Tom Catton - May I Sit with You?: A Simple Approach to Meditation

Special Praise for May I Sit With You?

May I Sit With You? is heart-lifting and mind-opening. Toms humility and simplicity are inspiring, sure signs that the words he shares come directly from his own practice. This is the sort of book to keep on your bedside table and open anytime you need to remember that mindfulness is possible.

Sharon Salzberg

Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society

Author of Real Happiness

A meditation book that finally incorporates meditation with a design for living. It felt as if my friend and colleague, Tom Catton, was sitting beside me, gracefully cheering my meditation practice on through the pages of May I Sit With You? The breath of this book brings every emotion, thought, or belief you have ever had

into a meditation practice of healing and hope.

Sherry Gaba, LCSW

Psychotherapist and Life Coach

Author of The Law of Sobriety

May I Sit With You? embodies the fruits of Tom Cattons meditation practice. It clearly comes from his willingness to be present to life with a deeply open heart. Toms welcoming tone and rich, practical sharing are refreshing. This book generously opens an effective and inviting way to live the Eleventh Step. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to make a more conscious connection with their innate spiritual wholeness.

Rev. Anna Shouse, PhD

Unity Minister and Host of Spirit of Recovery on www.unityonlineradio.org

Drawing from over forty years of personal experience, in May I Sit With You? Tom Catton skillfully invites his readers to cultivate their own spiritual path by providing a wide variety of accessible and gentle methods to develop a meditation practice of their own.

John (Chophel) Bruna

Director of the Way of Compassion Foundation

Dharma teacher and cofounder of the Mindful Life Program

Tom Catton has a unique talent for distilling diverse spiritual teachings and practices down to their essence. May I Sit With You? is an irresistible invitation to share recovery, meditation, and the spiritual journey with a wise friend and steadfast companion. Full of great advice, clear guidance, and pithy teachings, this is a book to keep by your side and read again and again.

Kevin Griffin

Author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps and Recovering Joy: A Mindful Life After Addiction

May I Sit with You? A Simple Approach to Meditation is a gem that introduces and expands on meditation and other mindfulness practices in an unpretentious, practical, and accessible manner. While the word simple in the subtitle may (and should) invite those new to mindfulness, Tom Cattons wisdom and experience shine through to enrich both novice and experienced practitioners of meditation.

Each time I picked up this book, be it for minutes or for a more extended read, I left contemplative about the ongoing role of mindfulness in my life and with a reminder to be present for the here and now. May I Sit With You? is one of my favorite books on the topic and will be a go-to resource in my clinical practice for bibliotherapy and in-session readings.

Accept Toms invitation, and you will be grateful for it.

Dr. Lane Pederson

Author of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: A Contemporary Guide for Practitioners

What comes to me immediately on reading this book is that I found it the most accessible and practical exposition and manual on meditation practice of any I have yet read, and an inviting incentive to encourage us all to meditate. At once personal and playful, as well as profound and philosophical, Toms natural flow of language is witty, whimsical, and wise all at once. His wonderful use of analogies, comparisons, contrasts, and distinctions brings to life each page and idea as he weaves together the twelve-step program with parallel Buddhist principles, with many other insights beyond those.

A sense of lightness and laughter, transparency, and authenticity flows through each small chapter. Tom captures the essence of why we want to sit together, finding peace, healing, and a sense of freshness of presence in life. His acceptance of all feelings and complexities encountered while meditating humanizes the process for us, removing a fear of failure and adding an anticipation of discovery. Clearly, this book and sitting is a path with heart for the author, which he lovingly invites us to share.

Gay Leah Barfield, PhD, LMFT

Former Director, Carl Rogers Institute for Peace, Center for Studies of the Person

This inspiring book reminds us of the benefits of sitting still with the breath. The author offers us the opportunity to bring more joy and bliss into our lives by working with our difficulties and challenges, one breath at a time.

Valerie Mason-John

Coauthor of Eight Step Recovery:

Using the Buddhas Teachings to Overcome Addiction

May I Sit With You? is Tom Cattons complete blueprint for meditation in the purest formbeing still, focusing on the breath, letting go of the past and future to be in the present moment, wonderful moment and ultimately to become more intuitive and thoughtful in serving others. We are given an invitation to a more satisfying meditative experience and peaceful lifeto be present, discover ones true self, serve others, and experience more love, joy, and connection. Please be good to you, and practice this gentle approach to continue your own adventure of self-realization.

Toni Tufo, MA

Former Spiritual Care Counselor at Betty Ford Center

MAY I SIT WITH YOU?

Central Recovery Press (CRP) is committed to publishing exceptional materials addressing addiction treatment, recovery, and behavioral healthcare topics, including original and quality books, audio/visual communications, and web-based new media. Through a diverse selection of titles, we seek to contribute a broad range of unique resources for professionals, recovering individuals and their families, and the general public.

For more information, visit www.centralrecoverypress.com.

2015 by Tom Catton

All rights reserved. Published 2015.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

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ISBN: 978-1-937612-84-9 (e-book)

Photo of Tom Catton by Keith Kefford. Used with permission.

Publishers Note: This book contains general information about addiction, addiction recovery, and related matters. The information is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. Central Recovery Press makes no representations or warranties in relation to the information in this book. If you have specific questions about any medical matter discussed in this book, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. This book is not an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.