What do you think?
Rate this book
A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit
In one of the most optimistic books to come out of Washington during these trying times, Congressman Tim Ryan presents us with an inspiring and hopeful view of our country's future—and a roadmap for how to get there.Across America, people are feeling squeezed, exhausted, and running faster and faster while falling farther behind. The economy continues to struggle, wars rage on, and every week brings news of another environmental disaster. Everything seems broken and people feel helpless to make a difference. Despite this bleak outlook, there are strands of quiet hope and confidence. People are beginning to take action in a new they are slowing down, paying attention, and gaining an awareness of the inner resources at their disposal. This new way is based on the timeless and universal practice of mindfulness, the natural capabilities of our brains and minds, and the core American values of self-reliance, stick-to-it-iveness, and getting the job done. And it's manifesting in every sector of our society—it's helping sick people work with their pain and manage stress, school children improve their learning, veterans heal from trauma, and CEOs become more inclusive and effective leaders. All these benefits—and more—are supported by scientific research on mindfulness that is regularly reported by the mainstream media, such as ABC World News with Diane Sawyer. In A Mindful Nation, Congressman Tim Ryan—an all-American guy from the heartland who is also a thoughtful, committed, mindful leader—takes this story about the benefits of mindfulness to the next level. He connects the dots between what's happening with mindfulness in the classrooms, hospitals, boardrooms, research labs, and army bases across the country by sharing his interactions with experts in education, defense, health care, criminal justice, and the environment. A Mindful Nation paints a picture of emerging solutions that both benefit the reader and address the societal difficulties we are facing. Ryan's folksy, warm, and encouraging voice uplifts us and shows that there is something we can do right here and right now to help ourselves and our country. Both inspiring and pragmatic, A Mindful Nation shows how the benefits of mindfulness apply to the current challenges that affect each of us in our own lives and in our communities, and thus have implications for our society as a whole. With a hard-nosed understanding of politics, government budgets, and what it takes to get something done, Ryan connects a practical approach—lead with the science, show the savings and show how this can help us educate our children to be competitive in the world arena—with a hopeful vision for how mindfulness can reinvigorate our core American values and transform and revitalize our communities.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2012
126 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 25, 2024
A Congressman Discusses Mindfulness
For many years, I have been studying Buddhism and attempting, with varied degrees of success, to practice meditation. In studying mindfulness meditation, I am in the company of many Americans from a variety of backgrounds, religious persuasions, and walks of life. There is a large and expanding literature on meditation, including this new book "Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit" by Tim Ryan. This book is interesting both in what it says and in who says it. The author, Tim Ryan, is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from industrial communities in Ohio. First elected to Congress in 2002, Ryan holds important assignments as a a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Budget Committee. It is valuable to read a thoughtful American legislator's perspective on meditation.
Ryan's book is a mixture of the personal and the political. In the opening parts of the book, including the unusually extended Foreword by meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, and in Ryan's own introduction and first two chapters, Ryan offers a broad perspective on the American experience and on American values, which relates in an important way to basic meditation principles of kindness, compassion, and the seemingly conflicted principles of self-reliance and interconnectedness. These early sections of the book speak in the voice of immediacy, sincerity, and personal experience. They are highly effective. Ryan briefly describes his own life experience and his practice of mindfulness meditation, beginning with the large role his traditionally Catholic grandparents and his mother played in his early life. As an energetic, extroverted high school quarterback, Ryan apparently discovered yoga and its benefits for training and helping with injuries. In 2005, Ryan read a book by Kabat-Zinn and, following his reelection to Congress in 2008, attended a Kabat-Zinn retreat in upstate New York which made a deep impression. Ryan movingly describes the retreat. He also shows how meditation practice, understanding the moment, controlling the voices and distractions in one's head and without, and learning compassion and reflection and concentration have been integral to much of the best in the United States and are reflected in the works of iconic and distinctly American writers including Emerson and Thoreau. These sections of Ryan's book are personal and reflect insights that could be uniquely drawn by a thoughtful member of Congress.
In subsequent chapters of the book, Ryan's focus shifts from his own experience and from broad conditions of the American experience to various objects and studies. These sections of the book are, on the whole, substantially less effective that the material that proceeds them. They tend to be argumentative and, perhaps, agenda driven. The book introduces many people and organizations involved in using meditation and mindfulness in their various endeavors. The work of many of the people Ryan discusses is undoubtedly valuable and worth knowing. But Ryan's discussion presses, frequently wanders away from his subject, seeks particular political commitment, and tends, despite Ryan's efforts to the contrary, to make his subject into a panacea. Thus, in the third chapter of this book, Ryan discusses the findings of some scientists on the benefits of meditation, including their views on the structure and function of various portions of the brain. While these discussions are interesting, I am not sure if they are persuasive to all scientists. I find these psychologistic studies tend to distract from, rather than reinforce, a meditative practice.
Ryan discusses efforts to introduce mindfulness practices into areas such as education, health and health-care, military training, economics and industrialization, and environmentalism. In commendable fashion, Ryan has used his position as a Congressman to get to know many people involved in work related to mindfulness and to try to understand how their work may be of interest and use. Of the various materials, the most effective by far were those on military preparedness. But Ryan takes matters off course, in my view, and in a manner that distracts from an individual and from practice. Meditation may or may not have some of the benefits and uses Ryan claims. Most of his claims seem to be tangential at best to a practice. Their practitioners pursue their courses well. But Ryan has left me skeptical about the value of drawing in, not to speak of mandating, these practices in the specifics of politics. Ryan's book reminded me of a book by the scholar Jacob Needleman, "The American Soul": Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders" that I read some time ago. Needleman's book impressed me in its attempt to show how spiritual teachings are integral to (rather than opposed to) the fabric of the American experience in a way that Ryan also tries to do. Ryan's book is valuable to the extent that it focuses on his experiences and on broad American values. It is far less impressive when it tries to turn mindfulness into a science and when it engages in politics.
Robin Friedman
For many years, I have been studying Buddhism and attempting, with varied degrees of success, to practice meditation. In studying mindfulness meditation, I am in the company of many Americans from a variety of backgrounds, religious persuasions, and walks of life. There is a large and expanding literature on meditation, including this new book "Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit" by Tim Ryan. This book is interesting both in what it says and in who says it. The author, Tim Ryan, is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from industrial communities in Ohio. First elected to Congress in 2002, Ryan holds important assignments as a a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Budget Committee. It is valuable to read a thoughtful American legislator's perspective on meditation.
Ryan's book is a mixture of the personal and the political. In the opening parts of the book, including the unusually extended Foreword by meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, and in Ryan's own introduction and first two chapters, Ryan offers a broad perspective on the American experience and on American values, which relates in an important way to basic meditation principles of kindness, compassion, and the seemingly conflicted principles of self-reliance and interconnectedness. These early sections of the book speak in the voice of immediacy, sincerity, and personal experience. They are highly effective. Ryan briefly describes his own life experience and his practice of mindfulness meditation, beginning with the large role his traditionally Catholic grandparents and his mother played in his early life. As an energetic, extroverted high school quarterback, Ryan apparently discovered yoga and its benefits for training and helping with injuries. In 2005, Ryan read a book by Kabat-Zinn and, following his reelection to Congress in 2008, attended a Kabat-Zinn retreat in upstate New York which made a deep impression. Ryan movingly describes the retreat. He also shows how meditation practice, understanding the moment, controlling the voices and distractions in one's head and without, and learning compassion and reflection and concentration have been integral to much of the best in the United States and are reflected in the works of iconic and distinctly American writers including Emerson and Thoreau. These sections of Ryan's book are personal and reflect insights that could be uniquely drawn by a thoughtful member of Congress.
