How long does it take to get good at mindfulness to the point where it has significantly improved your life?

[mightywindr]

Or made you happy?

How long does that take most people?

Do most people not make it to that level?

Please give an honest answer not an "encouraging one"

Kind regards!!

[JonW]

In my own experience, I felt the benefits almost immediately. I meditated for the first time at the age of fifty and, during my first ever meditation, I remember thinking, 'I've been looking for this all my life without even realising it.' It felt like a kind of coming home. Subsequently, mindfulness has transformed my life to the point where I can barely recognise my old self - anxious, often depressed, rarely comfortable in my own skin. Most of all, it's brought me a sense of quiet joy that doesn't often leave me.
I wouldn't say my experience is typical. Neither would I say that mindfulness/meditation is for everyone. Some people I've taught haven't connected with it at all. My most receptive clients by far have been those in recovery and that's the main reason that my work with those in recovery is the work I love the most. Those people are already doing a great deal of courageous work on themselves and, therefore, they are already open to the idea of transformation, of changing their entire sense of being.
But there's no hard or fast rules and there are no guarantees how quickly the benefits are going to be felt or even if mindfulness is going to bring any benefits to an individual.
The one thing I always encourage people to do though is try to put aside any expectations, particularly at the start of practice, and just do it. Definite goals tend to be counter-productive. If we're not careful, mindfulness can become yet another way of striving. And mindfulness has nothing to do with striving. It's about being.
All best,
Jon

[mightywindr]

In my own experience, I felt the benefits almost immediately. I meditated for the first time at the age of fifty and, during my first ever meditation, I remember thinking, 'I've been looking for this all my life without even realising it.' It felt like a kind of coming home. Subsequently, mindfulness has transformed my life to the point where I can barely recognise my old self - anxious, often depressed, rarely comfortable in my own skin. Most of all, it's brought me a sense of quiet joy that doesn't often leave me.
I wouldn't say my experience is typical. Neither would I say that mindfulness/meditation is for everyone. Some people I've taught haven't connected with it at all. My most receptive clients by far have been those in recovery and that's the main reason that my work with those in recovery is the work I love the most. Those people are already doing a great deal of courageous work on themselves and, therefore, they are already open to the idea of transformation, of changing their entire sense of being.
But there's no hard or fast rules and there are no guarantees how quickly the benefits are going to be felt or even if mindfulness is going to bring any benefits to an individual.
The one thing I always encourage people to do though is try to put aside any expectations, particularly at the start of practice, and just do it. Definite goals tend to be counter-productive. If we're not careful, mindfulness can become yet another way of striving. And mindfulness has nothing to do with striving. It's about being.
All best,
Jon

Well you are a really smart guy Jon so an ideal person to compare to, you are perhaps faster than most I have no idea I cant find any info on google on how long it usually takes people, uve been training 8-9 years to reach your level, when did you reach what have now? Did you do that in 1 year 5 years 3 years or 8 years?

You are an amazing person Jon helping others out, few reach that level of humanity I feel really lucky to have met you !!

[tim3003]

I like to compare mindfullness practice to physical exercise. If you're unfit and start to take a regular walk you will start to feel better within a few days - when your legs stop aching! And this will continue for as long as you keep walking. If you lengthen your walks you'll feel a bit fitter and more postive again. But if you stop walking you'll lose what you've gained.
Mindfullness meditation must be kept up similarly, and the more you put into it, the more you'll get out.
I think 'happiness' is not the right word for what it brings - 'peace' is better. You worry less, you're more content with yourself, less inclined to get angry or fearful, more respecting of others - whatever their views.