Mindfulness Made Simple: An Introduction to Finding Calm Through Mindfulness & Meditation

by Callisto Media

Ease Your Anxiety and Find Calm with the Ancient and Popular Practice of Mindfulness A modern practice with ancient roots, mindfulness is widely recognized for its calming, healing, and restorative effects. Mindfulness and meditation can help you relieve stress, regulate your emotions, achieve focus and clarity, strengthen your communication skills, and cultivate an appreciation for what is most important to you. Based on centuries of experience and new techniques in the field of psychology, Mindfulness Made Simple shows how to bring mindfulness and meditation into your daily life. Mindfulness Made Simple offers inspiring and practical guidance, with: Foreword by noted psychologist Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. Brief history of mindfulness and its growing impact in the present day Step-by-step introduction to your first meditation 5 further meditations and 8 advanced meditations to deepen your practice Simple exercises and journal prompts to support your mindfulness journey Inspirational quotes and tips to help you stay focused and motivated With Mindfulness Made Simple, the full benefits of a soothing and healthy mindfulness practice are only a few simple exercises away.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Health, Meditation, Mental Health, Personal Development

150 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2014

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept of mindfulness was first introduced to me as part of a group therapy program several years ago but it wasn't something that stayed with me. In fact, those of us in the therapy session would always groan when it was time for a mindfulness exercise. Now, after reading Mindfulness Made Simple, I'm actually excited to integrate it into my life. The book gave me a better understanding of what mindfulness is and why is should be practiced in everday life. I enjoyed reading about the history of mindfulness and was pleased to learn the many ways in which it can lead to a better quality of life. As stated in the book, "the practice of mindfulness has been associated with better stress management, decreased anxiety and depression, a greater sense of well-being, a reduction in sleeplessness, and an increased capacity to deal with pain." Also, it can keep you focused on the present, helping prevent getting lost in your thoughts about past negative experiences or worrying thoughts of what may happen in the future. One of the great things about mindfulness is that you can practice it at any time and for any lenth of time. I have a tendency towards wandering thoughts that usually go to something negative in my past. I've already started using mindfulness to bring myself out of those thoughts and back to the present, saving myself from unnecessary anxiety and stress. The book contains several basic mindfulness meditations, advanced meditations, and a great list of resources. Mindfulness Made Simple makes mindfulness accessible to everyone and I highly recommend it.
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Samaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, practical guide. It goes through the meditation process step by step and includes instructions on multiple kinds of meditations exercises. I recommend for beginners; but not for readers with an intermediate or beyond knowledge of mindfulness and meditation. I found the first half of the book repetitive based on my previous reading about the topic.

[Leianne Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I teamed up with Third Voice Marketing I realized that I had a unique opportunity before me. Where I had always been able to pick and choose the books I wanted to read and review, Third Voice takes a lot of the guesswork from what to choose. Packaging their review offers into bundles, The above book was one I wasn't sure I wanted to read. Combined with the others in the package (reviews coming soon) I almost decided to pass on this. 

Then I saw there was an offer for a new Kindle Fire HD 6 included. And my heart said go for it. 

What was most surprising to me was that I would never have picked this book up on my own, yet I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. As a mom who is always busy, running a business and blogging on top of caring for my family's day ]to day needs, I have always been a bit Yoga obsessed. I long ago mastered the art of carving out about thirty seconds for myself. So when I hit up chapter one and learned that this book was going to be more about how to make your conscious mind more aware and relaxed I was sold. 

Yoga takes care of my subconscious and my relaxation and I really didn't expect to learn anything from this book. I have to say, reading it may not have changed my life completely but it was a nice addition to my current arsenal of relaxation techniques. I found that combining it with mt Taoist Breathing audio really left me feeling relaxed and yet also lighter. 

A must read for any overwhelmed mom, I can't sing this books praises enough. Thank you Third Voice. Mindfulness was definitely made simple. And simplification is the key to making any day run smoothly... At least in my world ;)

Happy reading all!

[Joseph Langen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking for a book which explains mindfulness and what it is all about. I tried reading Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now but found his writing style incredibly dry and soporific.

Recently I ran across Mindfulness Made Simple. I didn't know quite what to expect since I found listings for many books on this topic. I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity, straightforwardness and clarity of this book. It started with the definition of mindfulness as "the conscious intention to be present in every moment of your life." The book goes on to explain that this involves observing what we sense, feel and observe without making any judgments. The goal of mindfulness is to become more connected to your body, breath and mind in the present moment. By doing this, you come to accept your thoughts, feelings and experiences for what they are without allowing them to torture you.

The book presents the benefits of mindfulness, including Dealing with pain, stress, anxiety, difficult people and negative thoughts. It also gives specific descriptions of various types of mindful meditation and mindfulness journaling.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a more tranquil life on a daily basis.

[M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. If you are looking for more focus in your mediation or just a way to stay focused in everyday life, this book is the one for you.

[ClaudiaWowPaw Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough discussion of mindfulness, sometimes repetitious.

[Sara Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good overview of mindfulness. It describes the history of mindfulness as a practice and how mindfulness can help to decrease stress and anxiety, help pain management, and improve quality of life in general. There were a lot of helpful exercises and prompts that I enjoyed. This is a practical, simple guide that is very accessible and easy to understand.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindfulness Made Simple is a good book for anyone starting the practice of mindfulness/meditation. There are several exercises in the book that can be helpful. I enjoyed the Body Scanning Meditation.

[Beckie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple read and method to start daily mindfulness practice.... Now I just have to do it.

[Sharon Caulder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Outdated information

The material in this book flowered during the new age era in the West. Nothing new, nothing exciting. I would really appreciate a refund.

[Luca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to mindfulness. I got a very good understanding of the basics, the definitions, and the mindfulness concepts. I found a few of the proposed exercises and tips very handy too.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info though some of it could be a bit repetitive