In subsequent chapters of the book, Ryan's focus shifts from his own experience and from broad conditions of the American experience to various objects and studies. These sections of the book are, on the whole, substantially less effective that the material that proceeds them. They tend to be argumentative and, perhaps, agenda driven. The book introduces many people and organizations involved in using meditation and mindfulness in their various endeavors. The work of many of the people Ryan discusses is undoubtedly valuable and worth knowing. But Ryan's discussion presses, frequently wanders away from his subject, seeks particular political commitment, and tends, despite Ryan's efforts to the contrary, to make his subject into a panacea. Thus, in the third chapter of this book, Ryan discusses the findings of some scientists on the benefits of meditation, including their views on the structure and function of various portions of the brain. While these discussions are interesting, I am not sure if they are persuasive to all scientists. I find these psychologistic studies tend to distract from, rather than reinforce, a meditative practice.
Ryan discusses efforts to introduce mindfulness practices into areas such as education, health and health-care, military training, economics and industrialization, and environmentalism. In commendable fashion, Ryan has used his position as a Congressman to get to know many people involved in work related to mindfulness and to try to understand how their work may be of interest and use. Of the various materials, the most effective by far were those on military preparedness. But Ryan takes matters off course, in my view, and in a manner that distracts from an individual and from practice. Meditation may or may not have some of the benefits and uses Ryan claims. Most of his claims seem to be tangential at best to a practice. Their practitioners pursue their courses well. But Ryan has left me skeptical about the value of drawing in, not to speak of mandating, these practices in the specifics of politics. Ryan's book reminded me of a book by the scholar Jacob Needleman, "The American Soul": Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders" that I read some time ago. Needleman's book impressed me in its attempt to show how spiritual teachings are integral to (rather than opposed to) the fabric of the American experience in a way that Ryan also tries to do. Ryan's book is valuable to the extent that it focuses on his experiences and on broad American values. It is far less impressive when it tries to turn mindfulness into a science and when it engages in politics.
Robin Friedman
October 28, 2012
Today's quotation from Goodreads is from Leo Tolstoy: "If, then, I were asked for the most important advice I could give, that which I considered to be the most useful to the men of our century, I should simply say: in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you."
Mindfulness. The idea, and the research proving, that this practice can be of enormous value to the health and well being of individuals and communities is not new. Forty years ago in the U.S., it was transcendental meditation, but the practice is ancient. "Sitting down to meditate" is a little more formal and removed from mindfulness techniques, which can be practiced in an active way as Tolstoy suggests. (In fact, children learning TM were given a "walking mantra" that they could "sound" as they were doing other things to help them still themselves and stay calm and focused.) Decoupling TM from India and the Maharishi, Herbert Benson came along with his Relaxation Response books (essentially the TM technique using a familiar English word like "one" as a mantra), and numerous other authors have come out with their own books about all sorts of variations, from focus on breathing to self-hypnotic techniques to prayer. (Yes, prayer.) I practiced TM for many years, and I can personally vouch for how greatly the practice enhances one's health, well being, resilience, intelligence, calmness, and compassion. (In fact, TM is still my preferred mindfulness technique, for all I have to do is "pulse" my mantra a few times to come fully into awareness of the moment.)
The simple mindfulness and kindness techniques in the back of Tim Ryan's book are different from mantra-style techniques—the latter are designed to quiet thoughts, the former to emphasize awareness in the moment—but they accomplish the same thing. The effects have been rigorously scientifically studied, and the techniques have been widely used in corporate and healthcare settings worldwide. All of these techniques result in a deeper awareness of, and connection to, everything around us. None of this is about "belief": it is, at its base, physiological.
Whichever way one chooses to practice mindfulness—whatever technique one chooses to enter a mindful state, how often, and for how long—living one's life from this level of consciousness gradually brings a person to an optimal level of functioning. The more individuals in a society who achieve this optimal level of functioning, the better they can make decisions, solve problems together, and help our society as a whole achieve its full potential.
Think about America. Where do we see the most dysfunction now? Where are people the least tuned in to what's going on within and around them? Where is the greatest stress? Is it in our families and workplaces, in our schools and healthcare institutions, in the ranks of our military and first responders, in the halls of the White House and Congress? Congressman TIM Ryan discusses the implications for mindfulness in each of these areas. I am glad to know that at least one politician recognizes the wisdom of serving one's constituents and country from a state of mindfulness.
I am also glad to know that at least one person in one of the most divisive and stagnated political bodies in America's history has the courage to write a book about how mindfulness can impact our nation's discourse, stability, growth, and ability to solve our problems. Buy a copy of this book, read it, then send it to the senator or representative in your state that you feel most needs to read it with the request that they pass it along to their staff when finished. (Don't forget to tell them that you want to know what they think!)
You can scoff at this book, but it's in your own interest not to. Although it's not likely to make the evening news, mindfulness will have a stronger impact on our lives than all the political posturing in the world. We just have to be willing to wake up, each one of us. Again, as Tolstoy said, "in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you."
Mindfulness. The idea, and the research proving, that this practice can be of enormous value to the health and well being of individuals and communities is not new. Forty years ago in the U.S., it was transcendental meditation, but the practice is ancient. "Sitting down to meditate" is a little more formal and removed from mindfulness techniques, which can be practiced in an active way as Tolstoy suggests. (In fact, children learning TM were given a "walking mantra" that they could "sound" as they were doing other things to help them still themselves and stay calm and focused.) Decoupling TM from India and the Maharishi, Herbert Benson came along with his Relaxation Response books (essentially the TM technique using a familiar English word like "one" as a mantra), and numerous other authors have come out with their own books about all sorts of variations, from focus on breathing to self-hypnotic techniques to prayer. (Yes, prayer.) I practiced TM for many years, and I can personally vouch for how greatly the practice enhances one's health, well being, resilience, intelligence, calmness, and compassion. (In fact, TM is still my preferred mindfulness technique, for all I have to do is "pulse" my mantra a few times to come fully into awareness of the moment.)
The simple mindfulness and kindness techniques in the back of Tim Ryan's book are different from mantra-style techniques—the latter are designed to quiet thoughts, the former to emphasize awareness in the moment—but they accomplish the same thing. The effects have been rigorously scientifically studied, and the techniques have been widely used in corporate and healthcare settings worldwide. All of these techniques result in a deeper awareness of, and connection to, everything around us. None of this is about "belief": it is, at its base, physiological.
Whichever way one chooses to practice mindfulness—whatever technique one chooses to enter a mindful state, how often, and for how long—living one's life from this level of consciousness gradually brings a person to an optimal level of functioning. The more individuals in a society who achieve this optimal level of functioning, the better they can make decisions, solve problems together, and help our society as a whole achieve its full potential.
Think about America. Where do we see the most dysfunction now? Where are people the least tuned in to what's going on within and around them? Where is the greatest stress? Is it in our families and workplaces, in our schools and healthcare institutions, in the ranks of our military and first responders, in the halls of the White House and Congress? Congressman TIM Ryan discusses the implications for mindfulness in each of these areas. I am glad to know that at least one politician recognizes the wisdom of serving one's constituents and country from a state of mindfulness.
