El hábito del aquí y ahora

by Hugh G. Byrne

El hábito del aquí y ahora nos ofrece poderosas prácticas de mindfulness para llevarnos a dejar de existir en piloto automático y comenzar a vivir realmente en el aquí y ahora. Descubrirás cómo concentrarte, liberarte de tu constante parloteo mental, experimentar emociones difíciles sin sentirte abrumado y cultivar la calma y la claridad. Aprendiendo a estar atento a tus pensamientos y a tus actos en el momento presente finalmente serás capaz de abandonar los viejos patrones de comportamiento y crearás hábitos saludables que te ayudarán a vivir con mayor paz y libertad.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Buddhism, Meditation, Philosophy, Personal Development

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

Reviews

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to know more about mindfulness. This book provides a good introduction. Although, I somehow felt that most practices are redundant. I'm not sure if it just seems that way due to my ignorance as I have yet to try the actual meditations. What stuck with me and what I found valuable that was highlighted in this book was the importance of always bringing yourself back to your core intention and purpose and in so doing be able to make your actions aligned to it. Being in the moment and focusing your attention to the now harnesses a pause to reflect and take a step back to see the actual picture. Will definitely try to pick up other works on mindfulness.

Note: This E-Book is free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Around the Year in 52 Books: A book published in 2016 - 9/52

[MaterialAmbition · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book + MBSR sessions + therapy = healing, hope, and a path through the darkness💚

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book. It has some great information on habits and tips on how to break bad habits. My biggest takeaway was that practicing meditation can be a great resource for reducing stress, improving mindfulness, and improving your habits.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters seemed a little repetitive, but that’s also part of the path to retraining your mind and developing mindful habits. I especially found one of the earlier exercises to be particularly helpful, where you ask yourself questions about how your habits affect you or others; how they make you feel before, during, and after; what the underlying feeling or cause is that makes you want to do this habit; etc. Really helped me rationalize and find my motivation for changing my habits. The book’s methods along with meditation for the past 2 weeks seem to have really helped with my unhelpful or unhealthy habits and have improved my overall attitude and happiness.

[Luis A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Here And Now Habit is not just another book on dealing with unwanted habits, whatever they may be. This book clearly explains how mindfulness works and how it can be used to end unwanted habits. It also mentions scientific studies of changes in the brain resulting from mindfulness. See page 35, where Hugh talks about how mindfulness changes the brain neuroplasticity; and page 40, where he talks about mindfulness and smoke cessation. Who would have thought that mindfulness, the simple and yet difficult act of being present with your own experience, could be a key to getting rid of unwanted patterns of behavior that may keep you from developing your full potential.

Hugh begins his book by explaining habits, how they get established, and how difficult it is to change them once they become part of our lives. Then he proposes mindfulness as a way to change unwanted habits. Hugh proceeds to explain mindfulness; how it evolved and how even though it was developed within the Buddhist tradition, it’s a universal quality of present moment awareness that can be experienced and cultivated independently of any particular religion or philosophy. According to Buddhist tradition, craving is the cause of suffering; human suffering arises from wanting more of what we like and less of what we don’t like. Mindfulness is one element the Buddha proposes to end suffering. Hugh stresses the cultivation of mindfulness: being present in the here and now, and being aware of thought patterns as a way to understand habits and to address the underlying urges and triggers of habitual behaviors. Only by understanding who we are can we really begin to ride the waves of emotions, urges and cravings and thus overcome unwanted habits.

Throughout this book there are 12 practices that provide the reader a journey of mindfulness. This mindfulness journey may or may not be for you, but you will never know until you try. More than anything, this book is an invitation to take that journey, of making mindfulness your default habit.

[Carly Rietschel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. Dr. Byrne writes with an incredibly authentic voice and speaks very directly about habits that have become very common and that harm us, including over-use of the internet, over-eating, and anxious worrying. I'm very inspired by this book and Dr. Byrne has given us a true gift. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to work with habits that are no longer serving them. Dr. Byrne writes with a very compassionate voice, and the book is also very straightforward and to the point.

[Britt Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hugh G. Byrne does offer insight into mindfulness and several meditation practices and tools, however, I was expecting more in regards to specifically breaking unhealthy habits. The book is a quick overview rather than a guide. While his practices are helpful, do not be deceived as I was into thinking this would give you complete-step-by-step tools to breaking unhealthy habits.

[SerialReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it me or the Self-Help Section in my bookstore is growing bigger and bigger?
Discover how to let go of what holds you back, create new healthy habits and start living your life Here and Now.

Read more on The Serial Reader Blog.

[Mary Piekarski · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT BOOK

This book was a God send to me... I will refer to it over and over until I reach my goal of habitual mindfulness! I'm so grateful for this amazing book on changing habits...

[Marlena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy mindfulness books such as this one, and I enjoyed that this one specifically addressed how to use mindfulness to curb habits that are not healthy or helpful.

[Karen JEC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook, narrated by a vibrant American-accented man and suitable for x1.75 speed, though I took it slower.

I liked the flow of the book and how lots of concepts were touched on and dabbled with, in a way that perfectly complemented my commute. It’s not rocket science but you will uncover a few truths you’ve been hiding within yourself, if you let yourself open up to it.

There are lots of guided meditation practices that are discussed in detail, so no more excuses! Sometimes you don’t need a book to tell you what you need to figure out and just go do.

Favourite Quotes:

"Where attention goes, energy flows."

"We teach best what we most need to learn."

"Think of having unhealthy habits as having lost your way. You’re on a path that doesn’t lead to where you want to go."

"Think of your mind as a restless puppy. A puppy loves to scamper around but you can train it — with kindness and diligence — to sit and respond to directions."

"There’s no such thing as a one-walk dog. That is, walking the dog isn’t something you do once and never have to think about again. Dogs need to be walked daily if they’re to stay healthy and it’s the same with your brain and practising mindfulness."

"You can begin again in any moment."

[Manuel Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de los aspectos a destacar es su enfoque práctico. Hugh G. Byrne no se limita a la teoría, sino que ofrece ejercicios concretos que facilitan la integración del mindfulness en la vida diaria. Esto convierte al libro en una herramienta útil tanto para principiantes como para quienes ya están familiarizados con la meditación.

Sin embargo, el enfoque práctico también puede hacer que la lectura sea un poco más desafiante, ya que el avance en la comprensión del libro depende de realizar los ejercicios que propone. A veces es necesario detenerse para aplicar lo que se ha leído antes de seguir adelante, y eso puede ralentizar el ritmo de la lectura. Este enfoque obliga al lector a participar activamente para que el contenido tenga sentido y sea útil, lo cual puede ser una ventaja o una dificultad, dependiendo de las expectativas de quien lo lea.

Además, la conexión que el autor hace entre ciencia y espiritualidad me pareció muy interesante. Aporta evidencia neurocientífica que respalda los beneficios de la meditación, lo que refuerza la credibilidad de las técnicas que propone. Aun así, en algunas partes, ciertas explicaciones resultaron un poco repetitivas, pero esto puede ser positivo para aquellos que recién están descubriendo el mindfulness.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for readers who want meditation examples and guided instructions on the art of mindfulness.

Byrne takes the process of mindfully changing habits from a broad look to closer perspectives on changing habits, looking for the good around us, and making a positive impact in our relationships. Each chapter includes lists of scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness and specific meditations related to the theme of the chapter.

While I enjoyed the beginning of the book a lot, as each chapter got more and more specific, it seemed like reading the same info over and over with a slightly different twist. I enjoyed the scientific analysis and quotes from leaders in the community, but at times, this method of explanation became very dry and academic. It felt a lot like reading a very long thesis paper instead of a guided book on self-actualization through meditation and mindfulness.

This is a great book for beginning the journey to meditation practice, but I would recommend Tara Brach's books for more dense and in-depth looks at these practices. So would Byrne if the number of times he refers to her in the book is any indication.

[Peyton Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Byrne is a meditation teacher and social activist with a law degree and a PhD. He lays out a simple approach to developing mindfulness (awareness of what one is thinking, feeling, and doing in real time) in order to deal with and break habits you don't want. He goes beyond conventional advice to watch for triggering events (which often overtake one without one's being aware of them until it's too late) and shows how to develop the mindfulness necessary to pause when triggered and then use the SOBER meditation steps to gain the upper hand over the habit.

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to mindfulness. It contains practices at the end of each chapter to make it easier for the reader on how to apply the topic of the chapter into a meditation. It shows an approach on how to stop worrying of the past or future. Just remember to breathe and take in the experience now.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book with a lot of meditation exercises. It's probably a good idea to listen to it as an audio book! I really liked to learn about buddha, mindfulness and how to surf urges. Every chapter also had a summary which I think was really helpful. My favorite chapter was about loving kindness and how you can use this practice even sitting in the tram!

[Zoltan Orban · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Practical Book on Meditation

I read many books on meditation and mindfulness, but this is by far the best practical book out there. I highly recommend it to both beginners and advanced meditators. May this book deepen your knowledge and wisdom!

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A way to break unhealthy habits and gain control.

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.

[Olivia Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on mindfulness and meditation. The author provides links to guided meditations that are great. I recommend for anyone interested in mindfulness and/or looking to examine their own habits.

[Dinh An · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Sách thực hành]
Vietnamese version translated by Thế Anh

Loại sách đọc có bài hướng dẫn làm theo.

Sách viết về chánh niệm và các bài tập thiền.

Cũng đến lúc, mình lôi những niềm tin sâu nhất trong lòng ra mà hỏi lại.
"Điều này có thật sự đúng hay không?"

[Nancy Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas for mindfulness practices in this book. It was well-written and clear. I enjoyed it. It also inspired me to start a regular mindfulness meditation practice.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which gave good ideas and rationale on the how and why of mindfulness and habit breaking

[Shana Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book! Great application of mindfulness and psychology centered around how we create and can change habits.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mindfulness. An excellent resource

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct and to the point, this book offers concrete steps to discovering the root causes of unhealthy habits. Being able to sit with unpleasant emotions is a key take away for me.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with great info!

[Sandra VonniessenApplebee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts very useful and thought provoking others not so much for me. Worth reading take the gems that real are with you and leave the rest behind.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with all of this.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of mindfulness techniques and practices. Not huge on detail, but points to other teachers and sources

[Kara Marziali · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all have unhealthy habits that prevent us from being the people we are meant to me. There are lots of books out there on mindfulness and meditation, and this one is an easy read.