How to tap into your awareness — and why meditation is easier than you think | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche | TED Talk

In his TED Talk “How to tap into your awareness — and why meditation is easier than you think,” Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche challenges the two common misunderstandings of meditation. Firstly, people think that meditation involves stopping thoughts or concentrating on nothing, when in reality, it is about connecting with awareness. The second misunderstanding is that meditation is all about seeking peace, calm, joy and relaxation. Rinpoche shares his personal experience with panic attacks and how he learned to deal with them through meditation - the same can be applied for stress management or overall lifestyle management. He explains that we can meditate anywhere, anytime, with anything, and connects this to the three steps of practice to connect with awareness: using an object, letting thoughts come and go, and recognizing awareness. The ultimate goal of mindfulness and meditation is not to escape, but to tap into our awareness and cultivate a better understanding of ourselves and our well-being.