I am also glad to know that at least one person in one of the most divisive and stagnated political bodies in America's history has the courage to write a book about how mindfulness can impact our nation's discourse, stability, growth, and ability to solve our problems. Buy a copy of this book, read it, then send it to the senator or representative in your state that you feel most needs to read it with the request that they pass it along to their staff when finished. (Don't forget to tell them that you want to know what they think!)
You can scoff at this book, but it's in your own interest not to. Although it's not likely to make the evening news, mindfulness will have a stronger impact on our lives than all the political posturing in the world. We just have to be willing to wake up, each one of us. Again, as Tolstoy said, "in the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you."
November 13, 2017
This book makes mindfulness very approachable, with no specific religious affiliations, although Tim Ryan does seem to like to mention Jesus—perhaps just for wider popular appeal in his intended audience. If that doesn't bother you every couple of chapters, his tone of friendly sincerity, cutting to the chase without too many emotional appeals, and genuinely selfless care for the American everyman make the book an enjoyable read. And the book makes quite a convincing case for mindfulness as a practice that could improve America. That said, what *wouldn't* improve America these days? amiright?
September 5, 2012
This is one of the best non-fiction books I've read in a long time. Being a mindfulness follower myself and knowing what it does for me personally actually makes it really hard to convince others of the science behind the practice. Tim Ryan gives us the scientific and experiential studies that have proven that mindfulness can help our nation in education, our military and first responders, in inner-cities and in politics where instead of lashing out against one another, we should be reaching out with compassion. I wish everyone would read this book before our elections in November! I'm off to write my representatives now...
March 5, 2025
A mildly interesting read but it is pretty broad and generic all told.
January 1, 2024
A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit by Tim Ryan.
4/5 rating. 231 pages.
Book #76 of 2020. Read October 21, 2020.
In here, Tim makes a powerful case for implementing mindfulness practice into every aspect of our daily lives - personally, in business, and in government - in order to create a better, and more compassionate country.
"A Mindful Nation" was really a book that I needed to read at this moment. I've always prided myself in believing the best in everyone, but as we have gotten closer to the election, the vitriol, the complete disregard for other human life, and the hate that I see has really made it hard for me to continue with my cheery and optimistic outlook. Tim does a great job of showing both where mindfulness practices have been making a difference, and where and how, it could easily improve our interactions in the future.
While you will have to read other books to understand more about the actual practices, Tim's arguments for implementing them in practically every aspect of our lives is impossible to dismiss. This has definitely sparked my push to pick back up my lapsed meditations and I hope will push people much more connected and in more powerful positions than mine to start being more mindful in their personal lives and their businesses.
"We need everyone committed to growing and developing themselves to their full potential. Much of our talent in this country goes untapped and undeveloped. It sits on the sidelines, or is pushed there, because of fear, doubt, and suffering."
"We intuitively know that if we are going to recapture the American spirit, it will be because millions of our citizens will begin to see the power of being connected and moving in the same basic direction, regardless of our inevitable and necessary differences."
"We need to raise our children in a nation that teaches them to be mindful, that teaches them about the importance of kindness and being connected to their fellow human beings and the environment that sustains them. A nation that teaches them to appreciate their basic human goodness and see that goodness in others."
Quotes:
"Put simply, mindfulness is about finding ways to slow down and pay attention to the present moment - which improves performance and reduces stress. It's about having the time and space to attend to what's right in front of us, even though many other forces are trying to keep us stuck in the past or are inviting us to fantasize or worry about the future."
"Our natural compassion and kindness was meant to be shared to help make the world a better place."
"In the late 1970s the top one percent accounted for 9 percent of real income in the country. Today, they account for 24 percent."
"We've also become a more wasteful country. Only a hundred years ago, we produced barely any garbage. We were frugal and squeezed whatever we could out of whatever we had. Now it has been estimated that 40 percent of all edible food we produce ends up in a landfill - and the energy expended in growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, and refrigerating goes along with it, increasing our production of greenhouse gases and exacerbating our energy dependence. More than a quarter of the freshwater we use goes to produce food that no one will ever eat."
"We are fundamentally good. Our basic nature is not unadulterated self-indulgence and consumption. Our spirit is not violent. Our soul does not desire that we get rich by any means necessary. The deepest part of who we are is not at peace with all the suffering in the world and the systems that perpetuate it. We all wince when we see someone suffering in our midst or even on the computer or television screen."
"We need everyone committed to growing and developing themselves to their full potential. Much of our talent in this country goes untapped and undeveloped. It sits on the sidelines, or is pushed there, because of fear, doubt, and suffering. In the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 'The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.'"
"'[B]egin by looking inward - by examining [our] own attitude toward the possibilities of peace.' The self-examination President Kennedy spoke of is a call to develop our inner resources - to develop skills that increase our awareness and understanding of our own thoughts, feelings, attitudes, fears, and beliefs."
"Obsessing about the future and worrying about the past rips us out of the only place where we can find true happiness: the present moment."
"Mindfulness itself is not a religion. Practicing it does not require giving up religious faith, or adopting a 'foreign' faith, or becoming religious if you are not so inclined. But if you already embrace a religious practice, mindfulness can support you in deepening it."
"Our society suffers, I think, from an overemphasis on the intellect and an aversion to matters of the heart - as if they were somehow un-American."
"Perfectly composed music or art, the wonders of nature, even our own ability to breathe, are all miracles. To feel that, we have to stop living only in our heads and also live in our hearts."
"It seems to me it would do us all good to act from our heart more often. We'll be surprised how small acts of attention and kindness can release the energy, enthusiasm, and imagination bottled up in our overstressed minds and bodies. We have tried a million times to think our way to a better society. But our thinking doesn't work so well if it's not aligned with what we feel deep in our hearts, our inspirations and aspirations, our innermost desire."
"As I've pointed out, we have lots of problems in our country. But I've come to believe that a key element in taking on these challenges effectively is our own inner strength, resiliency, and awareness of who we really are. We need to believe we have the capacity to transform our own lives, to innovate with our own mind and body. And that transformation will change the world. Maybe not in a monumental way at first, but if we're patient changes will occur. A building is constructed one brick at a time."
"Most of us get thrown out of balance because we are not physically or mentally equipped to handle all of the negativity happening around the world 24 hours a day. We are not wired to deal with a bombardment of perceived stressors on a consistent basis."
"We've been led to believe that getting more and greater stuff and territory will make us truly happy. What we are learning from the scientific research on mindfulness and well-being affirms the age-old wisdom that true happiness lies in the strength we have within, not what we collect and acquire."
"As human beings, we are looking for happiness that won't be so vulnerable to changing conditions, that is sustainable. That's real happiness. And we find it by cultivating our inner resources and skills." - Sharon Salzberg
"Developing an awareness of what is happening in our bodies in the present moment yields obvious benefits also in the form of helping us become part of the early-detection system, Susan says. We become more aware of what condition our body is in from moment to moment. We become more in tune with feelings and sensations happening in our body. Our body is always talking to us, but we don't always listen."
"People who work with mindfulness tend to report higher states of well-being, peacefulness, and resiliency as they cultivate certain qualities of mind like kindness, compassion, strength, equanimity, and joy. As people practice mindfulness, they are literally creating patterns within the brain and mind that can lead toward a happier, healthier life."
