Mark Williams (2)

We all have days when we feel ‘low’ in this journey called life. However, for some, this ‘low’ mood can be a sign of unhappiness, stress or depression. When and how do we seek help with such a mental state? Mark Williams, one of the authors of this book, is a co-founder of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and also founder of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre.

Together with journalist Danny Penman, Mark gives readers a gentle introduction to the practice of mindfulness in the first part of the book, which is the cornerstone of Buddhist meditation. The second part of the book cogently presents an 8-week mindfulness programme targeted at those who want to reap the benefits of mindfulness in their daily lives.
For each week, the book introduces the reader to a theme in personal mindfulness, following which the reader listens to a companion audio file on a meditation exercise. Finally, the authors propose a ‘Habit Releaser’ for the week, whereby readers get to break down ingrained strongholds.

I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to practice mindful living, so as to overcome personal anxiety, stress, unhappiness and exhaustion.… (mehr)

Very insightful, and with loads of respect for people struggling with depression. They really know their audience. A tad repetitive, but well, that's meditation for you.

The little stories about people trying the techniques got on my nerves a bit, to me they felt like sales pitches instead of examples.

This book has great insights, but is too abstract to start meditation. I hear there's a companion workbook, which I will be checking out.

I'll definitely read this one again, it feels like one of those books you can read again and again and you'll pick up something different each time.… (mehr)