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Sit with Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okay. I’ll start off with some context: I have never been able to connect with a book about mindfulness. So why did I request Oneika Mays’ Sit With Me? I feel like a lot of books about mindfulness are written for those who are already the yoga/pilates/meditation ladies. I’ve always felt mindfulness could be a helpful tool for me and others who don’t fit the mold, but that none of the books were written in any relatable way, and no matter how many times I tried to gain access, I felt like I couldn’t connect at all. But in the description, it says that “Sit with Me is a gift to those who feel disconnected or lost, but know they want something to change. If you've ever felt left out, forgotten, judged, misunderstood or mistreated, this book is for you.” So I decided to give it a shot and dove into this “No-BS journey”.
Refreshingly, the author immediately writes like a person; less lofty, wispy mantras and platitudes, more genuine, honest conversation and caring energy. Contradictory to what many mindfulness and meditation books will tell you - meditation in Sit With Me is not about emptying your mind. It’s about connecting with it and with your life. About understanding and changing the relationship you have with yourself.
Oneika Mays isn’t looking to tell you exactly what to do, to give you some big answer that is going to change or fix everything. As she says, “change can be incremental and subtle.” The point is to find your own touchpoints, your own grounding points, and the things that support you. While I don’t personally connect at all with the idea of sending the energy of love and happiness to even people that are reprehensible, I do get the concept that if you live with that anger all of the time, it can be more difficult to have calmness and love in your own body. Meditation and mindfulness aren’t an indulgence, they’re a recognition. Staying rigid may protect you, but that hard surface also won’t let in the good things you can experience. The relationship with yourself that you can build and connect with more through mindfulness and meditation reminds you that even when life kicks you in the face, you will be safe, and you will be okay.
Am I a changed person for having found a way to connect with mindfulness more than I have ever managed to before? Maybe. I felt understood during Sit With Me. And I think that's important.
Thank you to HarperOne for granting me early access to this eARC through NetGalley to review.
Refreshingly, the author immediately writes like a person; less lofty, wispy mantras and platitudes, more genuine, honest conversation and caring energy. Contradictory to what many mindfulness and meditation books will tell you - meditation in Sit With Me is not about emptying your mind. It’s about connecting with it and with your life. About understanding and changing the relationship you have with yourself.
Oneika Mays isn’t looking to tell you exactly what to do, to give you some big answer that is going to change or fix everything. As she says, “change can be incremental and subtle.” The point is to find your own touchpoints, your own grounding points, and the things that support you. While I don’t personally connect at all with the idea of sending the energy of love and happiness to even people that are reprehensible, I do get the concept that if you live with that anger all of the time, it can be more difficult to have calmness and love in your own body. Meditation and mindfulness aren’t an indulgence, they’re a recognition. Staying rigid may protect you, but that hard surface also won’t let in the good things you can experience. The relationship with yourself that you can build and connect with more through mindfulness and meditation reminds you that even when life kicks you in the face, you will be safe, and you will be okay.
Am I a changed person for having found a way to connect with mindfulness more than I have ever managed to before? Maybe. I felt understood during Sit With Me. And I think that's important.
Thank you to HarperOne for granting me early access to this eARC through NetGalley to review.
March 14, 2026
I listened to the Audiobook over a period of 2 days and I felt it was very well written and was just the right length.
After reading/listening to many titles on mindfulness/meditation/self care/etc. this was a refreshing change.
There wasn’t any preachiness about how performing the author’s way of meditating, using mindfulness, and adopting her beliefs/practices would change you, nor was it an instruction manual for doing so.
The author discussed part of her life with a focus on how during her time as an employee of the Rikers Correctional facility, she was able to help women inmates.
Prior to this I was completely unfamiliar with the beliefs or mindset of Metta. In fact when she first said it, I thought she was talking about Meta which is something that is self-referential or "about itself." After it was mentioned a second time, I realized I was very wrong and after looking it up, learned a lot about it.
The author talks a lot about how adopting Metta both during yoga/meditation as well as practicing it in her life, got her through some hardships and helped improve her outlook which seemed to be made more difficult by where she volunteered and was later employed.
It was a very good listen and definitely gave me some things to think about, both about her outlook regarding yoga and mindfulness, as well as what she says about her time working at the correctional facility.
Definitely 5/5 stars for the content, excellent writing and narration, keeping the story to a good length, and not being preachy or trying to sell something.
After reading/listening to many titles on mindfulness/meditation/self care/etc. this was a refreshing change.
There wasn’t any preachiness about how performing the author’s way of meditating, using mindfulness, and adopting her beliefs/practices would change you, nor was it an instruction manual for doing so.
The author discussed part of her life with a focus on how during her time as an employee of the Rikers Correctional facility, she was able to help women inmates.
Prior to this I was completely unfamiliar with the beliefs or mindset of Metta. In fact when she first said it, I thought she was talking about Meta which is something that is self-referential or "about itself." After it was mentioned a second time, I realized I was very wrong and after looking it up, learned a lot about it.
The author talks a lot about how adopting Metta both during yoga/meditation as well as practicing it in her life, got her through some hardships and helped improve her outlook which seemed to be made more difficult by where she volunteered and was later employed.
It was a very good listen and definitely gave me some things to think about, both about her outlook regarding yoga and mindfulness, as well as what she says about her time working at the correctional facility.
Definitely 5/5 stars for the content, excellent writing and narration, keeping the story to a good length, and not being preachy or trying to sell something.
March 13, 2026
This book is the perfect read for anyone who currently has a practice or anyone who is beginning a practice. It is an intimate journey of meditation and self-love. Not only did I read it, I gave it to everyone I know.
April 6, 2026
Lots of germs inside this book. Lots of learning indirectly about one prison industrial complex- Rikers Island
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews