J. Mark G. Williams

It took me a long time to get through this book, but it's fantastic.

I took a class during the winter this year called "Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction" (MBSR), which is a certified course exploring mindfulness meditation techniques for reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

The book goes through essentially the same information I learned in the course, but I think the book would make a great starting point for anyone who hasn't taken the course, or a refresher for anyone who has.

What the book offered that I didn't get out of the course so much was a more in-depth explanation of how our thoughts can trigger depression due to the relationship between our thoughts and feelings, and how that can spiral out of control.

I really believe that for an analytical person like me who gets depressed because I ruminate on negative things, this course and/or the book can be a lifesaver. It taught me how to examine my thoughts and feelings more closely. Then, often, I can let them go in order to live in the present more fully.

I've added it to my Buddhism shelf because the concepts are rooted in Zen Buddhism, but ultimately the content is not religious. I think it's appropriate and potentially very helpful for anyone of any spiritual background.

If you are suffering from major depression or trauma, the authors explain that mindfulness meditation alone would probably not be enough to help you initially. However, as a tool for ongoing mental health maintenance or to prevent major depression, it's excellent.… (more)

It’s a bit difficult for me to review this book, as I have experienced it as part of a mindfulness course that I started last month. I got the book out of the library before Christmas, but only tried actual mindfulness meditation once I’d signed up for the course. Without the course, I don’t think I would have got very far with the book as I could have indefinitely put off meditating then taken it back to the library unfinished. The writing style is fairly standard and at times a little forced - I find the use of personal examples a bit awkward. Of course, that’s just me being a book snob. I highly recommend mindfulness meditation and in the five weeks of the course thus far it has made a perceptible difference to my life. I feel noticeably calmer, happier, and more resilient, after a period in which my levels of calm, happiness, and resilience were at an all-time low. The book is really just a structure with which to introduce the meditation techniques, which are hugely valuable. Thus the CD of guided meditations is the best part. I don’t know how effective the book would be on its own; likely it would depend on the reader’s level of willpower. If you get a chance to attend a mindfulness course, though, definitely go for it.… (more)