Book Review: Everyday Mindfulness
Everyday Mindfulness;108 Simple Practices to Empower Yourself and Transform Your Life.
Written by Melissa Steginus
Everyday Mindfulness is a powerful and well-written guide which discusses ways to live your life with more intention and awareness. It offers 108 different daily prompts to help increase your connection to yourself and the world around you. Each daily exercise is thoughtfully offered in ways to help you fine tune your focus, cultivate gratitude, and are easy and simple enough to actually do everyday! The book doubles as a journal as well, offering thoughtful spacing to jot down notes and reflections upon the activity for that day. I think this is very important as we engage in transformative exercises so we can look back and remember our revelations and have a gauge to see how much we have grown.
The book is meant to be used daily, as opposed to be read from cover to cover. Open the book in the morning to the corresponding day and spend a moment reflecting on the exercise, question or activity at hand. It is beneficial to return to the book later in the day after you have completed the exercise to answer any questions, write some notes, and reflect. The author offers suggestions for success with this book which are- committing to the 108 days to completion, taking things day-by-day as the exercises build off one another, and reflecting upon each individual prompt. The book is thoughtfully organized in a specific manner to take you upon a sort of “journey” within your life, so it is best to begin at day one and continue on in numerical order instead of flipping through to random pages. I believe that it is important to be gentle with yourself so if you happen to forget a day here or there, that’s OK, just pick up where you left off.
Each daily exercise has a purpose which is explained, the practice itself, as well as a space for reflections after you have completed. The author breaks the 108 various exercises into six sections that have their own unique focus.
Physical: Listening to your body and reconnecting with yourself.
Emotional: Understanding your feelings and learning to trust them.
Rational: Observing your thought patterns to gain mental clarity.
Spiritual: Exploring your relationship with yourself and your truth.
Occupational: Managing your time and energy to pursue your priorities.
Networking: Nourishing relationships that deepen your sense of belonging.
This book talks about finding your truth, living in alignment with your hopes and dreams, cultivating your inner wisdom, and creating mindful and positive changes in your life. What I love about this book is that most all of the daily exercises are accessible for everyone. There is no need for fancy tools, blocks, props or clothing. All you really need is yourself, a bit of dedication and a pen!
The authors website is also full of resources, worksheets and exercises to further help transform and enhance your life. Visit www.melissasteginus.com/mindful to find out more.
A Peak into the Book!
Day 1
-
Take a Deep Breath
Purpose: Deep Breathing connects you to your body, mind, and the present moment. This practice reduces stress and tension, relieves body aches and pain, lowers blood pressure, and aids in healthy sleep.
Practice: Sit tall in a comfortable chair and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Pull your shoulders back and place both hands on your abdomen. Inhale deeply though your nose, filling your lungs and feeling your abdomen expand. Exhale through your mouth and feel your abdomen slowly release. Close your eyes and take five deep breaths.
Reflection: How did you feel while doing this exercise? How did you feel afterward? How did this practice make you more aware of your body?
Published by TCK Publishing- https://www.tckpublishing.com/