Butera Robert - Llewellyns complete book of mindful living: awareness and meditation practices for living in the present moment

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Llewellyns Complete Book of Mindful Living: Awareness and Meditation Practices for Living in the Present Moment 2016 by Robert Butera, PhD, and Erin Byron, MA.

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First e-book edition 2016

E-book ISBN: 9780738750835

Book design by Rebecca Zins

Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

Cover images: iStockphoto.com/5312674/PixelEmbargo, iStockphoto.com/6269367/Dee-Jay, iStockphoto.com/18277883/vectorbomb, iStockphoto.com/58268338/sumkinn, Shutterstock.com/191037557/Roberto Castillo, Shutterstock.com/258023690/Titova E

Forgive and Be Free: A Step-by-Step Guide to Release, Healing & Higher Consciousness by Ana Holub 2014 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125. All rights reserved; used by permission.

Taming the Drunken Monkey: The Path to Mindfulness, Meditation, and Increased Concentration by William L. Mikulas 2014 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125. All rights reserved; used by permission.

Meditation for Your Life: Creating a Plan That Suits Your Style by Robert Butera 2012 Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd., 2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125. All rights reserved; used by permission.

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Butera, Robert, 1964 writer of introduction. | Byron, Erin, 1973

writer of introduction.

Title: Llewellyns complete book of mindful living : awareness and meditation

practices for living in the present moment / Robert Butera, PhD and Erin

Byron, MA.

Description: First edition. | Woodbury : Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd, 2016. |

Series: Llewellyns complete book series ; # 9

Identifiers: LCCN 2015046695 (print) | LCCN 2016000914 (ebook) | ISBN

9780738746777 | ISBN 9780738750835 ( )

Subjects: LCSH: Meditation. | Mindfulness (Psychology)

Classification: LCC BL627 .L59 2016 (print) | LCC BL627 (ebook) | DDC

158.1/2dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015046695

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Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publishers website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

Erin Byron, MA

: The Ultimate Wireless Connection

Michael Bernard Beckwith

William L. Mikulas, PhD

R obert But era, PhD

Amy B. Scher

Keith Park, PhD

Robert Butera, PhD

Danielle MacKinnon

Mindfulness for Sleep
and Physical Relaxation

Robert Butera, PhD & Erin Byron, MA

Angela Wix

Alexandra Chauran

Rachel Avalon

Melissa Grabau, PhD

Mindful Nonattachment
to Cravings and Urges

Sarah Bowen, PhD

Erin Byron, MA

A Mindful Approach
to the End of Life

Jeanne Van Bronkhorst, MA, MSW

: Working Through Times of Transition

Servet Hasan

Jeanne Van Bronkhorst, MA, MSW

Mindful Movement and
Creating a Wellness Practice

Rolf Gates

Body Image and
Cultivating Self-Love

Melanie Klein, MA

Mark A. Michaels & Patricia Johnson

The Mindful Path to
Acceptance and Forgiveness

Ana Holub

Breaking Dependency
to Live an Authentic Life

Guy Finley

: Finding Life Purpose and Fulfillment

Servet Hasan

Accessing Your Core Genius
for Abundance and Success

Jack Canfield & Deborah Sandella, PhD

Tess Whitehurst

Alexandra Chauran

Peace in Our Hearts,
Peace in Our World : A Practice

Shakta Khalsa

Thomas Moore, PhD

Cyndi Dale

Sherrie Dillard

Robert Butera, PhD & Erin Byron, MA

introduction

M indfulness practice has become increasingly popular in the last twenty years. From counseling offices to research papers, management strategies to mealtimes, it seems like mindful living approaches are being investigated and applied all over the place. The path of mindful living can be likened to walking a labyrinth. Labyrinth walking is a meditative practice that, like most mindfulness practices, is a tool for physical, mental, and spiritual healing and awakening. Labyrinths exist in addiction treatment centers, church courtyards, trauma clinics, hospices, and chronic pain centers. From above, a labyrinth looks like a brain, with its folds leading as a single path to the core. When inside the labyrinth the middle point is always visible to the walker, just as the truth of the present moment is visible to us when we become mindful. A labyrinth walk begins at the outside; people carry their intentions to the center and back again. Similarly, meditation carries us to the core of ourselves, where insight lives. Often, a personal transformation occurs as a result of mindfulness practice, be it labyrinth walking, conscious eating, grounding, or simply focusing on the breath.

Whether you are a longtime mindfulness practitioner or are brand new to the idea of a mindful lifestyle, this book offers you the chance to explore many facets of mindfulness. You dont even have to be experienced in mindfulness or meditationyou can access it from a range of interests, experiences, and intentions about mindful living. Enjoy learning about a variety of discussion topics and mindfulness practices, as well as some research, philosophy, and practical exercises. You will be inspired to take control of your well-being, overcome negative thoughts and emotions, and achieve calmness, focus, better health, and happiness!

How You Can Benefit

If you are interested in greater insight and awareness, you can use this book. From executives seeking to build a stronger company to homemakers wanting greater happiness to people struggling with chronic illness or spiritualists on the path of enlightenment, the tools and techniques offered here can assist you in attaining your personal goals.

Many areas of your life can be transformed! If you are a beginner, the chapters within this book will give you fundamental skills to build a mindfulness practice using simple, accessible techniques. Some proven benefits mindfulness and meditation can bring you include (but are not limited to) stress reduction; improved sleep; optimal weight; pain reduction; increased energy; regulated blood pressure, hormone levels, and nervous system activity; improved immune function; decreased anxiety and depression; increased productivity; improved concentration and other cognitive faculties; improved relationships (including the relationship with yourself); greater sense of compassion for yourself and others; clearer decision-making abilities; greater adaptability to changeand the list goes on and on.