Most of us operate on auto-pilot much of the time, passing through the present moment with our mind either caught up in the past or straining toward the future. Through mindfulness meditation, an ancient Buddhist practice, Anna Black shows you how to intentionally pay attention to your daily experience. When we are not being mindful, we miss out on small moments that often are the most valuable be it a beautiful building that we pass on our journey to work, the taste and texture of lovingly prepared food, or the fact that we are needed by those we love the most. By being mindless we miss opportunities for personal growth by not being aware of our shortcomings or our inner strength, or by letting negative thoughts and emotions control us.In mindfulness meditation we pay attention to our ongoing experience whether it is pleasant such as appreciating a starry night sky; unpleasant a disagreement with a loved one; or neutral doing chores. We become aware of our habitual thoughts and behaviours and discover which are helpful and which are not. We learn to listen to the body and pick up warning signs of stress as well as tune in to our inner wisdom. Packed with short and simple meditations, this book can be used by all people, in all walks of life and at any time.

Anna Black is a highly qualified mindfulness practitioner, who teaches mindfulness workshops. She has a Masters in Mindfulness-based Approaches to Health and has completed the Advanced Teacher Development Intensive run by teachers from the North Wales Centre for Mindfulness and from the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Hospital, USA. She has an established personal practice in mindfulness and meditation (www.mindfulness-meditation-now.com) and supervises other mindfulness teachers.