Beginning Mindfulness: Learning the Way of Awareness

by Andrew Weiss

A Simple Manual That Really Works

Knowing that most people do not stop their lives to engage in spiritual practice, Buddhist teacher Andrew Weiss has always taught the direct application of practice to daily life. While also teaching sitting and walking meditation, he emphasizes mindfulness — the practice of seeing every action as an opportunity to awaken meditative inquiry. Over the years, Andrew has honed his teachings into an effective ten-week course with progressive steps and home-play assignments. Beginning Mindfulness is intended for anyone practicing in daily life without the luxury of long meditation retreats. Weiss skillfully blends the traditions of his teachers into an easy and humorous program of learning the Buddhist art of mindfulness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Buddhism, Counselling, Self Help, Spirituality, Meditation

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2004

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life can be so chaotic. Half the time, the day is just a blur of activity. There’s just no time to stop and smell the roses.

Beginning Mindfulness is a ten week course that guides the reader through a variety of mindfulness exercises. Each week, the reader learns to expand his or her mindfulness not only by undergoing formal meditation practice but also by starting to take notice during the day.

There are many things that I really liked about Beginning Mindfulness. The most significant is that the author provides both formal and informal exercises so that mindfulness doesn’t become a way of shutting off the world. Instead, this practice becomes integrated into everyday life allowing a deeper experience of the everyday.

Overall, I also find that the author is so much more realistic about mindfulness meditation. For instance, he says things like “when your mind wanders” and looks to understand ourselves through the practice rather than becoming emotionless automatons that meditate for six hours a day.

[Johnny Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn the basics of mindfulness through formal and informal practices. There are even little poems that get implemented in here to guide meditative practices. It teaches various forms of meditation - not just one. In the psychotherapeutic dimension, there is concentration meditation, open-monitoring (meditation as such) and compassion meditation (in several different versions such as Tonglin and Loving-Kindness). This book goes through all of those either directly or indirectly.


For those who may have anxiety or asthma, it may not be easy to focus in on emotions and thoughts at first. One can always begin by listening to an external sound like a fan or open monitor the totality of sounds around you.

[Karen]

This book was recommended to me by a friend after I shared that I could not quiet my mind at night. I have never been a meditator but this book really helped me focus and realize that 5 minutes of mindful mediation was better than none. It is about as long as I can get my mind to stop. I do it in the morning and before bed.

[Madeline Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good book, found it hard for me to really incorporate it into my daily life on a regular basis but it creeps in and out. great book for those who don't know much about living life in a very mindful way, being aware of life around you..it really makes a difference to be more aware.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book for beginning meditation practices. Very simply read and easy to understand. This book has helped me deal with stress, anxiety and the negativity that can start seeping into your life. Definitely recommend.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book that is taking me through the steps to bring mindfulness to my life and family

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for beginners learning about mindfulness practice and meditation. Can be read and the activities done alone or in group.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. At times accessible and powerful and at times redundant and far too abstract for a true "beginner" (if I wasn't already familiar with mindfulness and meditation, I'm almost positive I would have given up halfway through). Thankful to have read this in the context of a course in which I have much more resources and instruction available to me.

[janicec100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a 10-week course and a fairly short book so it was easy to do at a leisurely pace. Because you had a week to practice the introduced techniques, I was able to incorporate those techniques into my on-going practice. I thought it was a great introduction to a mindfulness practice.

[Rosa]

I got halfway through and gave up.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quit halfway through, end Dec 2015.

[Hannah Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good exercises and advice.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good starter book for mindfulness practice

[Talie]

only skimmed yet took so much away from it. Note to come back and read it again