Rarely do we get the opportunity to set the world to “pause” and simply be. But through practices such as mindfulness and quiet contemplation, we learn to make time for deliberate stillness and reap the benefits. Sometimes, the hush of winter grants permission to take the time to explore our inner selves.
Why Is Mindfulness Important?
While some people were introduced to mindfulness through other holistic practices such as yoga and meditation, others are just learning what the term means. A basic definition from Headspace is “learning how to be fully present and engaged in the moment, aware of your thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgement.”
Professor and author Jon Kabat-Zinn is probably the most recognized teacher of mindfulness in the United States. As the founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, as well as the founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic, Kabat-Zinn paved the way for people to understand the concept of mindfulness and how it impacts our health. Kabat-Zinn’s approach to mindfulness-based stress reduction is said to:
- Reduce the effects of chronic pain symptoms and inflammation
- Help decrease anxiety and stress
- Promote more restful sleep
- Help reduce depression symptoms
- Improve cognitive ability
If you’re curious about Kabat-Zinn’s approach, here’s a list of articles he’s written for Mindful.org that also feature mindfulness meditations.
Books to Help You Learn Mindfulness
Although many of us have an ease with apps, sometimes it’s helpful to break away from the digital strain, find a comfortable chair, flip a few paper pages, and just relax into a different state of being. In this way, you begin to understand the practice of mindfulness and what the present moment feels like.
Whether you’re continuing your mindfulness journey or just beginning, these resources should provide touchstones of insight and peace.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness and The Healing Power of Mindfulness: A New Way of Being
Both of these books by Kabat-Zinn demonstrate a deep connection with a reader. In Full Catastrophe Living, first published in 1990, he introduces the concept behind mindfulness-based stress reduction and how mindfulness practices help improve the overall quality of your life. The revised edition linked here provides modern updates. In The Healing Power, Kabat-Zinn takes a more fine-tuned approach to explain the science and impact of mindfulness.
To learn more about Kabat-Zinn, watch his videos, and discover additional works, visit his website.
Sharon Salzberg
Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection and Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World
Salzberg is a prominent leader of loving kindness meditation and vipassana meditation. She’s also the co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. The author of 10 books, her down-to-earth style and understanding of modern pressures help her extend a secular approach to Buddhist teachings so every person can find something to relate to.
In Real Love, you learn different mindfulness and meditation practices to “engage with your present experience” instead of getting caught in preconceptions, and develop more authentic love relationships with your partner, family members, friends…and yourself. In Real Change, released in late 2020, Salzberg shares techniques to improve resilience, regain balance, and release feelings of burnout.
You’ll find podcasts, articles, and other offerings on Salzberg’s website.
Thich Nhat Hanh
How to Live: The Mindful Essentials Series and You Are Here
Zen monk, peace activist, professor, meditation master, and author Nhat Hanh started a journey more than 70 years ago. Through his numerous books of poetry, reflection, mindfulness, and meditation, Nhat Hanh has gently inspired world leaders and pilgrims of all faiths. In 2019, he was awarded the Global Peace Prize.
Among his many works, The Mindful Essentials Series addresses segments of our daily lives: how to sit, eat, walk, love, and relax—a good starting point for people new to mindfulness and a refresher for seasoned practitioners. You Are Here expands on what you might notice in the present moment, such as breathing or walking, as well as the art of skillful speech and deep listening. “The energy of mindfulness is as simple as breathing in and breathing out,” he writes.
Find additional books, meditations, and information about Thich Nhat Hanh on his retreat website, Plum Village.
Patrizia Collard
Journey into Mindfulness: Gentle Ways to Let Go of Stress and Live in the Moment and Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress and More Peace
Collard, a cognitive behavioral psychotherapist, is a senior lecturer at the University of East London. She’s also an expert in many modalities, such as tai chi, qi gong, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
She uses a combination of exercises, prose, and imagery in Journey into Mindfulness to make it easier for people to leave the page and step out into the world with a better sense of the practice. The Little Book of Mindfulness allows you to incorporate mindfulness into daily short snippets of instruction, demonstrating how you can make time each day to find a peaceful center.
You can explore more of what Collard and her colleagues have to offer on her site, Entermindfulness.
More Holistic Practices to Help You
The professionals at Cottonwood Tucson believe the integration of holistic practices into whole-person treatment helps an individual discover not only the cause of their issues, but also the path to healing. Consult a member of our admissions team to learn how we work as guides to your wellness.
