Tag Archives: Mindfulness

Book: Think like a Monk (2020)

Review - books movies series,

Happy 2022!! First of all I want to apologise for not writing much other than book reviews. I’ve been seeing clients still, but due to my counselling job at the boarding school and psychology teaching job at the college, my schedule has been so much overstretched! Luckily I’m still listening to book… So I can still write some review!

I thought this is a very old book, I was surprised to find that it’s a book published only two years ago after I finished reading(listening to) it.

Think like a monk: Train your mind for peace and purpose every day, by Jay Shetty.

It’s a great book, I particularly like the first part about Identity, Fear and Negativity. I guess that’s because they resonate very well with what I already know and practise. So I was listening to it a lot in the beginning, even thinking to come back to listen to these few chapters again, and then I slowly lost my interest. It somehow, to me, became like a book with a lot of advice, good advice, what you should and shouldn’t do, things that you know but haven’t been doing, things that show up in 80% of books about meditation or mindfulness or self-help or happiness or mental wellbeing etc.

Besides, the author has been heavily criticised for recycling quotes and using other people’s quotes as his. You may see this from the amazon reviews.

Nevertheless, I still enjoy and find it relevant and practical, and would recommend it.

Nevertheless, the author Jay Shetty read the book really, really well.

Nevertheless, the book is the winner of the Book of the Year 2021 from the British Book Awards.

Mindfulness for Beginners (2006)

Review - books movies series, Treatment Approaches

This is a 2.5 hour audio book that I listened to via the app “Libby”, after learning mindfulness for almost a decade, I saw this book and thought, why not listen from the scientist who has been in this field for so long, and has developed the mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), Jon. Kabat-Zinn.

Screenshot of the audio book via the Libby app.

He started with some very basic introduction about mindfulness in the first few chapters, what it’s about, what it’s not about, and how it’s linked with some ancient philosophy and religions. And then there are last few chapters that allow you to experience mindfulness with him, such as:

  • Eating meditation
  • Mindfulness of breathing
  • Mindfulness of the body as a whole
  • Mindfulness of objects: sounds, thoughts, emotions
  • Mindfulness as pure awareness

The last one was quite challenging for me, because I constantly noticed that my mind was wondering where I should focus my attention on, how I embrace the whole experience without focusing on certain something…

It’s very accessible, though I think the voice sometimes is kind of “cracky” and I’d miss what he’s saying when I don’t turn the volume louder (the large part of time I spent listening to this book was when I was having a walk after dinner outside).

I’d recommend it to anyone who’d want to learn and embrace mindfulness into their lifestyles, if you’d prefer reading, there is “Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life” (2016), also by Jon. Kabat-Zinn. Feel free to share your experience practicing!

Why Practise Mindfulness?

Treatment Approaches, , ,

Do you feel unmotivated and find it pointless when you were told to practice mindfulness and/or meditation?

Do you think that it is a waste of time? Especially when you have such a busy schedule and so much to do, how can you still sit still and do nothing?

Do you sometimes feel like “I have to do something”, not “do nothing” to become better?

Over the years I have often received questions like this when I suggested mindfulness meditation practice. And people from all backgrounds, walks of and experience in life often respond in those ways mentioned.

So, what are the benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation?

  • Learning to become less reactive in your life and in your mind. You see that you do not need to keep thinking about those things that pop into your mind
  • Worrying less!
  • Usually sleeping better at night after starting to practice regularly
  • Feeling calmer in the day too if you are able to generalise it beyond the practice itself, i.e. becoming more mindful in life.
  • Calming and feeling peaceful after doing it. (but it’s not the purpose usually, the process is more important)
  • Helps lowering stress level
  • Feeling less anxious when you practice it more
  • Improving attention span, whether it’s for your learning or work! You don’t get distracted so easily as you used to be.
  • Helps memory and learning
  • Reducing chronic pain
  • Better sense of coping in general
  • Developing a more open and non-judgemental attitudes towards most things in life (which might cause irritation and stress previously)
  • Developing a problem-solving attitude instead of a “worrier” habit
  • Helps regulating emotions (emotion doesn’t go out of control so easily)
  • Quite often helps feeling more connected too!
  • Increasing clarity in thinking and perception
  • If you have other illness(es), it aids recovery and enhances your coping abilities
  • The “I have to keep doing” could be the cause of your problems. Sometimes, “not doing” could be the answer!

Don’t you think that for these many benefits, or even if it’s just for half of those benefits, it’s worth to spend 10 minutes or so each day or every other day to just practice mindfulness meditation? Isn’t it much better than many other things that you are trying to do?

It might feel “boring” and “really uninteresting” and “not my kind of thing”. Believe me… I had been there too, being an active person and labelling this sort of things as the “elderly stuff”, just like many others. But no, just stay open and curious, notice those thoughts and judgments, notice those sensations and feelings, notice any changes and stillness…

Now I’m going to practice it myself after writing this!

“The Power of Now”

Review - books movies series

I have been recommended this book many years ago, so long ago that I can’t even remember who did the recommendation, but it has always been in my to-read list. I now understand why it’s been selling so well!

The Power of Now
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Due to my eye problem, I used Speechify to listen to it instead of reading it, but I have to say, it made me stop so many times to digest, feel, (I try not to say “think”), learn and accept.

What I like about the book:
– It shows you the essence of staying in the present moment and disconnecting from your dictator within (i.e. your mind).
– A lot of insightful and spiritual ideas. (e.g. “Accept it like you had chosen it” – a whole new level of acceptance to me)
– It matches with my therapy approach (but due to the reasons below, I haven’t recommended it to any client).

What I think it could be better:
– The writing style, it almost feels like the author is rambling, with an authoritative tone.
– Lack of some tools that people get to experience and practice the ideas, instead of just ideas after ideas.

Overall it’s still highly recommendable. I’m happy if anyone would like to have some discussions about it.

Mindfulness Recordings （正念錄音）

Basic & General, Treatment Approaches

Quick Update: I have been fairly occupied after starting my lecture role in May, plus my other therapy and supervision work. So some of you might notice that I haven’t been updating my blog as regular as I used to. I’ll be writing more regularly again as I slowly adapt.

Today I’m starting this page to share some mindfulness recordings by me, I intend to update this list from time to time.

Brief Mindfulness (8.5 minutes)

簡短正念 （8分鐘）

关于“正念”的迷思

Basic & General, , ,

正念越来越流行，却也有越来越多关于“正念”的迷思：

  1. 正念＝冥想：有成千上万的方法来练习正念，而冥想静坐只是其中一个方法。
  2. 正念源自于佛教：许多宗教也进行正念练习。但正念不是一个宗教的概念，它只是一个心理技术／状态。
  3. 正念＝放松：就算在充满挑战的情况里，你感觉焦虑愤怒，但你还是可以正念地接纳一切，活在当下并与环境互动，而完全不感到放松。
  4. 正念用于控制想法，去除负面想法，带来更多积极正面的想法：正念帮助我们觉察我们的想法，允许想法来来去去，并能选择哪些想法可以帮助我们朝目标前进，而哪些想法我们可以放下。
  5. 正念用于控制情绪，带来更多积极的情绪、感觉美好快乐：正念在于更完整地体验生活，也就代表体验更完整地、不管是你喜欢的积极情绪（如：快乐、爱）或消极的情绪（如：悲伤、恐惧）。

 

想更了解正念？也可以看看这个：

冥想 VS 正念