Dr. Jonty Heaversedge - The Mindful Manifesto: How doing less and noticing more can help us thrive in a stressed-out world

PRAISE FOR THE MINDFUL MANIFESTO

The Mindful Manifesto helps us to be more and to do less. Its old wisdom backed by modern science, beautifully described.

Professor Richard Layard, Wellbeing Programme Director, London School of Economics

The Mindful Manifesto is a wonderful overview of mindfulness meditation comprehensive, honest and compassionate. This book helps make mindfulness accessible to all.

Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness

Wise, sensible and helpful for all forms of emotional disorders from depression to anxiety and addiction. This book on mindfulness is a great step towards finding peace of mind.

Sally Brampton, author of Shoot the Damn Dog

The Mindful Manifesto offers a fresh perspective on ancient wisdom. It is authentic, timely and hugely needed.

Peter J. Conradi, author of Going Buddhist and Iris Murdoch

This book is really important. Mindfulness is the way forwards for dealing with depression and anxiety, and for general wellbeing.

Ruby Wax, comedian

An excellent manifesto for making small mindful changes that can make a huge difference in how you go through life. The authors are engaging, humorous and candid about some of the common struggles with mindfulness, including their own. Heartily recommended.

Marsha Lucas, author of Rewire Your Brain for Love

A thoroughly well-written book that will serve as an excellent guide for anyone wishing to understand or practise mindfulness.

Dr David Hamilton, author of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body and Why Kindness Is Good for You

If you want to know why mindfulness has gone mainstream, read the first chapter. If you want to learn how it can help you, read the rest of the book. Its as clear a presentation of mindfulness practice as youll find anywhere.

Barry Boyce, editor of The Mindfulness Revolution and www.mindful.org

A lucid and highly practical guide to how mindfulness techniques can be of enormous benefit to our health, relationships and peace of mind.

Mick Brown, author of The Spiritual Tourist and The Dance of 17 Lives

Is there anything worth doing that wouldnt go better if you practised mindfulness? Ed and Jonty have written a wonderful, accessible book that could save your health and change your life.

Michael Chaskalson, co-author of Mindfulness and Money, honorary research fellow at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor University

Absolutely my favourite book of 2010, in which GP Dr Jonty Heaversedge and writer/meditation teacher Ed Halliwell explain how to access peace of mind by using simple techniques connecting mind, brain and body. And how not to beat yourself up for having negative, damaging thoughts (we all do). Lovely and essential reading.

Sarah Stacey, health columnist, Mail On Sunday You Magazine

Mercifully gibberish-free instructions

Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian

This thoughtful guide explains both why we should be more mindful and so important how to do it. Written in a warmhearted and peaceful voice, this book is clear, direct, down-to-earth and profound.

Rick Hanson PhD, author of Buddhas Brain

If you have so far been rather sceptical with regard to Eastern meditative practices entering Western psychological practices, here is a book that may help you change your mind.

Florian Ruths, The Psychiatrist

A wonderful primer on the art and science of mindfulness. Includes really practical advice for easing the speed and anxiety of modern life by altering our habits of mind.

Susan Piver, founder of The Open Heart Project and author of How Not to Be Afraid of Your Own Life and The Wisdom of a Broken Heart

Readable, fascinating and incredibly relevant in our dangerously disconnected, stressed-out age.

Lucia Cockcroft, yogaabode.com

Every single person, from prime ministers and presidents to ordinary men and women, would benefit from practising mindfulness and stillness in their lives. This wisdom has been known for thousands of years and now the science has at last caught up with it. This book makes the case admirably clearly.

Dr. Anthony Seldon, headmaster Wellington College and author of Blair, Blair Unbound, Brown at 10 and Trust

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, 292B Kensal Rd, London W10 5BE.
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Published and distributed in the United States of America by:
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Distributed in Canada by:
Raincoast, 9050 Shaughnessy St, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5.
Tel.: (1) 604 323 7100; Fax: (1) 604 323 2600

Text Jonty Heaversedge and Ed Halliwell, 2010, 2012

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the authors nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, or the suggestions made or the failure to take medical advice.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-1-84850-824-8 in print
ISBN 978-1-84850-901-6 in Mobipocket format
ISBN 978-1-84850-902-3 in ePub format

There comes a time when any secret will get out into the world. No matter how hard we try to keep it hidden, it will be revealed, made manifest. For centuries, the principles and practices of mindfulness meditation were pretty much hidden away. You had to travel a far distance, perhaps to Asia, to see a teacher who might help you with the inner work of this meditation.

In the 1960s there was some excitement when certain forms of concentration meditation were taught in the West. Western scientists were intrigued: What were the psychological and physiological effects of such practices? The new scientific instruments of the day were used to measure bodily reactions such as heart rate and minor fluctuations in sweating. They showed that these meditations were as effective as deep-relaxation techniques in calming the mind and body, and bringing about states of wellbeing.

But thats as far as it went. Because already-accepted procedures in common use in the West were just as effective, anything extra about the meditation was deemed to be unnecessary. Why recite mantras when identical effects could be found without them? Meditation as a technique for reducing stress was reduced to a minority activity within science, and pursued by a relatively small group of distinguished scientists.