An 8 Week Long Book Review : Week 6 – Mindfulness Starts Here

Here we are. Week Six of the real-life review of ‘Mindfulness Starts Here’ and I’m creeping along with it much like meeting a good friend for coffee when I’m able to. Admittedly, I’d love to be able to ‘stay regular’ with my regular weekly reading and practice, but sadly with work-life balance, practice and study that I’m already committed to and the life of a householder and all those glorious distractions that come my way, it’s ambitious and I must give myself some credit (read - cut myself some slack) in making it his far.

So. Week Six. Awareness of Thoughts. As you can read here, I’m pretty aware of my thoughts around not finishing the reading and review of this book in a more timely manner but I digress…

The intention set out of this chapter is for readers to bring attention and mindfulness to their thought patterns and in doing so, delves into the science behind thoughts. It’s one of the more geekier chapters of the book and does a great job of getting into the brainy, biologogical, physiological, thinky, neuroinic, syanpsey, HEY REACT TO THIS STIMULI stuff.

Overall the chapter delves into thought patterns, experiences, responses and examines how mindfulness can help to create a space around these thoughts, allowing us to either discover new ways to react to what’s in front of us or equips us to better examine our habitual ways of reacting (fight, flight and you know the drill).

 Sometimes it feels like my head is being crushed..

As was previously employed in previous chapters of the book, the antidotes of the Five Skillful Habits are mentioned as means to help snap out of reactive patterns. There is a layer of compassion that is recommended within these 5 Habits as well as with most of what is presented in the book and for someone who is consistently hard on themselves, having this reminder replayed for me within the book is like a warm hug.

All in all, this chapter was one of the core ones that I enjoyed given it’s emphasis on the mind in the mindfulness equation. I’m noting how I enjoy the interplay of this book within my life and my Buddhist studies and practice. More on that in my summary. Two weeks left of this mindfulness and then you’ll get to read my conclusion, likely titled “Mindfulness Went Where?”

Just kidding!