Mindfulness series – serie

Mindfulness and Surfing casts a fresh perspective on this popular sport, and explores how riding the waves can be the ultimate meditation. Engaging author Sam Bleakley takes us on a soulful journey across the tideline of his personal and philosophical travels. Through lunar cycles and river surfing to the Taoism of nature, he reveals an acute awareness of what the oceans can tell us about our place in the natural world. Meditating on one of nature’ s greatest elements – its salty swells, flow and peaks – he shares life lessons in mindfulness that will be relished by surfer and non-surfer alike.

In Thoughtful Leadership, expert Fiona Buckland offers a practical approach to authentic leadership: showing you how to lead with the mind, body, heart and soul. We need good leaders now more than ever: people who step forward, step up, and develop themselves in the emotionally skilled art of leading others.Drawing on her work as a life and leadership coach, and an embodied facilitator, Fiona Buckland offers clear principles, processes and practices to help you understand and master the act of conscious leadership. In this book you will explore:Leading with self-awareness, and understanding your strengths and weaknessesLeading with awareness of your team, and understanding your impact on and connection with othersLeading yourself, and being mindful of your inner critic Flourishing with practical activities and exercises, reflective questions to meditate on, and practices to develop in real-life situations, this is an engaging insight into how you can develop the habit of thoughtful leadership, and let it become second nature.

In Mindfulness and Compassion, The Happy Buddha explores why compassion is the very essence of mindfulness and how we can connect with this loving quality through the transformational practice of meditation. Part of the Mindfulness series, this easy-to-read book ​covers topics such as:patienceletting things bedealing with your inner criticembracingfearbeing presentmoving from self-centred to life-centredloving and accepting yourself and others. . . and much moreThrough personal and philosophical reflections, practical meditations, and enlightening insights into loving-kindness, joy, happiness, and contentment, he draws upon Buddhism, psychotherapy, and focusing (a way of listening to our intuitive wisdom) to reveal compassion as the key to true wellbeing for ourselves and each other.If you like this, you might also be interested in Happiness and How it Happens . . .

Wendy Ann Greenhalgh explores how drawing creates a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us, and is as natural to us as breathing. Through mindful creative exercises and personal anecdote, she reveals how artists can rediscover the playful pleasure of drawing, and doodlers can experience wellbeing through mark making. With fresh materials of perception, flow, and instinct, an insightful author shares how we can all experience the mindful joys of drawing.

Modern parenting can be a relentless and stressful job, defined by tasks, chores and goals. Zen & The Path of Mindful Parenting offers an alternative perspective on the reality of raising children. Clea Danaan explores how parenting can become a mindful practice and naturally shares an opportunity for personal, spiritual growth. Through a series of frank anecdotes and meditative insights on the challenges and joys of parenting, she reveals how a heart-led, mindful awareness is the only manual a family will ever need.

"In The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson elegantly weaves a narrative full of her own delightfully documented encounters with birds in amongst sage guidance on using mindfulness to help readers become deeply aware of the present moment. Following Claire's clearly described exercises has the potential to lead one from mere identification to making deeply insightful observations into the life of birds." – British Trust of Ornithology Through personal anecdote and expert insight, Claire Thompson of BirdLife International invites us on a mindful journey through gardens, cities, open country, forests, coasts and mountains to enjoy and learn from the magnificent beauty and diversity of the avian world.Who has never gazed enviously at a bird soaring through the sky? Or delighted in the uplifting tunes of nature’s songsters? Birds can do wonders for our hearts and minds – if we simply pay them attention. With The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson reveals how the practice of mindfulness enriches our birdwatching experiences – and explores how birds are, in turn, the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness.Enjoy the magnificent diversity of colours, songs, flight patterns and behaviours displayed by birds while reaping the benefits of mindfulness:Increased concentrationIncreased creativityIncreased vitalityReduced stress and anxietyBetter overall physical and emotional well-beingBetter sleepBird flight is a symbol of freedom to soar through life without constraint, and mindfulness similarly enables us to invite freedom and happiness into our own lives.Find even more ways to practice mindfulness with the Mindfulness series: Mindfulness in Sound, Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing, Mindfulness in Knitting, Mindfulness & the Journey of Bereavement, Mindfulness of Work, Art of Mindful Singing, Art of Mindful Crafting, Mindfulness and Compassion, Mindfulness for Black Dogs & Blue Days, Mindfulness for Unraveling Anxiety, Practice of Mindful Yoga, The Mindful Man, Mindfulness and the Natural World and more.

Embrace the process of writing and the rich potential of conscious creativity and mindfulness with this enlightening insight into mindful writing. Exploring how writing mindfully can create deeper connections with your words, your characters, and yourself, this carefully crafted manual invites you to embrace the writing process as much as the completed work—plotting out sparkling stories with Zen-like awareness. Through meditative exercises, engaging anecdotes, and astute notes on perception, imagination, and focus, Joy Kenward helps you to flow, flourish and lose yourself in writing. Containing 20 mindful writing exercises, this unique guide explores how conscious writing creates mindful awareness, offering a fresh angle on shifting writer's block.

