In 1994, midway through his studies for a degree in sports science, Andy Puddicombe decided to give it all up. He spent the next decade training to become a Buddhist monk, culminating in his ordination at a Tibetan monastery. He then returned to his native England with the goal of making the practices of meditation and mindfulness—central elements of the Buddhist path—more accessible to a wider audience, and through his partnership with creative developer Rich Pearson, launched the Headspace app in 2012.
Today, Headspace’s daily meditations, on-the-go exercises, and SOS sessions that support subscribers in meltdown moments reach more than 10 million users in 190 countries—and there’s even a Headspace channel in the sky on Virgin Atlantic. Puddicombe discusses how the creation of Headspace blended centuries-old practices with contemporary science and technology; his own experience with meditation; and the benefits that it can bring to busy lives.
