TED is known around the world as the catalyst for innovative and informative ideas across just about every discipline.
While there are thousands of incredible TED Talks, in this post I want to share 10 of the most popular and most inspirational discussions on mindfulness, from TED events across the world.
I hope you enjoy!
Want to learn more about becoming peaceful? Check out this post on How To Be At Peace With Yourself.
The Top 10 Mindfulness TED Talks
The Practice of Mindfulness by Diana Winston
From this TEDxSunsetPark, Diana Winston (a widely recognized mindfulness teacher and author of Fully Present) shares what conclusions can be drawn from the wealth of mindfulness research that has blossomed over the last few decades.
She looks at the role of mindfulness in alleviating stress, along with the data behind why people become more happy when they start to tune in to the present moment.
The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer
World-famous travel write Pico Iyer has visited almost every corner of the globe. But, what is the most interesting exploration he’s ever encountered?
The journey into his own mind.
In this talk, Iyer talks about the unbelievable benefits that come from taking a few minutes for stillness and silence, every single day. He discusses not only the benefits of mindfulness meditation, but also key strategies and techniques you can use to carve a few peaceful minutes out of a busy, modern life.
All It Takes Is 10 Mindful Minutes by Andy Puddicombe
Andy Puddicombe, one of the founders of Headspace and author of several books on meditation, engages with the audience about the power of meditation, and contrasts that with the reality of how many people actually take time to meditate consistently.
In this informative and inspiring talk, he outlines the core benefits of meditation to help you relax, de-stress, and recover from the over stimulation that almost everyone faces.
How To Tame Your Wandering Mind by Amishi Jha
Amishi Jha is an associate professor of psychology at The University of Miami, with a focus on mindfulness, attention, and short term memory. In this talk, she looks at how both internal and external triggers in our environment cause the mind to wander, and what you can do about it.
The simple secret? She says the key is to learn to pay attention to your attention.
If you want to hone your focus, try this simple technique for stepping back.
How Mindfulness Meditation Redfines Pain, Happiness, and Satisfaction by Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat
In this interesting and at times funny video, Dr. Kasim Al-Mashat asks an important questions: Why is it that we can have everything we want, and yet not feel happy?
And, just as importantly: once we establish why this phenomenon happens, what can we do about it? He argues that mindfulness meditation is a powerful solution, but not a ‘quick-fix.’ He looks at the role of meditation to increase happiness and life satisfaction in the long run.
How To Let Altruism Be Your Guide by Matthieu Ricard
In this discussion, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard talks about the importance of altruism – the desire to make others happy – and how we can use it to guide our daily decision making processes and, in turn, learn to become happier ourselves.
This is a great talk from an inspirational man who combines a deeply spiritual outlook on life with Western research practices.
The Mindful Way Through Depression by Zindel Segal
Zindel Segal is a cognitive psychologist and one of the founders of Mindfulness Based Therapy techniques.
In this TEDxUTSC talk, he outlines what his many years of research tells us about the role of mindfulness in alleviating depression. By looking for the triggers that caused negative depressive spirals in chronic sufferers, Segal could identify how mindfulness, when properly and consistently applied, could actually prevent depressive cycles before they began, and help to alleviate them once they did occur.
Read more about where negative emotions comes from.
How Better Tech Could Protect Us From Distraction by Tristan Harris
Tristan Harris is the cofounder of the Center for Humane Technology, and a former Google ethicist. In this talk, he takes a different approach to how we can develop a calmer, more peaceful state of mind by developing tech the right way.
Rather than focusing on devices that constantly interrupt us and inundate us with often mundane, unimportant, or non-urgent information, we could design our ways to a better, and more mindful future.
Want To Be Happier? Stay In The Moment by Matt Killingsworth
Matt Killingsworth is a happiness researcher. He wanted to gather real-time data on when people are happiest, and built an app to help track it.
In this talk, he presents his results, stating that people tend to be happiest when they are centered in the moment, and least happy when the mind is highly engaged and wandering.
Learn more about how to improve your presence of mind.
Want To Be Happy? Be Grateful by David Steindl-Rast
David Steindl-Rast is a monk and interfaith scholar. In this talk, he says that the one thing people across the globe, of all cultures and faiths, really want is to be happier.
The key to this happiness, he says, is to slow down, and appreciate what is happening, right now. The more you can be grateful for what you have in life, no matter how rich or poor you may be, the happier you will become.
