Meditation, Mindfulness, and Mental Health

The Bodanis family tree’s branches have been afflicted with schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and other struggles.

My relationship with these conditions, and with my relatives suffering from them, have encouraged me to learn and avail myself of as many preventive tools as possible, many of which will be explored in this series. However, I can also be unmotivated and cynical.

It is from that basecamp that I look up at the Everest of information, and wrestle with the best path by which we common people can plot a safe trek toward being mentally health-ier. Even if just a little bit.

When my therapist first mentioned the practice of meditation, my inner voice (read: negative self-talk), thought of a quote from Dan Harris’s book 10% Happier (Dey Street Books, 2014), : “I thought of meditation as the exclusive province of bearded swamis, unwashed hippies, and fans of John Tesh music.”

Eventually, my prejudice tiptoed toward the question: “What if I could be even 1 or 2 percent happier?”

Buddha just wanted to get away from it all

“The origin of meditation goes back to Buddha,” says Robert MacFadden, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto.

“He was a prince who walked away from his family because he was so affected by their poverty and turmoil. He just tried to discover, ‘Is there a way that I can help to reduce my suffering, even under the influence of all these incredible issues that are affecting me every minute?’”

Sound familiar? Little has changed in 2,000 years.

Buddha could, and did, walk away from his problems and dedicate the rest of his life to enlightenment. But he never stood in line at Costco, or was placed on hold with his internet provider.

That being said, meditation, even for a few minutes at a time, can be hugely beneficial.

I heard your sigh: “More advice; another rock to carry to the summit, where the air is already thin and everything below my neck seems buried in a landslide.”

You are not alone in being lonely

“The extent of mental illness has disproportionately increased post-COVID, I’m getting three or four referrals a day, which some people might say is an apocalypse happening,” says Akshaya Vasudev, MD, consultant geriatric psychiatrist, London Health Sciences Centre, and consultant psychiatrist at Medpoint Health Care Centre.

The pandemic forced people who were already experiencing stress into isolation, and loneliness is a breeding ground for anxiety.

Akshaya puts it bluntly: “Loneliness has become the biggest epidemic that the world is facing. We spend more time on the internet scouring the news, which is negative. It makes us feel even more lonely because we fear that nobody cares for us—which is unfounded— and that loneliness just pervades.”

Mindfulness, one type of meditation, can be an elixir. It’s interesting to understand why it is necessary and why it works.

Pay attention to what you pay attention to

The human brain processes information relatively slowly, only about 10 bits per second—about 25 million times slower than an average internet connection. However, our brains never stop accepting input: while driving a car, watching movies, interacting with people, for example. Most of that information cannot be processed in the moment, so it all gets stored away.

“The brain wants to put as much as possible into the unconscious,” says MacFadden, “which helps you to get through life quickly. But that knowledge base is marked by emotions.”

This accumulation of unacknowledged emotions can be manifested as forms of stress. This, he explains, is where mindfulness can be helpful as a method of recognizing and slowing that process.

“Mindfulness is the deliberate, intentional focus in a nonjudgmental way. By being aware of how crucial your attention is, you can understand that where you put your attention has an impact on who you are and—more importantly—who you’re going to be,” says McFadden.

This is the first step toward a meditation practice. Without self-awareness, MacFadden says, you’re a cork in the ocean. “By paying attention deliberately, and being aware of more positive things, you’re creating a future for yourself that’s going to be more positive, and one you’re more connected with.”

“I call it the thinking of thinking,” says Vasudev. He also says learning to calm and control your breathing is a powerful tool. “We can use the breath to control our anxiety and our mood.”

Vasudev teaches the pranayama breathing technique. He also recommends joining a yoga practice at a local community centre—readily available and inexpensive—since this also combats loneliness.

The admonishments to “keep in shape” and “stay healthy” are associated almost solely with our bodies from the neck down. But the benefits of being mindful, and learning to calm and relax our thoughts, are incontrovertible.

Therapists use the “thought train” analogy: you are a passenger on a train; the passing landscape represents your thoughts. Allowing the thoughts to simply pass by, without judgment, is the essence of mindfulness, and the seed of meditation.

What self-care really means

“Research has consistently shown” says Vasudev, “that … [mindfulness] improves brain volume, increases the grey matter, lessens the chances of dementia, and reduces depressive symptoms and anxiety. There are cardiovascular benefits: reducing chances of stroke and heart attacks, and immune function increases.”

MacFadden adds, “You are not your fault. You become what you live. You become what you experience.” His choice of accessible starting points? “It’s Mindfulness for Dummies [by]. I love it!”

I began my practice with the free app Buddhify. It provides a selection of short, guided meditations. All I did was listen, and do as I was told. I’m several dozen percentage points happier.

I am not a guru, dear Reader. I have nothing to sell. I am someone who, for many years, has felt for a friendly hand in a dark room―and finally found one.

This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of alive magazine.