"The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito worked with eight hospitals to see if comprehensive lifestyle changes could provide a safe, effective alternative to cardiac bypass or angioplasty. After one year, almost 80 percent of participants avoided these surgeries, at a savings of almost $30,000 per patient."
"A study of diabetes (a lifestyle-related epidemic in our nation) published in the Journal of Internal Medicine showed that lifestyle-change programs achieved the same beneficial result as drug treatment at a cost of $8,800 versus $29,900 - a 70 percent reduction."
"Cultivating our mindfulness is simple, but it is not easy. It takes time and work. But the results are worth it."
"Medicine should focus on health, not just health care. Health care alone may often come too late, for our citizens and our service members. Health care tends to be a temporary bandage, whereas health is an ongoing state of well-being." - Mylene Huynh
"With malice toward none, and charity toward all," - Abraham Lincoln
"We need to join together and update our economic and governmental systems. The industrial model, which has resulted in large, overly bureaucratic organizations that don't communicate well with each other and lose touch with events on the ground, is an outdated method for organizing and governing our society. We need new ways of thinking and new ways of mobilizing ourselves. We need to reinvest in the people of our country so that we can tap into their deep capacity for innovation to help us craft a new model to organize our society. We need systems that support our citizens to creatively participate in helping us meet these challenges."
"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred...but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another."
"Debate - which was invented as a means to find the truth and the best way forward rather than to polarize - should sharpen these points and help each side see its perspective in a new way."
"Many of our citizens are realizing that going faster and faster to solve our problems has not worked, and neither has waiting for our outer circumstances to change on their own - through the invisible hand of the market or pure luck. We intuitively know that if we are going to recapture the American spirit, it will be because millions of our citizens will begin to see the power of being connected and moving in the same basic direction, regardless of our inevitable and necessary differences. That's why it says on the seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum, 'Out of the many, one.'"
"We need to raise our children in a nation that teaches them to be mindful, that teaches them about the importance of kindness and being connected to their fellow human beings and the environment that sustains them. A nation that teaches them to appreciate their basic human goodness and see that goodness in others."
4/5 rating. 231 pages.
Book #76 of 2020. Read October 21, 2020.
In here, Tim makes a powerful case for implementing mindfulness practice into every aspect of our daily lives - personally, in business, and in government - in order to create a better, and more compassionate country.
"A Mindful Nation" was really a book that I needed to read at this moment. I've always prided myself in believing the best in everyone, but as we have gotten closer to the election, the vitriol, the complete disregard for other human life, and the hate that I see has really made it hard for me to continue with my cheery and optimistic outlook. Tim does a great job of showing both where mindfulness practices have been making a difference, and where and how, it could easily improve our interactions in the future.
While you will have to read other books to understand more about the actual practices, Tim's arguments for implementing them in practically every aspect of our lives is impossible to dismiss. This has definitely sparked my push to pick back up my lapsed meditations and I hope will push people much more connected and in more powerful positions than mine to start being more mindful in their personal lives and their businesses.
"We need everyone committed to growing and developing themselves to their full potential. Much of our talent in this country goes untapped and undeveloped. It sits on the sidelines, or is pushed there, because of fear, doubt, and suffering."
"We intuitively know that if we are going to recapture the American spirit, it will be because millions of our citizens will begin to see the power of being connected and moving in the same basic direction, regardless of our inevitable and necessary differences."
"We need to raise our children in a nation that teaches them to be mindful, that teaches them about the importance of kindness and being connected to their fellow human beings and the environment that sustains them. A nation that teaches them to appreciate their basic human goodness and see that goodness in others."
Quotes:
"Put simply, mindfulness is about finding ways to slow down and pay attention to the present moment - which improves performance and reduces stress. It's about having the time and space to attend to what's right in front of us, even though many other forces are trying to keep us stuck in the past or are inviting us to fantasize or worry about the future."
"Our natural compassion and kindness was meant to be shared to help make the world a better place."
"In the late 1970s the top one percent accounted for 9 percent of real income in the country. Today, they account for 24 percent."
"We've also become a more wasteful country. Only a hundred years ago, we produced barely any garbage. We were frugal and squeezed whatever we could out of whatever we had. Now it has been estimated that 40 percent of all edible food we produce ends up in a landfill - and the energy expended in growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, and refrigerating goes along with it, increasing our production of greenhouse gases and exacerbating our energy dependence. More than a quarter of the freshwater we use goes to produce food that no one will ever eat."
"We are fundamentally good. Our basic nature is not unadulterated self-indulgence and consumption. Our spirit is not violent. Our soul does not desire that we get rich by any means necessary. The deepest part of who we are is not at peace with all the suffering in the world and the systems that perpetuate it. We all wince when we see someone suffering in our midst or even on the computer or television screen."
"We need everyone committed to growing and developing themselves to their full potential. Much of our talent in this country goes untapped and undeveloped. It sits on the sidelines, or is pushed there, because of fear, doubt, and suffering. In the words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 'The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.'"
"'[B]egin by looking inward - by examining [our] own attitude toward the possibilities of peace.' The self-examination President Kennedy spoke of is a call to develop our inner resources - to develop skills that increase our awareness and understanding of our own thoughts, feelings, attitudes, fears, and beliefs."
"Obsessing about the future and worrying about the past rips us out of the only place where we can find true happiness: the present moment."
"Mindfulness itself is not a religion. Practicing it does not require giving up religious faith, or adopting a 'foreign' faith, or becoming religious if you are not so inclined. But if you already embrace a religious practice, mindfulness can support you in deepening it."
"Our society suffers, I think, from an overemphasis on the intellect and an aversion to matters of the heart - as if they were somehow un-American."
"Perfectly composed music or art, the wonders of nature, even our own ability to breathe, are all miracles. To feel that, we have to stop living only in our heads and also live in our hearts."
"It seems to me it would do us all good to act from our heart more often. We'll be surprised how small acts of attention and kindness can release the energy, enthusiasm, and imagination bottled up in our overstressed minds and bodies. We have tried a million times to think our way to a better society. But our thinking doesn't work so well if it's not aligned with what we feel deep in our hearts, our inspirations and aspirations, our innermost desire."
"As I've pointed out, we have lots of problems in our country. But I've come to believe that a key element in taking on these challenges effectively is our own inner strength, resiliency, and awareness of who we really are. We need to believe we have the capacity to transform our own lives, to innovate with our own mind and body. And that transformation will change the world. Maybe not in a monumental way at first, but if we're patient changes will occur. A building is constructed one brick at a time."
"Most of us get thrown out of balance because we are not physically or mentally equipped to handle all of the negativity happening around the world 24 hours a day. We are not wired to deal with a bombardment of perceived stressors on a consistent basis."
"We've been led to believe that getting more and greater stuff and territory will make us truly happy. What we are learning from the scientific research on mindfulness and well-being affirms the age-old wisdom that true happiness lies in the strength we have within, not what we collect and acquire."
"As human beings, we are looking for happiness that won't be so vulnerable to changing conditions, that is sustainable. That's real happiness. And we find it by cultivating our inner resources and skills." - Sharon Salzberg
"Developing an awareness of what is happening in our bodies in the present moment yields obvious benefits also in the form of helping us become part of the early-detection system, Susan says. We become more aware of what condition our body is in from moment to moment. We become more in tune with feelings and sensations happening in our body. Our body is always talking to us, but we don't always listen."
