I am not sure how to review The Mindful Way through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness by Mark Williams along with John Teasdale, Zindel V. Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn. I probably should back up and start with, I have not finished this book and I am assuming I might not finish it. I could not get past the fact that the introduction section is long. As well as repetitive and even a bit condescending at times.
Had I started this book at the beginning of my self-discovery journey, it might have been different. If I had to narrow down where in my journey I was, I was at the end of the beginning moving into the middle of it. A friend recommended this book and I figured why not? What did I have to lose? The included CD of guided meditations did not interest me. I figured reading the book would allow me to find my own or if needed, it was there.
I have mentioned this book in the comments of another reviewed book, and a reviewer said they had issues with this book as well. I now see why, but before I figured never read it, I would (as said) give it a try. I think my biggest issue with this book is the wording of the title. First: Freeing. That is most likely meant to be positive. You will be able to fly and “free” of your depression. Chronic Unhappiness. Yes. Me/the reader is looking for a way to stop the depression and the unhappiness in our lives. It is something we live with. But the word chronic has a connotation linked with cancer/death (at least in my mind). This seems a negative way to introduce your book. And finally, the world Mindfulness. It is somewhat pretensions in my humble opinion.
Last year I had the pleasure of seeing Tomie dePaola speak. He was promoting his new picture book which is a meditation and mindful book. But instead of saying meditation and mindful he said he practices breathing. Breathing is meditation and becoming mindful without any of the connotations of being a “big special thing” that people assume they cannot do. Meditate? Nope. Breath? Well, duh. Of course.
I might go back to this book. I have highlighted a few lines that I felt were interesting, important or just clever. I wrote a few notes in a journal I was keeping at the time. But maybe, when I am at the end of the middle of my journey, I will have the ability to appreciate it more. Or maybe I will skip the introduction part and start with the practices. Having this (literally a year) separation of start and finishing, might have been the trick. There is a time and place for almost every book and maybe now is the time. I am going to give this book a three as it has potential and I know it helped the friend who recommended it to me.
Huh, guess I knew how to review this after all.
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