How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Your Inner Critic
August 8, 2016
Coleman (Awake in the Wild) devotes this appealing book to laying out a mental tool kit of meditation techniques designed to bring calm to the distressed mind. In his late teens, Coleman, feeling unhappy with himself and others, stumbled upon mindfulness meditation. This much-written-about practice offered him an escape from his tormented thinking, and a practice that he found to be more effective than any pill or philosophy. The book is divided into five parts, each including practical exercises to assist the reader with examining uncomfortable thoughts and behaviors. The first two parts focus on the origin of the inner critic and how it manifest itself, with the remaining three parts delving into letting go of regrets, raising self-esteem, and of course, the how-to of mindfulness meditation and its many benefits. Of the many recent books on mindfulness, some have discussed the practice as a tool in one’s life or career, but Coleman focuses squarely on the goal of achieving inner peace and practicing compassion toward oneself and others. For self-improvement enthusiasts searching for ways to calm a stressed mind, this book is sure to help.