Can Netflix help you mediate?

In such uncertain and challenging times, Netflix’s arrival of ‘Headspace Guide to Meditation’ couldn’t have come sooner. The 8-episode miniseries which came to our screens on January first of this year walks viewers through various meditation techniques and practices, all the while supporting them with scientific research and fantastic animation.

The narrator of this ‘Guide to Meditation’ is former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe, who co-founded Headspace in 2010 with Richard Pierson. The two aimed to make the teachings of meditation and the benefits (both mental and physical) accessible to a much wider audience. I watched all 8 episodes and have written a brief summary for each.

Episode 1: “How to get started”

The first episode of this miniseries introduced the basic principles of meditation. It broke down the misconception that it’s a way of controlling the mind, and instead introduced it as a skill of training the mind to be calmer and clearer, and consequently be more present and less distracted. We were also introduced to our narrator, Andy Puddicombe, and his story of becoming a monk.

The technique taught and practiced in this episode’s guided meditation was ‘focused attention’. Part of Buddhist tradition that dates back thousands of years, focused attention is most commonly the breath and is used as an anchor to come back to when the mind wanders off.

Episode 2: “How to let go”

The central focus of episode two was letting things go. Arguments, frustrations, experiences, we feel weighed down with. Learning to move on from these moments helps us to create good surroundings both internally and externally. ‘Visualisation’ was the mediation technique of this episode and focused on the art of not over-thinking when trying to mediate – to focus on emotion rather than a mental picture.

Interestingly (as revealed in this episode) a Harvard study showed after just 8 weeks of mediation training we can bring about physical changes to areas of the brain associated with learning and memory.

Episode 3: “How to fall in love with life”

The ‘reflection’ technique explained in this episode involved creating a calm, safe space in the mind where individual thoughts and questions can be pondered and examined. It focuses on improving our gratitude in the present moment and improves our ability to listen to the mind. The intention is to create an environment where we touch the emotion rather than touch the thought.

Episode 4: “How to deal with stress”

Very often stress and anxiety become completely overwhelming and unmanageable. However, the ‘noting technique’ explored in episode 4 encourages a recognition of negative feelings, and an embracement rather than fear of them. Instead of fighting to get rid of unpleasant feelings, we have to acknowledge them and let them pass. This way, a realisation comes that we are not our thoughts.

Episode 5: “How to be kind”

Episode 5 looked into using meditation to cultivate awareness and a greater understanding of what is happening in our mind using a ‘loving kindness’ technique. This involves a visualisation of different people being happy in different scenarios (people we like and don’t like, strangers and friends). As Andy explained, the mind is constantly judging, comparing, and being critical of ourselves and others. Constantly engaged in a tension between what is happening and what we wish was happening. In using ‘loving kindness’, we can remove that judgement and tension from our lives.

Episode 6: “How to deal with pain”

Episode 6 was fascinating in its exploration of mediation as a tool to relieve physical pain. Andy Puddicombe explained how pain is comprised of two parts: physical sensation and mental turmoil. Using a ‘body scan’ technique, focus can be moved slowly from the head down to the toes, noting areas of comfort and discomfort, pain and relaxation. At the end, the mental turmoil caused by the ailment is subdued by the shift in focus to other areas of the body.

Episode 7: “How to deal with anger”

This penultimate episode demonstrated a ‘skilful compassion’ technique used to deal with anger, again backed up with scientific studies and observations. As explained, the purpose of the meditative technique is to transform our anger, realising that the happiness of other people is burdened by our own lack of perspective. When we focus our attention on ourselves and our own happiness, our world view gets smaller and we lose perspective. Learning how to see a bigger picture helps when dealing with anger.

Episode 8: “How to achieve your limitless potential”

The final episode in this miniseries posed the question of potential. Feeling trapped by our own self-imposed boundaries and limitations. One way to combat this feeling of inadequacy is to let go of our ‘artificial confidence’ that relies on our past achievements and storylines, and rather be vulnerable, uncertain, and open, but willing to exist confidently without those limiting narratives.

The last technique explored was ‘resting awareness’. We allow EVERYTHING in our mind and surroundings to just come and go, which encapsulates the feeling of limitless potential.

 

Having read those short summaries, perhaps you will be persuaded to practice some meditation yourself. I was thoroughly fascinated by the significant impact medication can have on your psyche and physical brain structure   and found the ‘Headspace Guide to Meditation’ miniseries educational and worth the watch.

With 2 more series of this mediation journey set to arrive on Netflix soon, perhaps the streaming service will produce an audience of calm and mindful people.