Capstone Mindfulness Pocketbook: Little Exercises for a Calmer Life

I really like this Mindfulness book. It's not heavy reading neither. I don't read many books and subjects like this in the form of a book will be immediately off-putting to me as they always are too heavy and contain a lot of mumbo jumbo! This book however is easy to read and take in. I've found some of the stuff in this book interesting and will be putting some into practice.In a nutshell, the book is broken down into 60 or so scenarios which look at each and give suggestions on how to best manage that situation.What I have personally taken from this book, may be different for other people, is to basically stay in the present, not to dwell on the past and what's to come, focus purely on the here and now. Save your energy for the present, the past is done and the future is yet to happen. Plan certain situations that are about to happen to make it easier on your mind, for example, tell work colleagues not to bother you during certain hours of the day, delegate tasks.I found the section on panic attacks interesting, I for one have suffered from them, by focusing on other objects around you, breathing techniques, are some helpful thoughts in the book. Of course there's probably whole books written on this subject but this book manages to go over a lot of subjects in brief to help manage ones mind.This is a book that I will go back to time and time again. I'm happy to recommend the book for anyone who would like to have a brief look at the idea of Mindfulness or if you know anyone which may benefit from it.

I started to read this book from cover to cover but felt some sections didn't apply so I stopped. Instead I pick this book up as and when I need it, it's almost like a sixth sense as there are days when I will open a random page like my fingers instinctively know where to go where I need to be to be fulfilled. Today my fingers found for example the heading ' Asserting Yourself and Saying NO!!. Each topic covered gas a quote at the head of the page under the title. It then sets up several scenarios where stress might be playing a factor in your life as examples. Then if starts teaching you how to deal with this situation. ' Tune into your mind', this asks you at you to look within when someone is making demands. How do you feel? Irritated? Ignored? Worried? Anxious? These are a few examples given, to which if says to take time and don't be afraid to take time out to breath before you answer. Then asks you to be direct without waffling and be precise but polite. Once you have said your polite version of 'no', then to stop and listen to the response. If the person then tries to make you feel guilty for your decision to stand your ground in a calm manner. However some occasions need you to negotiate or be cooperative or meet on a middle ground. So don't be afraid to make suggestions but if they counter react with something you cannot do then say so and leave on the table but don't continue to over think it. Each topic is short ( two sides of a piece of paper), so not tasking or long winded but helpful. There are some exercises though in the book that don't make sense and some I felt a bit patronising and hence the 4 stars but on the whole it's a good book and I like the quote section at the end as well as the conclusion which mentions how people like me will not read cover to cover but that's ok too. It's ok to dip in as and when needed.

Pros:-- The cover of the book is simple but appealing.-There is information about so many different instances including overeating, dealing with rudeness, loneliness etc- The book gives information about the situation then examples of how to deal with this in everyday life.-There is over 100 simple mindful exercises.- It really helps you to put into perspective life's everyday difficulties.-Would make a nice gift for someone who might need some support with mindfulness.- Has some lovely quotes that go with the topics on each page.- A very lovely book.Cons:-- Slightly bigger then pocket sized.I hope you find this review helpful.

This is such a good little book ... small in size but big in information.This edition of "Mindfulness - Little Exercises for a Calmer Life" by Gill Hasson is a paperback measuring 17.53cm in height x 12.07cm in width containing 144 pages. This book is designed to be read in small chunks ... a dip in and out kind of book. It's laid out in 61 chapters, each chapter contains just two pages ... one page is an introduction to a mindfulness concept and the second page offers mindfulness exercises to complete to help increase your awareness of the world around you and the moment in time that you are presently in.I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it has helped me understand how I can incorporate mindfulness into my every day life. The chapters are written succinctly, however I feel I've learnt more from this little book than I have from books three times larger in size and content. I've listed below a few of the chapters included ...• Creating a mindfulness habit• Listening instead of just hearing• Parenting small children• Finding a way to forgive• Asserting yourself and saying no• Bringing the outside in• Being persuasive• Switching off the engine of your mind• Managing moments of loneliness• Focusing and engaging your attention• And many, many more ...The exercises are very easy to complete and no prior experience in the subject of mindfulness is needed. For example under the mini chapter of "Gaining a sense of perspective" one of the suggested exercises is to read about other people's lives and offers suggestions of a couple of books to read.In my opinion this is one book everyone should have on their bookshelves especially considering today's fast paced life and the stress that goes with it.I hope you found my review helpful.

Some time ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an old school friend of mine. I haven’t actually spoken to the girl in twenty years so I clicked on her profile to see what she was up to these days.In her most recent post, she’d wished everyone a "mindful morning". Frowning (which I can’t help, it’s my age), I asked my partner what mindfulness was. She’s younger than me, I figured anything I don't know, she’ll know. She said, “Well, you know that feeling when you first wake up and anything’s possible?”I thought for a moment, before replying. “No.”It transpires that mindfulness is paying special attention to your feelings and thoughts, and living completely in the moment. Mindfulness is acknowledging even the less positive emotions, but not focussing on the difficulties of the past or the concerns of the future. Mindfulness is now, and only now.It’s not that easy, making yourself really notice everything - the colour of the wall, the shape of the clouds, the smell of the flowers, the taste of the wine. But in retaining focus, the mindful person can thoroughly experience the world.I’ll admit, when I first started reading, I was a cynic. However, having read this book as a guide to daily philosophy, I can see how engaging with trees and learning to give compliments, for example, could be an excellent way to engage with the world, in real time. There are some lovely, mantra-like quotes throughout the text, small prompts to keep the reader on track.The section on learning poetry was wonderful. I am now determined to learn a few poems by heart - for use when I need grounding, slowing down or calming.However, I couldn’t disagree more with the section on how to think your way out of a panic attack. Recognising a panic attack for what it is, using mantras and counting breaths - just can’t happen when I can’t remember how to breathe. That said, there’s a lot of good stuff here and it’s worth a read.