"People who work with mindfulness tend to report higher states of well-being, peacefulness, and resiliency as they cultivate certain qualities of mind like kindness, compassion, strength, equanimity, and joy. As people practice mindfulness, they are literally creating patterns within the brain and mind that can lead toward a happier, healthier life."
"The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito worked with eight hospitals to see if comprehensive lifestyle changes could provide a safe, effective alternative to cardiac bypass or angioplasty. After one year, almost 80 percent of participants avoided these surgeries, at a savings of almost $30,000 per patient."
"A study of diabetes (a lifestyle-related epidemic in our nation) published in the Journal of Internal Medicine showed that lifestyle-change programs achieved the same beneficial result as drug treatment at a cost of $8,800 versus $29,900 - a 70 percent reduction."
"Cultivating our mindfulness is simple, but it is not easy. It takes time and work. But the results are worth it."
"Medicine should focus on health, not just health care. Health care alone may often come too late, for our citizens and our service members. Health care tends to be a temporary bandage, whereas health is an ongoing state of well-being." - Mylene Huynh
"With malice toward none, and charity toward all," - Abraham Lincoln
"We need to join together and update our economic and governmental systems. The industrial model, which has resulted in large, overly bureaucratic organizations that don't communicate well with each other and lose touch with events on the ground, is an outdated method for organizing and governing our society. We need new ways of thinking and new ways of mobilizing ourselves. We need to reinvest in the people of our country so that we can tap into their deep capacity for innovation to help us craft a new model to organize our society. We need systems that support our citizens to creatively participate in helping us meet these challenges."
"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred...but love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another."
"Debate - which was invented as a means to find the truth and the best way forward rather than to polarize - should sharpen these points and help each side see its perspective in a new way."
"Many of our citizens are realizing that going faster and faster to solve our problems has not worked, and neither has waiting for our outer circumstances to change on their own - through the invisible hand of the market or pure luck. We intuitively know that if we are going to recapture the American spirit, it will be because millions of our citizens will begin to see the power of being connected and moving in the same basic direction, regardless of our inevitable and necessary differences. That's why it says on the seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum, 'Out of the many, one.'"
"We need to raise our children in a nation that teaches them to be mindful, that teaches them about the importance of kindness and being connected to their fellow human beings and the environment that sustains them. A nation that teaches them to appreciate their basic human goodness and see that goodness in others."
August 20, 2012
I thought “A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit” by Congressman Tim Ryan with a forward by Jon Kabat-Zinn did a good job of telling why mindfulness and how mindfulness can help people in many areas of their lives, thus also helping the entire country. However, there is not that much in the book that shows you how to be more mindful. (The book does though, contain some great resources that will do just that.)
I look at this book as a call to action to learn more about mindfulness and to incorporate the practice into your life. Doing so, and encouraging others to do so, will then help reduce some of the stresses that are affecting our society, and generally help society be more prosperous. I believe that is what Ryan was attempting to accomplish with this book, and I think he did a good job of doing so. I just hope more people listen.
With me, I've already studied mindfulness and related teachings, especially through my martial art and related trainings. So Ryan was preaching to the choir. I still enjoyed reading about how mindfulness has helped not only Ryan, but many others, as the book is filled with case studies and examples.
After the introductory chapters that le you know a bit about Ryan and an introduction to the practice of mindfulness, the book addresses what scientists say mindfulness can do for you, how mindfulness can increase our children's attention and kindness, how mindfulness can improve our health and our health-care system, how mindfulness can improve performance and build resiliency for our military and first responders, how mindfulness can help us rediscover our values and reshape our economy, and how mindfulness can help us help ourselves and our country. Again, Ryan was preaching to the choir, because I agree with him that this simple practice can do what he discusses in this book, and more. I especially liked the chapter that focused on military and first responders because it is most related to some of what I do in the self-defense, safety and security areas.
The afterword is written by Dr. Susan Bauer-Wu and contains some simple exercises to get you started on this practice. It's only a few pages, and the exercises are simple, but simple can be very powerful sometimes. And just because I say they are simple, that does not mean they are easy. The book then contains a good list or resources to further your study.
I think “A Mindful Nation” by Tim Ryan is a very good book to introduce what being mindful can do, and I hope it opens the eyes of many more people who will benefit from it.
I look at this book as a call to action to learn more about mindfulness and to incorporate the practice into your life. Doing so, and encouraging others to do so, will then help reduce some of the stresses that are affecting our society, and generally help society be more prosperous. I believe that is what Ryan was attempting to accomplish with this book, and I think he did a good job of doing so. I just hope more people listen.
With me, I've already studied mindfulness and related teachings, especially through my martial art and related trainings. So Ryan was preaching to the choir. I still enjoyed reading about how mindfulness has helped not only Ryan, but many others, as the book is filled with case studies and examples.
After the introductory chapters that le you know a bit about Ryan and an introduction to the practice of mindfulness, the book addresses what scientists say mindfulness can do for you, how mindfulness can increase our children's attention and kindness, how mindfulness can improve our health and our health-care system, how mindfulness can improve performance and build resiliency for our military and first responders, how mindfulness can help us rediscover our values and reshape our economy, and how mindfulness can help us help ourselves and our country. Again, Ryan was preaching to the choir, because I agree with him that this simple practice can do what he discusses in this book, and more. I especially liked the chapter that focused on military and first responders because it is most related to some of what I do in the self-defense, safety and security areas.
The afterword is written by Dr. Susan Bauer-Wu and contains some simple exercises to get you started on this practice. It's only a few pages, and the exercises are simple, but simple can be very powerful sometimes. And just because I say they are simple, that does not mean they are easy. The book then contains a good list or resources to further your study.
I think “A Mindful Nation” by Tim Ryan is a very good book to introduce what being mindful can do, and I hope it opens the eyes of many more people who will benefit from it.
December 31, 2014
Tim Ryan's book surveys the areas of society where mindfulness can help. Actually, that should read 'American' society as Ryan is a Congressman with an eye to the needs of the people he represents, their turn of mind and also to policy opportunities. Some of it reads like a stump speech: the sort of West Wing rhetoric about America's destiny that doesn't travel well. It is personal and anecdotal, presenting not research but encounters with scientists and practitioners that, in fact, offer a useful tour around what's happening. Its other strength is that, rhetoric aside, it presents mindfulness within the big picture of what's going wrong in modern, western societies and how mindfulness counteracts it. As I have discovered in working with the UK parliament,that's often lacking when policy makers and service providers consider how to employ mindfulness, but actually it's central.
This focus on social change is what A Mindful Nation adds to other books on mindfulness, which usually guide people in practising it (actually, Jon Kabat Zinn's books do have this). No doubt some mindfulness practitioners will balk at the political dimension and fear what may get lost with scale, but I value the effort to place mindfulness practice within a wider social vision.
As a policy document it is limited by the absence of hard facts (it would have been straightforward to integrate these). And Ryan doesn't consider the constraints, limitations and difficulties. How can we scale this up without losing integrity? How robust is the science? How helpful is mindfulness alone, especially with people who face the greatest need? And how can people sustain mindfulness practice, especially when most of the research comprises before and after tests? More radical voices might question whether Ryan's analysis of the problem goes deep enough: he acknowledges the phenomenon of societal stress, but he doesn't ask consider how our economic system produces it.
There is something puppyish about Ryan's enthusiasm that makes you wonder how capable he will be of translating this into practice; and I guess this is really a plug for mindfulness rather than a serious proposal for how we could employ it more widely. Despite these caveats, I recommend this book for anyone who wants to start thinking about how mindfulness can help modern society.
