The Rough Guide to Mindfulness

By: Albert Tobler and Susann Herrmann

Reviewed by: Glain Roberts-McCabe

The Premise: Written by two mindfulness practitioners, The Rough Guide to Mindfulness is a self-directed guide to introduce the average “type A personality” to the ways of inner calm and personal growth. The book combines the latest findings from health experts and scientists on the physical benefits of mindful living and shares a wide range of meditations and practices. In addition to the step-by-step exercises provided in the book, there are also a number of free audio downloads and meditations available. From breathing techniques to full meditation, this guide is the ultimate introduction to techniques proven to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and other negative by-products of an overly frenzied world.

The Bottom-line: It probably says a lot about the type of fall we’re having at The Executive Roundtable that prompted me to pick up this book this month! It seems like, for many of us, the “go” light flips on in September and there’s no slowing down in sight until Christmas. As someone who has always struggled with “staying in the moment”, one of the biggest challenges I had with this book was actually being able to focus on reading it and not having my mind wander. Although parts of the writing were a little “woo-woo” for yours truly, the exercises and techniques outlined are solid. I have managed to put several of the breathing and awareness techniques into my daily practice and have to say that I’ve noticed a marked difference. With workplace stress on the rise, how we manage the pace of our inner thought ramblings is probably one of the few areas that we can exercise control. If you’re struggling with insomnia, feelings of being overwhelmed or frankly a general sadness, mindfulness might help. With exercises that take no more than 5 minutes, this is the type of activity that can deliver big returns from a small investment.

Roundtable Rating: Highly recommended for overextended leaders everywhere.

Check out the book here.