brain is a complex organ and it has amazing ways of processing input and experiences. When meditating, it’s best not to try and make sense of it all. Just leave this to the realm of psychotherapy.

I hope that by addressing these misconceptions you will be better set up to succeed in your efforts of maintaining a daily practice.

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From Mindless Idling to Mindful Peace: The Science-Backed Benefits

“What you habitually think, you will eventually become.” — Bruce Lee

Richie Davidson (Neuroscientist) and Daniel Goleman (Father of Emotional Intelligence) in their book Altered Traits, shared studies that prove that as little as 8 minutes per day over two weeks can already sharpen your focus, improve your stress response, and increase your happiness.

That is because MM has been proven to reduce mindless rumination — worry about the future, regrets about the past — and hence reduce self-doubt and anxiety.

Beyond the vanilla benefits of meditation, which also include the development of resilience and an upgraded relationship to pain and pleasure (no more avoiding pain and craving pleasure), we also have more qualitative benefits such as being less judgmental, less attached to outcome, developing a sense of humor and wisdom through self-acceptance, and cultivating kindness, empathy and compassion.

“A life is a tragedy in close-up and a comedy in long shot.” — Charlie Chaplin

These benefits cannot be understated as they contribute to a totally different quality of life. It’s not about seeing life with rose-colored glasses, as much as it is about tuning into the beauty that surrounds us, the blessings of being alive, and our inner resources. It is essentially a change in what I call the internal locus of identity: seasoned practitioners gradually experience a reduced identification with their Egos, and an increased identification with their “real,” or spiritual self.

Being the Eye of the Hurricane

Being the eye of the hurricane.

“90% of our happiness is predicated on how our brain interprets our experience.” — Shawn Achor in his book The Happiness Advantage

Additionally, there is the prospect of cognitive enhancement, which is the ability to stay focused in the face of distraction. This is an extremely relevant skill as well as a predictor of income and health. So much so that an evolutionary scientist mentioned it as the most important skill of evolved human beings: basically, our ability to not fall into the trap of endless distractions coming in and out of our pockets is THE skill of Human 2.0. Go figure…

Jokes aside though, as already mentioned, we are all constantly pulled into a smorgasbord of alluring outlets, and it has become increasingly difficult to keep our minds sane. We have to maintain our ability to stay concentrated and focused for long periods, as it is essential for problem-solving, human relating, creativity, and much more.

For example, studies have shown an immediate correlation between MM practice and a 30% uptick in graduate school entrance exam scores.

Additionally, some studies show that MM fortifies the brain, with some evidence that it can end up being 7.5 years more youthful (please check this podcast reference if you’d like more details).

The Really Juicy Stuff

Dan Siegel, another neuroscientist, also considers MM a keystone habit for personal development and a richer, more compassionate life.

In this video he discusses additionally proven benefits which are pretty mind-boggling:

• Reducing inflammation through epigenetic regulators (in short, meditation can change not your genetic code, but the way your body reads your genetic code and hence can alter some of your negative heritable traits!)

• Improve immune function

• Improve heart health

So where are all the above benefits coming from?

To oversimplify, neuroscientists are discovering that mindfulness meditation integrates your brain, which means it creates a fortified bond between different parts of your brain:

1. The prefrontal cortex (most evolved part of the human brain) and the amygdala (also known as the primal brain), which leads to stronger emotional fitness.

2. The right and left hemispheres of the brain, which leads to better focus and heightened creativity.

I am sure there is a lot more to the above; however, I think that by now it is safe to say that practicing MM has a positive and nourishing impact on our brains, our self-perception, our relationships, our spiritual lives, and our results.

If these benefits are not enough to encourage you to try it for the next 30 days, then check out the personal bonus section at the end of this article.

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“Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast”: How to Get Set Up

My first weeks trying to meditate by myself were a disaster. It would only take me 5 minutes to be completely restless and angry, scratching myself frantically and wanting to stop immediately. So what did I do? I signed up for a 10-day Vipassana retreat: 10 days in complete silence, meditating for 9 hours a day. There you have it, Elie — that’s what you get for being a brat.

The experience was very difficult but absolutely profound. After that, I was easily able to hold a 30–90 minute daily practice.

Luckily, you don’t need to do what I have done. You can start small and simple, guided by some pretty cool meditation recordings.

