See Your Way to Mindfulness: Ideas and Inspiration to Open Your I

by David Schiller

Seeing, really seeing, is like meditation. In a world filled with distraction, seeing mindfully is a way to pay attention, to hit pause and find calm by focusing on what’s directly in front of us. See Your Way to Mindfulness is a gift book of inspiration and instruction to help readers open their eyes—and their “I’s.” Written by David Schiller, author of the national bestseller The Little Zen Companion, it’s a collection of quotes, prompts, exercises, meditations—married with photographs and drawings that bring the words to life.

The quotes are from artists, Buddhists, philosophers, poets, and more, all centered on the theme of how “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” (Marcel Proust). The short, playful exercises and prompts—like Seeing in the Rain, Eye Spy with My Open I, Spend 30 Minutes Taking a Five-Minute Walk, Get Lost—are designed to disrupt routine and inspire readers to see for themselves. Some of the exercises involve drawing, writing, and taking photographs, opening a path to creativity as well as showing how to engage in the moment. 
                
Think of it as the Zen of seeing—a new way to look at the world afresh and rediscover joy in the everyday.
 

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2016

Reviews

[Diana]

Pretty pictures, quotes and 26 mindfulness exercises including, "let the shadow tell the story," "find the mushroom," and "follow a stranger." I guess I don't need a book to prompt me to appreciate nature and my surroundings but if you do check it out from the library, it's not one you'll refer to over and over.

[Lola O'Brien]

A simple book to return to again and again.
The scintillating images and well curated quotes effectively draw us into the moment; the positively delicious here and now. This is a book to savor and digest slowly. The lessons are sprinkled with great and novel ideas, made to help you look at the world around you in a different way. Take what works, leave the rest. Regardless, it’s a voyage to enjoy with this beautiful small gem. How far you go is all up to you.

[Andreea Mînzăraru]

A light, easy read to remind you how to stay grounded in the present moment. The exercises and quotes meant to guide you are a little bit scarce but carefully chosen. The only reason I gave this book a 4 out of 5 is the eerie vibe the pictures gave me. Something about them made me feel uneasy, but this might be me having one too many "Midsomer Murders" episodes.

[Jackie]

This is a lovely little book with beautiful photos that I enjoyed very much, but it was geared for someone who is more creative than I am - with more of an artist perspective. I think someone who draws a lot and has a more artistic eye will really appreciate this book.

[Mary]

Not meant as a quick read. It would be a good resource of ideas for daily meditation time.

[Kate]

Kind of elementary, but such books are great reminders of ways to live deeply & fully.

[Becky]

Pretty pictures and a few new thoughts.

[Ana]

3.75 Beautiful pictures. Privides some interesting exercises to try.

[Barbara]

A gentle reminder to take of you while observing the world around and looking at things from a different perspective. A good, quick, and easy read.

[Brooke]

Loved this! If you really want to dive into the exercises, this would be a better one to own than to borrow, but first pass through was excellent.

[Amanda]

Eye opener

[Y]

Beautifully written and illustrated.

[Duygu Öksünlü]

I've seen many instagram pages much more inspirational than this "book", unfortunately.

[Lesley Shuey]

I am always looking for ways to appreciate moments in life. To work on staying in the present and not letting my mind race on to a multitude of other thoughts and places. This book allows me to get the focus back in the now whether it's from an intense passage or one that is simply stated this book gets the job done.

[Kim H.]

Being a regular meditator attempting to get more mindfulness into the moments of life that are NOT on the cushion, this book is a wonderful tome! I have done a little reading on mindful eating and movement, but "seeing" is SUCH an obvious moment of mindfulness that I was overlooking it (just like the morel mushrooms in the woods!) I found the exercise prompts helpful and can imagine getting something new from each exercise every time I use it. I love the photographs and the drawings/sketches. Paired with the quotes or each taken alone, there is much to ponder and explore! I will be recommending this to my friends!

[Charissa Ty]

It's alright.