This focus on social change is what A Mindful Nation adds to other books on mindfulness, which usually guide people in practising it (actually, Jon Kabat Zinn's books do have this). No doubt some mindfulness practitioners will balk at the political dimension and fear what may get lost with scale, but I value the effort to place mindfulness practice within a wider social vision.
As a policy document it is limited by the absence of hard facts (it would have been straightforward to integrate these). And Ryan doesn't consider the constraints, limitations and difficulties. How can we scale this up without losing integrity? How robust is the science? How helpful is mindfulness alone, especially with people who face the greatest need? And how can people sustain mindfulness practice, especially when most of the research comprises before and after tests? More radical voices might question whether Ryan's analysis of the problem goes deep enough: he acknowledges the phenomenon of societal stress, but he doesn't ask consider how our economic system produces it.
There is something puppyish about Ryan's enthusiasm that makes you wonder how capable he will be of translating this into practice; and I guess this is really a plug for mindfulness rather than a serious proposal for how we could employ it more widely. Despite these caveats, I recommend this book for anyone who wants to start thinking about how mindfulness can help modern society.
June 21, 2013
Mixed feelings about the book. I was intrigued by the idea of a US Congressman writing about mindfulness and how he would go about it. Overall this is really more about how mindfulness can apply in different areas: the economy, first responders and the military, education, etc. I felt overall it got really repetitive where he talks about how people can use mindfulness in their everyday lives.
He has tips at the end of each chapter discussing what someone can do and how they can apply mindfulness in whatever area, as well as resources listed in the back of his book. Personally I found those more helpful.
Might be of interest to Ryan's constituents or those doing research on him or on mindfulness as applied in everyday life. But it's not really about how to be mindful or how focused on what being mindful is all about.
He has tips at the end of each chapter discussing what someone can do and how they can apply mindfulness in whatever area, as well as resources listed in the back of his book. Personally I found those more helpful.
Might be of interest to Ryan's constituents or those doing research on him or on mindfulness as applied in everyday life. But it's not really about how to be mindful or how focused on what being mindful is all about.
October 27, 2013
I liked this book very much. Very interesting subject.
February 18, 2013
I am interested in the mindfulness movement and am trying it out myself.
Read
September 22, 2019I’d had this book sitting on my “to be read” shelf for a few weeks now, and after the horrific shootings in Newtown, CT – I picked it up in a desperate attempt to focus on something positive.
In some parts, I felt that Congressman Tim Ryan had written this book just for dark times in our country just like these. “We are fundamentally good. Our basic nature is not unadulterated self-indulgence and consumption. Our spirit is not violent. Our soul does not desire that we get rich by any means necessary. The deepest part of who we are is not at peace with all of the suffering in the world and the systems that perpetuate it. We all wince when we see someone suffering in our midst or even on the computer or television screen. When we hear the news of a shooting spree in a public place, there is not only terror, there is genuine compassion and concern.”
This book works as a salve for someone trying to find their way out of all of the bad news, out of all of the stress and negativity of everyday life. Ryan makes such an excellent point when he talks about how most of us load up on negativity every day, even before we leave our homes in the morning. “We have our coffee as we flip through the newspaper in print or online. More bad news, with a laundry list of local problems like school levies not passing, libraries closing, and a local factory shutting down. We have barely finished our first cup and we have been inundated with negative information. We are off on the wrong foot. We have ripped out of the present moment and are thinking about something that is not happening directly to us or in need of immediate attention at that moment.”
As the further details about this shooting come to light – I keep trying to focus on Ryan’s advice to “Be mindful” – “follow your breath”. I am not sure how long this will last – but I take these words with me as I try and muddle through these dark times.
In some parts, I felt that Congressman Tim Ryan had written this book just for dark times in our country just like these. “We are fundamentally good. Our basic nature is not unadulterated self-indulgence and consumption. Our spirit is not violent. Our soul does not desire that we get rich by any means necessary. The deepest part of who we are is not at peace with all of the suffering in the world and the systems that perpetuate it. We all wince when we see someone suffering in our midst or even on the computer or television screen. When we hear the news of a shooting spree in a public place, there is not only terror, there is genuine compassion and concern.”
This book works as a salve for someone trying to find their way out of all of the bad news, out of all of the stress and negativity of everyday life. Ryan makes such an excellent point when he talks about how most of us load up on negativity every day, even before we leave our homes in the morning. “We have our coffee as we flip through the newspaper in print or online. More bad news, with a laundry list of local problems like school levies not passing, libraries closing, and a local factory shutting down. We have barely finished our first cup and we have been inundated with negative information. We are off on the wrong foot. We have ripped out of the present moment and are thinking about something that is not happening directly to us or in need of immediate attention at that moment.”
As the further details about this shooting come to light – I keep trying to focus on Ryan’s advice to “Be mindful” – “follow your breath”. I am not sure how long this will last – but I take these words with me as I try and muddle through these dark times.
June 28, 2021
Mindfulness no es una poción mágica que solucionará todos los problemas, pero al practicarlo, tendremos seres humanos menos reactivos, menos estresados, más compasivos y creativos, con lo cual seremos capaces de enfrentar de una manera más sana, consciente y eficiente los problemas complejos de nuestra actualidad.
Coincido completamente con el autor, que no hay soluciones sencillas para problemas complejos y que no se pretende posicionar la práctica de Mindfulness cómo la solución. Pero si es un gran medio para elevar la consciencia y transformar el estilo de vida que hoy llevamos.
Un estilo de vida acelerado, desenfrenado, ensimismado, con miedo e inseguro. Definitivamente necesitamos construir una sociedad que se reconozca interdependiente, interconectada con los demás y con su entorno, y que reconozca que para generar un cambio se necesitan a todos los actores de la sociedad involucrados.
Mindfulness, como se muestra en el libro, puede ser un gran acompañamiento para temas sociales, ambientales, de salud, de educación, políticos, etc.
Para resolver los problemas de nuestra actualidad, necesitamos una sociedad más compasiva, unida, amable y consciente, y con la práctica de Mindfulness, esto es posible.
Coincido completamente con el autor, que no hay soluciones sencillas para problemas complejos y que no se pretende posicionar la práctica de Mindfulness cómo la solución. Pero si es un gran medio para elevar la consciencia y transformar el estilo de vida que hoy llevamos.
Un estilo de vida acelerado, desenfrenado, ensimismado, con miedo e inseguro. Definitivamente necesitamos construir una sociedad que se reconozca interdependiente, interconectada con los demás y con su entorno, y que reconozca que para generar un cambio se necesitan a todos los actores de la sociedad involucrados.
Mindfulness, como se muestra en el libro, puede ser un gran acompañamiento para temas sociales, ambientales, de salud, de educación, políticos, etc.
Para resolver los problemas de nuestra actualidad, necesitamos una sociedad más compasiva, unida, amable y consciente, y con la práctica de Mindfulness, esto es posible.
July 30, 2021
Congressman Ryan was elected to Congress at 29. After three terms, he felt as though he might burnout as a result of his responsibilities. To address and relieve potential burnout, Ryan turned to a practice of mindfulness and meditation
In this book, Tim Ryan discusses mindfulness and how it can be a prescription to address many of the stresses and ills facing our country and our citizens. In his easygoing way, he seeks not to force mindfulness, but provides example after example of how it has been successfully applied. He points to such areas as reducing disease, increasing leaning capacity, and dealing with the stresses faced by first responders and our service members.
He attempts to “reach across the political aisle” by showing concretely how mindfulness could be a cost-effective means by which to dramatically reduce many of the social and economic costs stress (and the many means by which we seek to numb ourselves) entail.
In each chapter, and in an appendix, Ryan provides a list of actions that can be taken, and the names and sources of the many experts and organizations he cites in this thoughtful book.
In this book, Tim Ryan discusses mindfulness and how it can be a prescription to address many of the stresses and ills facing our country and our citizens. In his easygoing way, he seeks not to force mindfulness, but provides example after example of how it has been successfully applied. He points to such areas as reducing disease, increasing leaning capacity, and dealing with the stresses faced by first responders and our service members.
He attempts to “reach across the political aisle” by showing concretely how mindfulness could be a cost-effective means by which to dramatically reduce many of the social and economic costs stress (and the many means by which we seek to numb ourselves) entail.
In each chapter, and in an appendix, Ryan provides a list of actions that can be taken, and the names and sources of the many experts and organizations he cites in this thoughtful book.
March 14, 2018
"...[W]e realize that going faster and faster to solve our problems has not worked. And neither has waiting for our outer circumstances to change through the invisible hand of the market or pure luck. We intuitively know that if we are to recapture the American Spirit it will be because millions of our citizens will begin to see the power of being connected and moving in the same basic direction, regardless of our inevitable and necessary differences. That's why it says on the seal of the United States "E pluribus unum" - out of many, one."
I really liked this book on mindfulness. I've been practicing mindfulness for a few years now and I was intrigued that a Congressman wrote a book about it and was curious what he would have to say. He talked about his experience, the experiences of others practicing it, and the impact it has had (and could have) in the various areas of our nation - including education, military, and the environment. It has something for everyone in this book.
I really liked this book on mindfulness. I've been practicing mindfulness for a few years now and I was intrigued that a Congressman wrote a book about it and was curious what he would have to say. He talked about his experience, the experiences of others practicing it, and the impact it has had (and could have) in the various areas of our nation - including education, military, and the environment. It has something for everyone in this book.
July 14, 2017
I've been reading so much on mindfulness lately that I wasn't particularly interested in this book when I picked it up - and I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to those who are already fairly well-versed in the practice and neuroscience of mindfulness.
This book is, however, PERFECT as a primer and broad overview/introduction to the idea from a very pragmatic, utilitarian, and still hopeful stance. Also contains some wonderful suggestions for bringing mindful practices into your life and community.
This book is, however, PERFECT as a primer and broad overview/introduction to the idea from a very pragmatic, utilitarian, and still hopeful stance. Also contains some wonderful suggestions for bringing mindful practices into your life and community.
May 14, 2018
An important book. Not my favorite intro to mindfulness and not meant to be scholarly or academic but this might reach people who wouldn’t otherwise learn about mindfulness. I also like the collective/communal approach and not just the individual. Chapters on education, health, military, and economic impact of mindfulness. Also good list of references for laypeople with websites for more info. Doesn’t cite the scientific research studies but other books do that. Good read!
February 8, 2021
A good overview of mindfulness although much of the benefits mentioned research is preliminary although evidence points that mindfulness helps with anxiety, depression and pain. Still book is a good read although I think its a bit biased towards overhyping the benefits of mindfulness giving the impression of mindfulness being some form of panacea.
https://claytonmicallef.com/can-mindf...
https://claytonmicallef.com/can-mindf...
September 26, 2020
A powerful reminder about the importance of turning to our inner world in order to more fully show up in the outer world. This book is a bit old, but I really liked Congressman Tim Ryan's chapter-by-chapter plans to use mindfulness for the betterment of the U.S. and for the liberation of all beings.
July 12, 2025
Had the incredible opportunity to chat with Tim Ryan himself about Healing America. We touched on the book and a whole lot more in our first episode of The Culture Codex Podcast. Huge thanks to Tim and to Patrick for making the podcast happen. Give it a listen if you want to hear us dig into the state of the country and where we go from here.
July 19, 2019
This was an interesting look at the practice of mindfulness and its potential application in society and politics. Definitely an enjoyable and thought-provoking read!
August 6, 2022
This is an amazing and uplifting book by a very special young man who will be president of the United States one day.
May 14, 2020
An excellent read that encourages the practice of mindfulness in the hope of recapturing the American Spirit. Ryan pairs his personal walk with mindfulness with his network of experts in the field. A Mindful Nation wets the palette for further investigation into the world of mindfulness.
June 28, 2019
“A mindful nation is one that recognizes that compassion can be the foundation of recapturing the American spirit,” states Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who, at this writing (2019), was also a candidate for president of the United States. The U.S. congressman has teamed with his friend and nationally known mindfulness guru, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, (Wherever You Go, There You Are, Full Catastrophe Living, Coming to our Senses) to advocate a nationwide program of mindfulness in schools, medical care, the military, and virtually everywhere for better productivity and the reduction of stress. Kabat-Zinn wrote the preface to the book, and Ryan quotes him frequently as well as sharing wisdom from other philosophers and scientists on the value of mindful living. Ryan recommends that schools teach more mindfulness, which would allow young people to cope better with stress, diminish diseases, and thereby save society billions of dollars. “Mindfulness won’t eliminate the responsibilities and pressures that cause us to become so scattered, but it can arm us with a way of being that allows us to deal with them more effectively” (34). The training is basic practice in meditation. “Kids who train to follow their breath gain concentration and pay attention better, disengage from disturbing thoughts by returning to the present” (68). With his co-sponsorship of the Academic, Social and Emotional Learning Act, Ryan urges the practice of SEL— Social and Emotional Learning — in school to promote resilience in kids as well as self-awareness, self-management and relationship skills. He notes that SEL also increases students’ test scores and good behavior. As for the effect of mindfulness in health care: “Mindfulness has cooling effect on inflammation. . . . people who practice mindfulness demonstrate positive changes in their brain function . . . report higher states of well-being, peacefulness, and resiliency and they cultivate . . kindness, compassion, strength, equanimity, and joy” (96). Subsequent chapters pinpoint the values of mindfulness training for military personnel, police, and first responders.
At the end of the book are several pages of resources for mindfulness training, applied mindfulness, and mindful social action, i.e., lists of books, and audio and visual materials for distance education (online courses in mindfulness), research, education, science, health care, parenting, etc.,
At the end of the book are several pages of resources for mindfulness training, applied mindfulness, and mindful social action, i.e., lists of books, and audio and visual materials for distance education (online courses in mindfulness), research, education, science, health care, parenting, etc.,
July 16, 2012
Disclaimer: I am part of the Hay House Book Nook blogger community and as such am sent books free of charge and am asked if I would like to review them. I choose the books I want to read.
“A Mindful Nation” by Congressman Tim Ryan is a thoughtful book about how the practice of mindfulness may be able to help individuals and the nation as a whole. I was interested in reading this book because it encompasses two subjects I am keenly interested in: meditation and politics. Congressman Ryan seems to be an anomaly in today’s political world, where party is pitted against party, ideology against ideology. Rep. Ryan (D-Ohio) was introduced to mindful practices and yoga in college which helped him in sports performance. He has been a Congressman since 2002 and is in his 5th term. And he is only 39. When he is a bit older, I hope he runs for President.
