Halliwell - Mindfulness Made Easy

This is an inspiring book. Ed Halliwell shows how an ancient wisdom, carefully tested by the best methods of modern clinical science, can become a trusted resource for the 21st century.

MARK WILLIAMS, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, AUTHOR OF MINDFULNESS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FINDING PEACE IN A FRANTIC WORLD

Mindfulness involves an honest and courageous openness to the experience of being human in the present moment. Ed Halliwell knows the theory and practice of this curiously unfamiliar terrain inside out. The result is a practical and helpful guidebook, charmingly punctuated with luminous psychological and philosophical insight.

DR JONATHAN ROWSON, DIRECTOR, RSA SOCIAL BRAIN CENTRE

Want to discover how to be peaceful? Ed has given us pragmatic, clear and compassionate guidance that we can apply in our everyday life. The practical guidance on mindfulness is interwoven throughout with reference to the scientific underpinning, and is brought to life by following the experiences of four people whove journeyed through the programme.

REBECCA CRANE, DIRECTOR, CENTRE FOR MINDFULNESS RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, BANGOR UNIVERSITY

This wonderfully accessible guide to mindfulness is written with a clarity, openness and gentle kindness that are some of the hallmarks of mindfulness practice itself. Drawing on many of the key elements of the MBSR/MBCT course, the book also offers an introductory bridge into the rich philosophical foundations that underpin and complete mindfulness-based approaches.

ROBERT MARX, CONSULTANT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, LEAD FOR MINDFULNESS TRAINING AND GOVERNANCE, SUSSEX PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

The key to lasting happiness is the ability to live in wise relation to our thoughts, feelings and surroundings. Mindfulness is a life-changing tool that helps us do this and is perhaps the ultimate life skill for living well. This book is a fabulous, insightful and accessible introduction to mindfulness from one of its leading practitioners. Highly recommended.

DR MARK WILLIAMSON, DIRECTOR OF ACTION FOR HAPPINESS

Theres little doubt that mindfulness is one of the most powerful remedies for the stresses of life in our distracted, hyper-busy, individualistic era. But its surprisingly hard to find truly practical, research-backed advice on how to do it. Ed Halliwells Mindfulness is an unprecedentedly clear guide to the topic, cutting through the myths and magical thinking to the essence of this ancient yet urgently relevant practice. To learn the art of living well and happily by paying attention, start by paying attention to this book.

OLIVER BURKEMAN, AUTHOR OF HELP, THE ANTIDOTE AND THE GUARDIANS THIS COLUMN WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

With so much being written on mindfulness over recent times you could be forgiven for thinking that there is nothing new to learn. This book effectively puts paid to that assumption! Eds writing is clear and comprehensible, but it is not just for beginners it is for anyone who wants to be reminded why these ancient practices continue to be so relevant to our lives today. By interweaving case studies with a week-by-week chapter structure Ed has provided a practical, accessible guide which is equally applicable to the newcomer or those of us who still struggle to incorporate mindfulness practice into our everyday lives.

DR JONTY HEAVERSEDGE, CO-AUTHOR OF THE MINDFULMANIFESTO, AND CHAIR OF NHS SOUTHWARK CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP

Mindfulness is an age-old practice that has proven over millennia and across cultures to be an effective tool for managing the stresses of everyday life and for cultivating a greater sense of presence and wellbeing. As a gifted and valued member of our teaching faculty, Ed Halliwells Mindfulness courses are an essential component of our core curriculum. His latest guide offers clear, practical insight and instruction for anyone interested in developing this skill.

MORGWN RIMEL, DIRECTOR, THE SCHOOL OF LIFE, LONDON

First published and distributed in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, Astley House, 33 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JQ
Tel: +44 (0)20 3675 2450; Fax: +44 (0)20 3675 2451
www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published and distributed in the United States of America by:
Hay House Inc., PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
Tel: (1) 760 431 7695 or (800) 654 5126
Fax: (1) 760 431 6948 or (800) 650 5115
www.hayhouse.com

Published and distributed in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Ltd, 18/36 Ralph St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Tel: (61) 2 9669 4299; Fax: (61) 2 9669 4144
www.hayhouse.com.au

Published and distributed in India by:
Hay House Publishers India, Muskaan Complex, Plot No.3, B-2,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110 070
Tel: (91) 11 4176 1620; Fax: (91) 11 4176 1630
www.hayhouse.co.in

Distributed in Canada by:
Raincoast Books, 2440 Viking Way, Richmond, B.C. V6V 1N2
Tel: (1) 604 448 7100; Fax: (1) 604 270 7161; www.raincoast.com

Text Ed Halliwell, 2015

The moral rights of the author 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 author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third party websites.

This book was previously published as Mindfulness (Hay House Basics series), ISBN: 978-1-78180-264-9

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

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-78817-265-3
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-78817-281-3

Interior illustrations 123RF.com

If you know the point of balance, You can settle the details. If you can settle the details, You can stop running around. Your mind will become calm. If your mind becomes calm, You can think in front of a tiger. If you can think in front of a tiger, You will surely succeed.

MENCIUS

In my mid-twenties, I became very stuck. I was working frantically and living hedonistically, trying to numb a nagging sense of doubt that the career and lifestyle Id chosen were at odds with my values and aspirations. I sought happiness by chasing after pleasure and status, but the more I strived for contentment, the more it seemed out of reach. When yet another relationship fell apart, I did too, sinking into a deep and anxious depression.

Looking back now, I see my main trouble was I didnt know how to live well. I had very little understanding of how happiness happens not just in terms of the activities that lead to wellbeing, but in how to work skilfully with experience itself. I had very little awareness of the patterns of thinking, feeling, relating and doing in which I was trapped, and so even when I recognized that something was wrong, I didnt really know what it was, or what to do about it. In desperation, I tried many fixes, but none seemed to help.