Book Review: Real World Mindfulness for Beginners

Although the title indicates that this text is intended for “beginners” this writer would recommend, Real World Mindfulness for Beginners to mindfulness enthusiasts (or just interested individuals) of any experience level.

Edited by Brenda Salgado, the founder of the Nepantla Center for Healing and Renewal, this title includes eleven short chapters of easily digestible material. Each of these chapters includes a themed contribution from a mindfulness professional followed by several mindfulness exercises and scripts related to the themes. These contributors come from all corners of the world, and offer insight from their many different cultures, practices, professions, and real-world journeys, in context of mindfulness. Themes include: mindfulness moments, regaining focus and concentration, cultivating gratitude and joy, promoting patience and compassion, dealing with stress and worry, breaking bad habits, or negative behaviors, reduction of chronic pain, working with attachments and aversions, managing anger and hurt, supporting others who need help, accepting aging and illness, and coping with grief and loss.

This writer utilizes the one-minute meditation (found in Chapter 2: Regaining Focus and Concentration) daily. This simple exercise can be helpful in just about any environment or situation in your busy life. The next time you are in need of a quick grounding or increased awareness to the present moment, feel free to give this one-minute exercise a try:

One- Minute Meditation

“Our breath is always with us, yet rarely noticed… One minute of paying attention can shift you from a busy overwhelmed moment to a feeling of presence and possibility.

Step One:

Begin by noticing your breath. Notice the sensation of the air around your nostrils and your upper lip, and notice the air moving in and out of your body, the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen. Breathe as you normally do, just with awareness.

Step Two:

Start counting your breath: the first breath in and out us 1, the next in and out is 2, and continue on until 10. Ten breaths will take you close to one minute-then you're done!” (Salgado, 2016)

Please note that if the individual is unable to reach a ten count, to just notice, without judgement, and refocus if you can. Even taking one conscious breath can bring awareness to the present moment that was not previously there. 

For those individuals seeking a beginner-friendly intro to the practice of mindfulness, or for the seasoned expert looking for a refresher, this book might be worth a read. 

Please contact info@advancedcouselingbozeman.com if you are interested in deepening your mindfulness practice, or exploring other mental health tools with one of our qualified professionals. 

Salgado, B. (2016).  Real World Mindfulness for Beginners: Navigate Daily Life one Practice at a Time. Sonoma Press.