Meditation sessions are getting shorter and moving into machines and apps. At the same time, more voices are asking anew about the role of teachers and the meaning of tradition. Here are eight brief updates from the global meditation scene during the second and third weeks of October.
Even 30 seconds waiting for the microwave can be a practice: Psychologist Eli Sussman’s micropractices
CNBC introduced psychologist Eli Sussman’s new book, Micropractice, on October 20. The book collects short practices that take 30 seconds or less. Practices featured in the article include 30 seconds of spontaneous dancing, silently wishing well to people you encounter throughout the day, and trying to celebrate someone else’s happiness when jealousy arises. Sussman said consistency matters more than duration, pointing to time spent waiting for the microwave or standing at a traffic light as opportunities to practice.
Students using VR headsets visited the meditation room more often; anxiety scores fell by about half in both groups
Researchers at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport published a pilot study on October 12 in the journal Frontiers in Digital Health. They divided 22 health sciences students with anxiety scores above a set threshold into two groups: one used VR meditation and the other listened to audio meditations. For eight weeks, participants practiced in a campus meditation room for about 10 minutes at a time, at least twice a week. The VR group completed an average of 75% of the recommended sessions, compared with 53% in the audio group, and anxiety scores fell by nearly half in both groups. The researchers said the study had no control group that did nothing, so the changes cannot be definitively attributed to meditation, and no difference emerged between the two approaches.
An app for students anxious about school combines mindfulness with personalized learning
Yellow Lion Leaders announced in a press release on October 21 that it had launched Caldo, an app for students. Designed for students experiencing anxiety, it combines mindfulness with adaptive learning that adjusts to each learner’s level. The app signals a shift toward bringing study tools and meditation apps together on one screen.
Is nonjudgmental awareness alone enough? A review of 120 papers identifies four dimensions of Buddhist mindfulness
The international journal Mindfulness published a paper in October that revisits the meaning of mindfulness. A scoping review published online on October 3 analyzed 120 papers comparing modern mindfulness with Buddhist mindfulness. The researchers concluded that the literature portrays Buddhist mindfulness as oriented toward ethical living and personal transformation; involving wise judgment; inseparable from other practices; and an alertness that guards the mind without losing sight of one’s intentions. They also proposed a four-stage model of mindfulness that does not pit the two perspectives against each other, but brings together elements that complement one another. Other papers published that month examined brain connectivity in a self-paced, recorded MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) program and a randomized controlled trial of behavioral strategies for making meditation apps a habit.
The problem isn’t meditation’s dark side, but practicing without guidance: Tibetan teacher Anam Thubten responds
Anam Thubten Rinpoche, who practices in the Tibetan Nyingma tradition and leads the Dharmata Foundation in the United States, published an essay on October 8 in the Buddhist publication Buddhistdoor Global, challenging the phrase “the dark side of mindfulness.” He acknowledged that some people have difficult experiences during practice, but argued that the problem lies less with mindfulness itself than with how it is taught and the lack of guidance. He compared it to calling walking “dark” because some people sprain an ankle. In traditional settings, qualified teachers assessed whether practitioners were ready, he said, but amid today’s commercialization, it is hard to know who is teaching and how.
Esalen and Tassajara evacuated ashram, too: Big Sur retreat centers weather landslides and wildfires
Religion News Service, a U.S. religion-focused news agency, reported on October 21 on how spiritual centers in Big Sur, California, are enduring climate disasters. Big Sur’s coastal highway was closed for nearly three years after a series of landslides in 2023 and 2024, then reopened in January 2026. But wildfires in August triggered evacuation orders at the Esalen Institute, which helped introduce yoga, breathwork and meditation to the West; the Catholic New Camaldoli Hermitage; and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Zen practice center. With winter downpours and further landslides feared because of El Niño, New Camaldoli Hermitage decided to close for the winter, and its future remains uncertain, the report said.
Meditation, discussion and field visits: A two-week young bodhisattva program in Taiwan
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) is holding an international young bodhisattva program in Taiwan from October 21 to November 3. Organized with Hongshi Buddhist College in Taiwan, the program includes meditation, discussion and community activities, as well as visits to civil society groups, government agencies and Buddhist institutions. It is open to young people ages 20 to 40, whether or not they are Buddhist. The program reflects engaged Buddhism’s aim of connecting meditation not only to personal peace but also to social change.
Seven nights for 7,000 baht: A November mindfulness week at Thai Plum Village
Thai Plum Village International Practice Center, which carries on the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village, is holding a mindfulness week retreat from November 20 to 27. The retreat will take place at the practice center in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Capacity is 150, and sessions will be held in Vietnamese, English and Thai. Seven nights of lodging and meals cost 7,000 baht per person. Anyone age 5 or older can attend, but participants under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. Registration opened online on August 25 and will close once capacity is reached.
Between shorter practices and deeper questions
Thirty-second practices, VR meditation rooms and mindfulness in study apps lower the barrier to meditation. They offer a welcome entry point for people who find it hard to sit for long periods. That same week, a Tibetan teacher warned against practicing without guidance, and an academic journal revisited mindfulness’s original meaning. Starting simply, while seeking out a trustworthy teacher and community and deepening one step at a time, is a useful principle for anyone choosing a meditation practice.
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