Meditation Quote of the Day: "I do it because it makes me 10% happier."

I meditate about 10 minutes per day, and I am (at least) 10% happier for it.

This book affirmed a lot of my conceptions about mindfulness. You don't need to be complex or sophisticated to win. I literally learned to meditate from "Meditation For Dummies," and my meditation routine is super simple. My goal isn't to levitate or walk on hot coals. I strive to be a little happier, a little more in control of my state of being. That is easily worth my 10 minute investment.

The book is effective because it is not a self-help book. The author isn't a guru. He's not selling you anything. Dan Harris describes his troubles (drug use and career stress) and the journey he took to find some relief in meditation and other Buddhist principles. He says "the single most humiliating moment in my life" led to his learning to meditate and writing this book.

Ok, he does sell some stuff at the end (a Podcast), but it's a very soft sell. Here's his website, www.danharris.com There are also modest mediation instructions in the appendix. Modest but effective.

Quotes and interesting bits:

• "Initially wanted to call this book The Voice in My Head is an Asshole."
• "One of my favorite descriptions of Buddhism is that it is not something to believe in, its something to do."
• "As I often remind people, if you think you suck at meditation, you're probably doing it right."
• "I designed this book to be an argument dressed up as a memoir. The argument is this: you should meditate."
• The characteristics that many of us think of as fixed traits (temper, negative outlook, procrastination) are actually skills that you can change/improve using meditation.
• "My consumption of Buddhist books was paying off." The author started from scratch and had a pretty skeptical viewpoint. He read a lot of books and talked to some people and was able to change. That's impressive.
• Mindfulness acronym: RAIN = Recognize + Allow + Investigate + Non-identification; try this site for more info, www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/rain-mindfulness-technique

The appendix gives instructions for "Basic Mindfulness Meditation." It's as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Sit comfortably — No, you don't have to sit on the floor bent into a pretzel to meditate
2. Feel your breath — Breath deep and clear your mindfulness
3. Be kind to yourself — When you struggle to meditate (and you will), don't get upset or criticize yourself; gently start over and return to your mediation

I could go on, but this is enough. I must admit that the planet disagrees with my take. All the meditation apps I've seen are complex and filled with mantras and music and what not. Maybe this will work for you. I know it won't work for me. This works: I sit down. Take deep, controlled breaths. Clear my mind. Smile when thoughts intrude. And finish up in about 10 minutes.

The two secrets to mental health are mindfulness and physical fitness.

Pros —   Not really a self-help book; good story; a quick, fun read that is well written; simple approach to mindfulness

Cons —   The author is (was?) a lousy talking head on the news (ha)

Key terms —   meditation, mindfulness, Buddhism

PS - Dan Harris wrote a sequel called "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book." I just started reading the book. However, it is clear that: 1) the sequel is a hardcore self-help book, and 2) mindfulness is now Dan Harris' full-time gig. (shrug)