​“I love this book – so much needed in today’s world when pregnant women are generally so stressed and unable to find an oasis to simply be with the pregnancy and the changes they are experiencing. Read this book – it’s life changing!” - Janet Balaskas, author of “New Active Birth”​​​“Mindful Pregnancy & Birth offers a soothing antidote to the stress and perfectionism that increasing assail expectant Mamas. But this is more than a guide to pregnancy and birth. Riga Forbes’ wise guidance supports us all in raising our children–and ourselves–with awareness and compassion. A great blessing!" - Dr Sarah Buckley, author of “Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering”​​“This wonderful book is a must. Mindful Pregnancy and Birth is a warm invitation to all mothers-to-be, to step into a circle of trust and faith with a calm mind and body, joyfully preparing for the changes ahead. This book will make your heart sing.” - Kate Woods, Founder of Conscious Birthing International"This is a great book which gives you the inspiration to go through your pregnancy and birth with a mindful approach. As well as advice it also has meditative exercises and insights. A great, helpful book for mothers-to-be." - Catherine Balavage (Frost Magazine)Focusing on the entire journey; from pregnancy through to early parenthood, this guide to living mindfully for expectant mothers helps prepare you for birth and improve your wellbeing with the ancient practice of mindfulness. When we talk about making something, it usually refers to creating, manipulating, or forming a material. In pregnancy, our bodies are wrapped up in doing all of these things at once, and on a grand scale. But in the act of making space in ourselves through mindfulness, none of these things apply. In Mindful Pregnancy & Birth we engage in an act of "not doing". Of not changing, but of simply "being" in the experience of ourselves. Pregnancy is a phase in which to reconcile what has been, with what will become. It is a process, a time of change, and even more so for a first-time mother. It is a recognition of our dreams for the future being in transit, in gestation, in the making.​

The Art of Mindful Gardening explores how mindfulness can bring a new dimension to gardening.  Ark Redwood guides you through the changing seasons, expanding your knowledge of how to be conscious of the present and providing expert insights on meditating into your natural environment.

"Peppered with intriguing exercises and motivational quotes" - BBC Music mag“Mark Tanner has written a mindfulness manifesto for music” - BBC Radio 3: Music Matters "Mindfulness in Music is both informative and thought-provoking - a fascinating read on many levels" - Julian Lloyd Webber Mindfulness in Music is a joyful exploration into the meditative nature of music and its holistic beauty.  Mark Tanner reveals how composers and musicians have always embraced mindful connections, and how everyone can cherish the same life-affirming chords.  Whether listening to a forest soundscape, playing trombone in a ska group or listening to Beethoven or Beyonce, he reveals the natural ecology to all forms of music, and the creative mindful instinct we share. Through unique meditations, personal reflections, and holistic notes, this astute author shines a spotlight on the humanity and spirituality in music.

Life can be tough. With so many decisions to make at such a critical time, it’s easy to feel weighed down. What’s more, there is the pressure to gain good grades, to find a good job, to be a good person. Your mind may feel clogged up with no way to filter your circulating thoughts and pressures. From a young age we are taught the significance of a solid education and a fruitful career, yet with such an emphasis on academic and monetary success we often fail to prioritise a healthy mind and body. It is essential to know how to deal with life’s many challenges; Mindfulness for Students will help you.Through insightful ideas and personal anecdotes, this book will introduce you to the many benefits and applications of mindfulness - from mindful breathing, eating, exercising, sleeping, studying and communicating. There will be opportunities within each chapter to have a go at mindful meditations ranging from three to twenty minutes. There is no right or wrong approach, just what works for you. Mindfulness is a way of being, and this book will help you lay the foundations for a mindful future. Choose to be mindful and live your life in the moment, living fully and wholeheartedly, aware of self and others.

The Art of Mindful Reading embraces the joy of absorbing words on a page, encouraging a deeply therapeutic state of mind as vital to our wellbeing as breathing.The healing power of reading has been renowned since Aristotle; focus, flow and enlightenment can all be achieved through this universal act. In this illuminating guide, Ella Berthoud explores how reading mindfully can shape the person you are, encouraging empathy and opening your mind to important morals.Through meditative exercises, engaging anecdotes and expert insights, discover the enriching potential of reading for mindfulness, by learning:   How to use reading to develop your emotional intelligence How to read in different ways How to read like a child – without preconceptions and in exciting places How to benefit from reading with others How to find yourself in a book and remember what you have read If you like this, you’ll also like Writer’s Creative Workbook, Mindful Thoughts for Walkers and Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing.

Travelling can be frustrating as well as wonderful, and the perfect opportunity to practice mindfulness in technicolor! Mindful Travelling explores why broadening our horizons is good for the heart and soul!  Sarah Samuel shines light on why travelling offers the glorious opportunity to learn more about who we really are–outside of our daily routine and conditioned self.  By embracing the sense of freedom of leaving everyday life and material possessions; facing fears and opening to trust; to setting intentions and  connecting with our own wildness, she reveals how travelling and mindfulness are natural companions.  Through personal anecdotes and meditative insights, discover how to bring the joys of mindful travelling back home in your suitcase–staying open,  curious, and present wherever you are.