J. Mark G. Williams

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)

There are not many books that I've read that I can claim have seriously changed my life. I've read books I've loved, that have shown and taught me new things, but rarely do I find one that has such a profound positive change in my everyday life. This book came highly recommended and I can see why. Mindfulness is a practice that can change your life, and this book has so much good advice that is easy to put into practice straight away. Yes, there are ongoing long-term practises to work through, but just having someone put things into a certain perspective can have a positive effect on your life. A different view on how we see the world and suddenly things become a lot clearer.

I've had a lot of CBT and struggled with depression and anxiety as well as chronic pain and other health conditions, and having just been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome as well, mindfulness has provided me with a breath of fresh air and hope that I honestly didn't think existed. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone with a chronic illness, mental health condition, or anyone who has suffered from abuse or bullying in their past.

Edit: After seeing a bad review below I want to add something. This book is listed on spirituality bookshelves by some users; it has absolutely nothing to do with religion. If you're picking this book up and expecting it to be linked to religion (particularly a Western religion) then you are going to be disappointed. That's not to say that religious people won't gain anything from it, just that it exists outside religions, politics, etc.

My advice is to go into this book without any expectations and just see what it can do for you.… (mehr)