Each moment of mindfulness creates the opportunity for greater spaciousness and joy. In Life with Full Attention , readers will learn to really relish pleasures and turn gently inward in difficult times to gain a more profound depth of experience. In this eight-week course in developing mindfulness, Maitreyabandhu gently guides readers, teaching them how to draw closer attention to experience, whether taking a shower or eating a meal, watching the rain or a sunset. With each week, he introduces a different aspect of mindfulness—among them awareness of the body, feelings, thoughts, and the environment—and recommends a number of simple practices, from trying out a simple meditation to reading a poem. Featuring personal stories, examples, and tempting suggestions, this book provides both a starting point and a great reference. Mindfulness is a quality that enhances all experience, whether mundane or extraordinary. By applying this ancient Buddhist wisdom, Maitreyabandhu shows how we can steal back the lost moments of life. An experienced teacher of mindfulness and meditation, Maitreyabandhu has been practicing Buddhism for over twenty years.
This worked well with the reading group, with time limits and accountability, but missing the last couple weeks took away the element of the book that was working best for me - connecting with people. Otherwise the writing didn't keep me invested. The conclusion held the key to the next chapter in my spiritual life. This mostly danced with counselling this morning. What a dance, let's roll!
Really practical guide to mindfulness, which is used as the foundation for the course of the same name at The London Buddhist Centre. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in leading a more mindful life; it breaks down the practice well and gives great exercises to help build your awareness over time. But I found there was a bit too much to cover in 8 weeks; it was easy to fall behind on the homework. I'd suggest giving yourself 2 weeks per chapter: a week to read the chapter and a week for the homework. I found it too much to cram the reading and homework into a week.
This is a wonderful book. Very simple to follow, yet deeply insightful. I read it alongside a meditation course with a different teacher from the London Buddhist Centre, and watches some of the accompanying talks on Youtube. The wisdom and the daily practice made a big difference in my life.
Great book on mindfulness from a Buddhist perspective. Quite a lot of information to take in over 8 weeks though. I will definitely have to revisit bits.