This Book was one of the first that I read when I started exploring Mindfulness. It provides a really useful introduction to the principles of mindfulness and outlines the techniques required to be in the moment. Being in the moment means watching the thoughts that pass through your mind at any one time and not following them. It is very easy to get caught up in our thoughts and before long we are inhabiting these fictions we create rather than being present. The best way to start out being in the moment is through seated meditation where you follow your breath in and out.

The book follows the principles of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and the framework that is proposed by that model. MBCT has been proven to be as effective as drugs for depression and it is recommended by NICE, the health advisory body in the UK.

By following the techniques laid out in this book you can follow the steps to help remove stress, anxiety and chronic pain from your life. It also shows you how to make it an everyday thing to incorporate some form of mindful practice into your day. This might be making a cup of tea mindfully, watching the water pour into the cup, seeing the steam rising and the tea brew. Or it might be walking mindfully, being aware of how you use your whole body to move. These are just a few of the ways you can bring mindfulness into your daily routines. All these practices help bring you into the moment.

The book is clear and simple in its instructions and it really lets you move on quickly on your mindfulness journey. There is even a CD included so that you can sit with the guided meditations.

Using books like this one you can follow a MBCT course at home by yourself. That’s a great way to get started in mindfulness but in time you will find it more useful to attend a full 8 week MBCT course. Here you can get feedback from the other participants and you can get a better experience. It also allows you to do the mindful movement exercises – either yoga or Qi gong – with others. This is great if you struggle with understanding yoga poses.

Whatever your entry point to mindfulness – books or attending classes – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you took the step. Whatever suffering that brought you there, mental or physical, mindfulness can help you move on.

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