The Type A's Guide to Mindfulness

Book excerpt: Anyone and everyone can benefit from a mindfulness practice-especially those with busy minds, demanding schedules, and Type A tendencies. Actually, Type As have a lot more to gain from mindfulness and meditation than anyone, since they often take on more responsibilities and put more pressure on themselves to succeed. "The Type A's Guide to Mindfulness: Meditation for Busy Minds and Busy People" reveals not just the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, but also how to overcome obstacles, excuses, and struggles in the way of maintaining a steady practice and balanced mind. This book offers a step-by-step guide to get you started in a meditation or mindfulness practice, even if you think you don't have time. Plus, it comes with a free, guided meditation audio file. In this book, you'll find a complete guide to mindfulness & meditation including: * A multi-response answer to "why should I spend my precious, limited time meditating?" complete with scientific research on the health benefits of mindfulness meditation, personal examples, and experiential reasons that will get you excited to start your practice * Practical meditation and mindfulness techniques * Awareness, relaxation, and mindfulness exercises and stress management techniques to help you ease your stress and anxiety * A step-by-step guide on how to start a meditation or mindfulness practice * Tips for how to overcome common obstacles in meditation * How to fit meditation into your day using whatever time is available to you * Inspiring mindfulness quotes * A free bonus: an audio file for a guided meditation for beginners Written by a yoga and meditation teacher who's also a typical Type A; she spent years struggling with a practice, finding really good excuses why her meditation should wait until "tomorrow," and fumbling over the perfect time, the perfect meditation style, and everything in between. But mindfulness practices ultimately helped her cope with stress and anxiety, got her through 10 years in the corporate world, and helped her live a healthier life. She made a lot of mistakes along the way and uses the lessons learned and hilarious anecdotes to show you how to overcome the roadblocks and find your way to a successful mindfulness practice. You don't have to be some sort of guru, yoga practitioner, calm person-or even a particularly nice person to meditate. Meditation is not a way to erase your thoughts ... it's simply a tool you can use anytime, anywhere to help you deal with life's challenges with greater ease. Whether your goal is to fight stress, find focus, manage pain or illness, cope with anxiety, gain clarity, productivity or direction, or all of the above-give this mindfulness book a read. Allow the author to show you how meditation and mindfulness exercises can easily integrate into your busy, modern lifestyle. Practical, to-the-point, witty, and packed with useful tips and advice on mindfulness and meditation, "The Type A's Guide to Mindfulness" is a must-read-it may just help you find the balanced and peaceful state of mind you've been looking for.