“A Mindful Nation” shows the reader how mindful practices have helped schoolchildren in educational settings, the military and first responders, in health care systems and describes the science that has been found to underlie mindful practices. Rep. Ryan is ever hopeful that the resiliency of our population can be called upon to help itself and help our country as it once did in the past. This is an optimistic book which, at the bottom of it, asks people to become more aware, more mindful of how they are feeling and experiencing their internal life and life around them. In doing so, Ryan feels people will act from a place of compassion, kindness and community. He does not offer all the solutions, but he leads a way for others to think about how to be truly helpful.
It is refreshing and comforting to know that there is someone in Congress who is thinking along these lines and who has written about mindfulness in such a cogent fashion.
Irene A. Cohen, MD
www.drirenecohen.com
Author, Soul Journey to Love: 100 Days to Inner Peace
“A Mindful Nation” by Congressman Tim Ryan is a thoughtful book about how the practice of mindfulness may be able to help individuals and the nation as a whole. I was interested in reading this book because it encompasses two subjects I am keenly interested in: meditation and politics. Congressman Ryan seems to be an anomaly in today’s political world, where party is pitted against party, ideology against ideology. Rep. Ryan (D-Ohio) was introduced to mindful practices and yoga in college which helped him in sports performance. He has been a Congressman since 2002 and is in his 5th term. And he is only 39. When he is a bit older, I hope he runs for President.
“A Mindful Nation” shows the reader how mindful practices have helped schoolchildren in educational settings, the military and first responders, in health care systems and describes the science that has been found to underlie mindful practices. Rep. Ryan is ever hopeful that the resiliency of our population can be called upon to help itself and help our country as it once did in the past. This is an optimistic book which, at the bottom of it, asks people to become more aware, more mindful of how they are feeling and experiencing their internal life and life around them. In doing so, Ryan feels people will act from a place of compassion, kindness and community. He does not offer all the solutions, but he leads a way for others to think about how to be truly helpful.
It is refreshing and comforting to know that there is someone in Congress who is thinking along these lines and who has written about mindfulness in such a cogent fashion.
Irene A. Cohen, MD
www.drirenecohen.com
Author, Soul Journey to Love: 100 Days to Inner Peace
August 18, 2014
Quick one-day read. While I am a big proponent of mindfulness and its applications I have a hard time determining to whom I could recommend this book. If you want to learn about the science, I highly recommend "The Mindful Brain" by Dr. Siegel. If you are interested in studies on mindfulness, "Mindfulness" by Ellen J. Langer. If you are interested in philosophy and application, "The Miracle of Mindfulness" Thích Nhất Hạnh. If you are interested in application to depression, "The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness" by Mark Williams.
Written by a politician, the beginning was good with some background information and ideas on where the concept of mindfulness could help solve some political issues, but then it devolved into typical "so I did this" or "this made me cry so I had to do something about this", IE, the book isn't about you, loosely about our nation, but mostly about him. I'm not sure how one can 'mindfully' spend $1M to teach two schools' teachers' the ideas of mindfulness (seems excessive but he's proud of it, now extrapolate it out to all our public schools) and while he properly identifies that mindfulness crosses political boundaries at times he broaches the idea of government enforced mindfulness in our markets and our healthcare.
In short: if you have something specific you want to learn about mindfulness and its applications there are much better books. If you are interested in Tim Ryan's philosophy, then go ahead this is the book for that.
Written by a politician, the beginning was good with some background information and ideas on where the concept of mindfulness could help solve some political issues, but then it devolved into typical "so I did this" or "this made me cry so I had to do something about this", IE, the book isn't about you, loosely about our nation, but mostly about him. I'm not sure how one can 'mindfully' spend $1M to teach two schools' teachers' the ideas of mindfulness (seems excessive but he's proud of it, now extrapolate it out to all our public schools) and while he properly identifies that mindfulness crosses political boundaries at times he broaches the idea of government enforced mindfulness in our markets and our healthcare.
In short: if you have something specific you want to learn about mindfulness and its applications there are much better books. If you are interested in Tim Ryan's philosophy, then go ahead this is the book for that.
October 24, 2013
This book gets a little more credit from me for being written by a sitting politician and actually being thoughtful and reflective. I feel like politicians tend to be magnanimous during their careers and more reflective when they leave elected office (think of the Clinton global initiative or George W's new found love of painting). But surprisingly this book is just about how we could all improve the quality of our lives by mindfulness.
All of this is not to say that he doesn't get sales-y at times because he certainly does (it's the politician in him) but he seems genuine in his desire to help people reduce stress and be more effective and 'present' in their life. I support the concept and I like his framing as it being akin to a return to simpler times. He does this by noting that training of the mind has always been a key element in training soldiers throughout history and that thinking of something like this as a strange practice for tough military types is a reasonably recent shift.
I'm not sure how great a case he made because I was sold on the usefulness of mindfulness and other meditative practices before reading this. I felt like he was a bit repetitive at times but the book was short enough that it didn't bother me that much.
Overall, a very interesting book but I think mindfulness is much more experiential than an academic point to be argued.
All of this is not to say that he doesn't get sales-y at times because he certainly does (it's the politician in him) but he seems genuine in his desire to help people reduce stress and be more effective and 'present' in their life. I support the concept and I like his framing as it being akin to a return to simpler times. He does this by noting that training of the mind has always been a key element in training soldiers throughout history and that thinking of something like this as a strange practice for tough military types is a reasonably recent shift.
I'm not sure how great a case he made because I was sold on the usefulness of mindfulness and other meditative practices before reading this. I felt like he was a bit repetitive at times but the book was short enough that it didn't bother me that much.
Overall, a very interesting book but I think mindfulness is much more experiential than an academic point to be argued.
February 20, 2013
This was a good book. It was not riveting or exciting to read but it had a very strong message. The references and examples were real and very easy to relate to. I enjoyed reading the real life stories from Tim Ryan, but what I really enjoyed was that he actually gave the last section of the book to someone who could "tell" us how to begin being mindful every day. Simple, easy instructions that anyone and everyone can do.
He also gave recommendations of where else we can go to learn more about being mindful. I thought this to be very good information since it can be time consuming to gather all of this data on my own. I look forward to following his cause and becoming part of the Mindful practice.
This is a book that anyone who is looking for self improvement or feeling "lost" should read and take to heart.
He also gave recommendations of where else we can go to learn more about being mindful. I thought this to be very good information since it can be time consuming to gather all of this data on my own. I look forward to following his cause and becoming part of the Mindful practice.
This is a book that anyone who is looking for self improvement or feeling "lost" should read and take to heart.
June 18, 2012
A spectacular little book by Congressman Tim Ryan that advocates bringing mindfulness practices mainstream, especially in the areas of education, health, and military. Ryan seamlessly weaves together scientific evidence, compelling personal narratives, along with his own first-person experiences with mindfulness and the benefits associated with its practice. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to bring mindfulness into the aforementioned fields or anyone with a passing, general interest in meditation and its efficacy.
March 29, 2014
Tim Ryan's personal experience of mindfulness and his exquisite description of the growing evidence-base placing mindfulness at a key fulcrum in helping our nation's greatest values thrive was engaging, inspiring and motivating! From education to health care to the military to our economy, Ryan connects the dots for his readers as to how mindfulness can make a significant difference, reduce costs, improve health and save lives, strengthen personal, corporate and national performance, etc.
Ryan's ideas have my vote!
Ryan's ideas have my vote!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews