Your Mind Is Trapped In The Past & Future… 5 Minutes Of This Fixes It | Henry Shukman

Rangan Chatterjee

Mar 4, 2026

Episode description

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In a world of constant noise, stimulation and busyness, meditation is often framed as another self-improvement tool – something to calm us down, make us more productive or fix what feels broken. But this week’s returning guest believes that this way of thinking completely misses the point.

Henry Shukman is an authorised Zen Master and Director of the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the years, Henry has taught meditation at organisations including Google, Harvard Business School and the Esalen Institute, and is the co-founder of ‘The Way’ meditation app.

Henry and I had the most beautiful conversation when he first appeared on my podcast on Episode 590 and his app ‘The Way’ has had such a profound impact on me, that I wanted to have a second conversation with him to explore deeper the benefits and misconceptions about meditation and the powerful role it can play in our busy, 21st century lives. I have also partnered with The Way for a free March meditation challenges - you can see all details at thewayapp.com/livemore

Henry sees meditation not as a technique for becoming a better version of ourselves, but as a way of reconnecting with something far more fundamental. Beneath all the striving, planning and doing, he says, there is already a deep sense of aliveness and meaning. Meditation simply helps us notice it again.

In our conversation, we explore:
● Why having a busy, restless mind does not mean you’re “bad” at meditation – and why that restlessness is actually the very reason the practice exists
● How modern life keeps our attention relentlessly outward, and why daily stillness can help us reconnect with our inner world
● Why meditation works best when it’s not treated as another task on the to-do list, but as a place of rest from constant doing
● Why five minutes a day is often more powerful than occasional long meditation sessions
● How meditation can subtly change our experience of time, helping life feel richer and fuller
● Simple, practical guidance on when to meditate, how often - and why comfort matters far more than posture or “doing it right”

What stayed with me most from this conversation is Henry’s reminder of how rarely we’re encouraged to turn inward. In a world that constantly pulls our attention outside ourselves, meditation becomes a way of rebuilding that inner relationship – one that many of us didn’t realise we’d lost. Just a few minutes, practised regularly, can change how we relate to our thoughts, our time and our lives.

#feelbetterlivemore

Connect with Henry:
https://henryshukman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman
https://www.tiktok.com/@henry.shukman
https://www.youtube.com/@ShukmanHenry

Henry’s books:
Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening US https://amzn.to/49bQUug UK https://amzn.to/4oyCOYp
One Blade of Grass: A Zen Memoir US https://amzn.to/48BzPtw UK https://amzn.to/4qmTrrJ

The Way App
https://links.drchatterjee.com/3L9S2Vi

#feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast
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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reclaim time through meditation as a restorative practice

Meditation is not another task to add to your busy schedule; it's a rest from all the things you have to do that actually gives you more time.

#meditation

#recovery

Simplify meditation with curated pathways in Waking Up app

The Waking Up meditation app was intentionally designed without a library of choices to eliminate decision fatigue and provide a single, curated pathway for users to follow.

#meditation

#routine

Meditate to calm your busy mind

The common excuse 'my mind is too busy to meditate' is precisely the reason to practice, as meditation is designed to address this natural state of the mind.

#meditation

#stress

Meditate early or before meals for optimal benefits

The ideal time to meditate is as early as possible in the day before you get caught up, but a practical alternative is right before a meal.

#meditation

#timing

Engage tasks to focus brain's default active mode

A German psychologist discovered in 1924 that the brain's 'default mode' is to be active with thinking, which is why our minds wander when we aren't engaged in a task.

#cognition

Commit to 30-day meditation trial for true assessment

Before assessing if meditation is for you, commit to a trial of at least 30 days of daily practice, just as you wouldn't judge a supplement after only a few days.

#meditation

#routine

Experience emotions as physical sensations to stay present

To avoid getting caught in mental stories, learn to experience emotions like anxiety as physical sensations in the body, which can only exist in the present moment.

#emotion

#mindfulness

Let go of expectations to gain meditation benefits

Paradoxically, you will receive the benefits of meditation, such as patience and self-kindness, by relinquishing the tight grasp and immediate expectation of those benefits.