Mindfulness Blog - Daily Inspiration

Shaolin Meditation Techniques (A Short Beginner’s Guide)

Shaolin monk meditation techniques originated hundreds of years ago in China, and they show up frequently in movies and popular culture. But what exactly is Shaolin meditation? And how is it different from other meditation techniques? Meditation never looks cooler than when it’s being done by Shaolin monks. If you’ve seen a martial arts movie,…

The Raisin Meditation for Mindful Eating (+ PDF)

The raisin exercise for mindfulness, also known as the raisin meditation, is a mindful eating exercise that helps us practice staying present, even during activities that we normally do on autopilot. To do the exercise, you take a raisin and slowly observe it with all of your senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Then,…

How Long Does Meditation Take to Work? (What to Expect)

The effects of meditation are most commonly seen within eight weeks of daily practice. However, it’s possible for meditation practitioners to notice small changes before that—even as soon as the first meditation session. Remember that the experience differs for everyone. If you’ve recently started meditation, you might be wondering how long you should meditate, how…

5 Signs of Progress in Meditation (How to Know if Meditation is Working)

Signs of progress in meditation are subtle. If you’re not as bothered by what used to bother you, you’re more often in the present, or you’re having random “mindful moments,” you’re probably making progress in meditation. The only way to see how much progress you make over time is to pay attention to your daily…

How to Build A Mindfulness Habit (In Two Steps)

If you’re wondering how to build a mindfulness habit, there’s no switch you can flip for instant results. Instead, being more present and mindful is a matter of improving a little every day. While imperceptible in the moment, this has enormous impact over time. Like going to the gym, learning to be more mindful is…

What Is The Difference Between Prayer and Meditation?

The main difference between prayer and meditation is that prayer involves belief in a deity and active communication, while meditation requires no beliefs and is an independent practice of nonjudgmental observation. Meditation and prayer have a close relationship. Both have been around for thousands of years, and to make matters more complex, there are forms…

How Many People Meditate? (2025 Meditation Statistics)

Approximately 275 million people meditate around the world. The data behind this estimate is a combination of government surveys and Google Trends data across multiple languages. In this article, I’ll walk you through how I reached this estimate, and why I think it’s the most accurate answer to date. It’s harder to find an answer…

Should I Meditate Before Or After A Workout?

Is the best time for meditation before or after a workout? The short answer is that both options are totally fine. Preferably, you should do them in whichever order helps you keep both habits going long-term. Meditation and exercise in the morning is often seen as the ideal routine to prepare both your mind and…

Does Meditation Increase IQ? 3 Ways Meditation Makes You Smarter

Based on a variety of studies in recent decades on both IQ and EQ, it looks likely that meditation has the capacity to increase both your intelligence and emotional intelligence. Not only that—meditation can increase the physical size of your brain and help it work better. Let’s review what the scientific research says on meditation…

The Top 59 Countries Where Meditation Is Most Popular

Meditation has been growing in popularity around the world for decades now. And of course, meditation has historical roots in countries like India, China, Korea and Japan. But where is meditation most popular today? While no reliable global surveys have been done on the popularity of meditation across the world, we can understand its relative…

Yoga vs Meditation: What’s the Difference?

What’s the main difference between yoga vs meditation? Yoga is a holistic practice intended to unify the body and mind. Meditation falls under the umbrella of yoga activities, as a practice specifically focused on the mind. When you’re lying at the end of a yoga session in Savasana—the resting pose at the end of many…

What to Do After Meditation (And What Not to Do)

The best thing to do after meditation is to continue to sit for a bit longer, processing your experience and maintaining a state of calm. If you have time, move on to an activity that supports your mindfulness, like journaling to consolidate the progress you have just made, or walking meditation. You might be wondering…

Jon Kabat-Zinn’s 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness (+ PDF)

The 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness is a concept from meditation teacher and writer Jon Kabat-Zinn. Because mindfulness can feel like a massive topic, choosing a single mindfulness “subtopic” to focus on from among the 9 Attitudes can be an effective way to grow your practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the most influential voices in…

Life Is Not a Problem To Be Solved, But A Reality to Be Experienced

According to Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Kierkegaard, along with other philosophers like Alan Watts and Rainer Maria Rilke, have argued that when you seek the answers to life, you’re asking the wrong question. Life is something to be experienced, not something…

The 11 Best Mindfulness Books for Beginners in 2025

This is a slightly different kind of Best Mindfulness Books list: I’ve included books from mindfulness experts, but also experts from other wellness fields. My goal with this list of top mindfulness books is to meet you where you are on your mindfulness journey. It’s got essential books from mindfulness experts like Jon Kabat-Zinn and…

Man listening to music mindfully on the couch with headphones on smiling

7 Steps for Mindful Music Listening: A Guide

Mindfulness with music is the art of applying present-moment awareness to music. Learn what mindful music listening is, what types of music can be used, and how to listen to music mindfully in 7 steps. Ever listen to a song and feel like you were getting completely absorbed in the music? Noticing the different layers…

17 Mindfulness Activities for Virtual Meetings (For Zoom & More)

Virtual meetings can be chaotic. Whether you’re trying to manage a virtual classroom full of students, running a business meeting, or conducting a remote seminar, mindfulness can help. Try including mindfulness exercises to start a meeting, or to reset a meeting’s energy in the middle of long sessions. Right now, at this very minute, thousands…

Mindful vs Mindless: 7 Examples of Mindlessness In Daily Life

Mindlessness isn’t the same as thoughtlessness. Instead, it’s a state of autopilot in which your thoughts have drifted elsewhere—for example, avoiding uncomfortable emotions by watching TV. Mindlessness. We’ve all been there. For me, it strikes most often when I’m at my least rested, or perhaps already experiencing a low mood. My mind struggles even more…

21 Quick Mindfulness Exercises (Less Than One Minute Each)

A one minute mindfulness exercise is anything you can do in 60 seconds or less to center yourself, ground yourself, and pull yourself into present awareness. These short mindfulness exercises help you incorporate the principles of mindfulness into your life — especially when you’re short on time. In an ideal world, every day we would…

Zen Meditation vs Mindfulness

The main difference between Zen meditation and mindfulness is that while both cultivate awareness, Zen meditation techniques are firmly rooted in Buddhism, while the modern mindfulness movement is secular. The goal of Zen meditation is to achieve a state of pure awareness and enlightenment. Mindfulness is a secular awareness practice and isn’t connected to a…