As previously mentioned, 10 minutes a day is enough. Find your favorite time — it might be in the morning, at night, or during lunch time. I would highly encourage you to find a time that you can stick to and come back to every day with the lowest risk of interruption. If you can choose a consistent space and time, then you will be harnessing the power of habit. However, for the perfectionists among you, that is NOT necessary. I’ve meditated at any time and any place (trust me) you can think of.

Getting Started: Your First Resources

I believe Andy Puddicombe, the co-founder of Headspace, is a great place to start. He was a monk for a long time. More importantly, he is the main meditation guide for a lot of the Headspace meditations. You can find some relevant “introductory” ones below:

• A 10-Minute Meditation for Stress from Headspace

• Frustrated? Cool Down and Get Peace of Mind with this Quick Meditation

• Headspace Guide to Meditation on Netflix (this is a full series)

If you want something a bit more exotic — this is a Fireside Meditation at Lake Powell.

These practices should give you enough to work with for 6–12 months.

If you are interested in more advanced practices, feel free to contact me or post in the comment section.

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Mindfulness for Peak Performance and Being in the Flow

“I meditate every day, I do it for 10–15 minutes, I think it’s important because it sets me up for the rest of the day, it’s like having an anchor. If I don’t do it, it’s like I am chasing the day, as opposed to being controlled and dictating the day […] When I practice I am set and ready for whatever may come my way.” — Kobe Bryant

For all the high-achieving business people and athletes among you, here are two iconic NBA figures — Kobe Bryant and his coach Phil Jackson — talking about how important mindfulness meditation is to their success.

Any high achiever is in some way familiar with the experience of being in the zone or in flow. George Mumford, mindfulness coach to high-performing athletes such as Michael Jordan and Kobe, discusses in his book The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance, how mindfulness meditation is a cornerstone practice for helping athletes:

1. Deal with high-pressure environments

2. Spend more time in the zone

3. Deal with the challenges of success and failure

4. Unleash their unhindered abilities

Here are a few conversations with George Mumford on the Tim Ferriss, 10% Happier, as well as Talks at Google shows.

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My Personal Journey: A Story of Transformation

“To say ‘I love you’ one must know first how to say the ‘I’.” — Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Back in 2012, I was lost. While going through my Master’s degree at Columbia University, I did not know what I wanted, what my purpose and passion were, what would be an ideal career for me…I was consumed by emotional overwhelm and my mind ruminating all over the place.

By the grace of God, I ended up with a genius/mystic flat mate who told me I was “f***ing restless”. He challenged me to stay seated staring at a wall for 20 minutes, which I failed at miserably. He then offered me the first book that got me to embark on this magical journey: Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh.

It struck a deep chord.

In the 14 years that followed, practicing meditation allowed me to distance myself from the thoughts and emotions that were creating confusion, self-doubt and inner resistance to believing in myself and working on my ideas — whether that was starting a business, traveling the world, coaching, writing… — Over time, and with the help of my mentors and coaches, I got clear on my purpose of living a wholesome, useful, passionate and spiritual life.

I began tackling my dreams one seed at a time. I embraced my adventurous essence and started traveling the world. I built the courage to institute Lead From Within and coach people that were 10–20 even 40 years older than me. I started sharing my ideas through writing and public speaking and maybe most importantly I consciously worked on building fulfilling and loving relationships with myself and others.

Not feeling or seeing ourselves as good enough is the biggest enemy of our dreams. Although we might not be able to get rid of those feelings and thoughts, we can neutralize them by meditating. Which leaves me with the advertising tagline that changed my life. It was for the Shambhala Meditation Center in NYC where I ended up spending years meditating and attending retreats. It said: “It’s time you befriend yourself.”

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Your Potential Next Steps

The benefits of mindfulness meditation are far-reaching, scientifically proven, and personally transformative. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, enhanced focus, emotional resilience, deeper self-awareness, or peak performance, this practice offers a pathway to all of these and more.

Start small. Start today. Ten minutes is enough. Your future self will thank you.

Remember, this isn’t about perfection — it’s about practice. Every moment you spend in awareness, every breath you return to, every thought you gently release is building the neural pathways for a more peaceful, centered, and authentic life.

As I’ve learned through my own journey, meditation isn’t just a tool for relaxation — it’s a gateway to becoming who you truly are beneath the noise of your mind.

It’s time you befriend yourself.

Blessings to all.

Elie