Greg Sazima - Practical Mindfulness: A Physicians No-Nonsense Guide to Meditation for Beginners

Praise for
Practical Mindfulness

Dr. Sazima brings mindfulness down to its nuts and bolts and out of the lofty air where it too often floats out of reach. He speaks from the heart, not just as a physician, but as a patient who found benefit through meditative practice and brought those techniques to patients with medical and mental disorders. At times solemn, at times irreverent, but always genuine, hes put it all here on the page. Read it, but more importantly, do it.

Chris Aiken, MD , psychiatrist, director of the Mood Treatment Center, Wake Forest University School of Medicine; editor-in-chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report; author, Bipolar, Not So Much: Understanding Your Mood Swings and Depression

Practical Mindfulness is a clearly written guide to the practice of meditation and mindfulness. Step by step, Dr. Sazima leads us through exercises that lead to deeper meditation, while at the same time describing the philosophy behind mindfulness drawing on a wide range of concepts from quantum physics to neuroanatomy. The book is written in clear language with a dollop of humor so that it succeeds in being not only informative, but also entertaining. Anyone who reads Practical Mindfulness will find it an indispensable guide to leading a more mindful life.

John ONeal, MD, psychiatrist, Sacramento, CA; coauthor of Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists

As a psychiatrist, I regularly recommend mindfulness meditation because I know I am supposed to, but I always felt intimidated when I would try it myself. Dr. Sazimas humor and humanity make this practical guide just the right place to start, or jumpstart, your own mindfulness practice. Practical Mindfulness is the one book I recommend to my patients, even when they dont believe they want to start meditating.

Lisa Goldstein, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist, Philadelphia, PA

I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Greg Sazimas book, Practical Mindfulness . It is an extremely user-friendly book that is essential to both everyday users who need new skills for how to be in the here and now and deal with stress, as well as a wonderful read for mental health professionals to add to their tool bag of counseling skills. I teach Motivational Psychology and plan to add this book as required reading for both my undergraduate and graduate students.

Holly Davani, MA, HPI, certified behavioral trainer, Baltimore, MD; associate graduate faculty, Department of Psychology, Towson University

What a delightful, fun and informative book. Its a very practical guide for anyone wanting to learn more about meditation and for anyone wanting to enhance their experience with meditation. Dr. Sazima has a great way with words and takes you on an enjoyable journey to enlightenment, peace, and harmony. As someone who meditates daily, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will recommend it to all my friends, family, colleagues, and clients.

Roland Williams, MA, LAADC, NCACII, CADCII, ACRPS, SAP, master addictions counselor, educator, consultant; author of Recovery is a Verb

Practical Mindfulness is a gem of a book designed to help physicians incorporate mindfulness into their practices and lives. Greg Sazima knows his audience. He writes with wisdom, insight, and humor and in an original voice. This practical and highly readable book integrates helpful case examples and exercises with mindfulness knowledge.

Melanie Greenberg, PhD, psychotherapist, Marin, CA; author, The Stress-Proof Brain

All voices are needed to share the practices of mindfulness and meditation widely. Based on years of mindfulness practice from his own life and teaching others, Dr Sazima shares mindfulness in his no-nonsense, no-incense unique voice. Practical Mindfulness can be the portal to mindfulness for those who are still looking for a different kind of voice to invite them in.

Lenna L. Liu, MD, MPH , pediatrician, Seattle, WA; professor of pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine

Dr. Sazima has taken on a potentially intimidating, complex concept and has created a practical, approachable guide to meditation and mindfulness. After reading Practical Mindfulness , I feel more confident that I can incorporate this practice in my own life, and I will share these techniques with my patients as well.

George P. Kent, MD , family physician, San Jose, CA; teaching faculty, Stanford/OConnor Family Medicine Residency Program

Surgical patients must deal with physical and psychological pain before and after surgery. The ability to manage these real challenges with meditation rather than medication can be very beneficial to the surgical patient. Dr. Sazima, through lifelong learning and personal experience provides in Practical Mindfulness a practical guide on therapeutic meditation that will be useful to my patients.

Rick Nedelman, MD, FACS, general surgeon, Springfield, OH; assistant clinical professor of surgery, Wright State University

Dr. Sazimas witty, clear-eyed guide to mindfulness is all the novice needs to dive in, with a logical framework and a writing style that brings a smile to nearly every page. Sure, its practical, but also insightful and entertaining. Its the mindfulness guide Ive been waiting to be available for my patients, and even physician colleagues that want to learn more. No more excuses, now that Practical Mindfulness is there for us!

Eric Mankin, MD, family physician; president, Main Line Health Care, Philadelphia, MA

Practical Mindfulness is an example of teaching a person to fish. By communicating with clarity and humor, Dr. Sazima provides tangible skills that can improve life for busy and often stressed cliniciansand our patients. Armed with strategies, medical providers can help patients and families use mindful practices in managing disease and promoting wellness. Practical Mindfulness will help the open-minded clinician pay it forward.

Christopher F. Bolling, MD, FAAP , pediatrician, Crestview Hills, KY; professor of pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Practical Mindfulness is a resource for those of us who thought meditation was for other people. Thankfully, Dr. Sazima makes the point strongly that anyone can learn to meditate and ultimately benefit from it. The information is clearly presented and refreshingly without religious or New Age overtones. This is both a how to guide as well as a very digestible discussion of how meditation works from the neuropsychiatric standpoint. Our patients who suffer chronic pain and anxiety may particularly benefit, but this is also a nice guide for all of us.

Paul Vargo, MD , gastroenterologist, Saint Paul, MN

Practical Mindfulness is a book like no otherit is not simply a manual, and it is not just a garden-variety cookbookyet it affords the reader a pragmatic approach to meditation and health benefits in a unique way. It is part history, part philosophy, part popular culture, part scienceall presented in a witty and informative style. There are multiple layers, and one must carefully digest its contents, lest the reader miss important nuances and provocative concepts.

Jong Rho, MD , pediatric neurologist, San Diego, CA; Professor, UC San Diego School of Medicine

Practical Mindfulness is likely to become a treasure for many. Dr. Greg Sazima infuses his extensive training and knowledge of the mind and body and creates a no-nonsense guide to help others get their minds and bodies right. Whats unique about Sazimas approach is not just his abiding insistence that meditation unlocks the key to happiness, tranquility, centeredness, even gratitude. Others have done this to be sure, but Sazimas humor, much of it directed himself and his training, adds an air of authenticity and a sense that he, like the rest of us, is just trying to figure it out. That said, this is not just a book but a tool for figuring things out.