Leadership by the Book: Seeking Mindfulness
Kim Delaney, POD Office Manager & Consultation Services Coordinator
Just a few months ago, the idea of reading a book about mindfulness was not even a little appealing to me. It's not just that anything new-agey gives me a rash, it seemed that mindfulness either required untold hours of meditation or was a total no-brainer (just pay attention). Four very distinct books later, I'm starting to get it. I've learned that mindfulness can take a lot of time—or not. You must begin it as a discipline and practice constantly—or not. Meditation is essential for mindfulness—or it doesn't have to be. In other words, ideas about mindfulness cross a very wide spectrum; the key is finding an approach that fits with your own sensibility and day-to-day life.
Now that mindfulness holds more appeal for me, I'd like to help you find a book that resonates with you—whether you're wary of the idea or already intrigued.
Taking On the Heavyweights
After both Amazon and a co-worker recommended the prolific Thich Nhat Hanh, I decided to start my reading with Work: How to Find Joy and Meaning in Each Hour of the Day (2012). I quickly set (or maybe threw) this book aside as too "woo-woo." I will not smile at my toast in the morning. I might have an encouraging word for a plant here and there, but thanking my toast for being an ambassador to the cosmos is out of the question.
I moved on to two books that appeared to be among the most well-regarded on the topic. First came Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer, PhD, the 25th anniversary edition of which was published in 2014. A psychology professor at Harvard since 1981, Langer has been called "the mother of mindfulness." I felt optimistic that if I were to find a foothold in mindfulness, it would be due to Dr. Langer. As it turned out, though, Mindfulness was a letdown.
In Langer's view, "mindfulness involves two key strategies: attention to context and attention to variability." That sounds good, but Langer's book provides no tools to implement those strategies, and while she mentions meditation practices, she generally dismisses them as too difficult. I also found Mindfulness too focused on detailing consequences of mindlessness. That said, I might recommend this book to those looking for reasons to become more mindful; in that case, this might be the place to start.
Perhaps the heavyweight champion in the field is Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, a favorite of PhDs and MDs around the world. He has written several books on mindfulness, including titles that you may have noticed such as Wherever You Go, There You Are (1994). Given Kabat-Zinn's reputation, I rustled up some more optimism and plunged into the 720-page Full Catastrophe Living (first published in 1990, with a revised edition published in 2013).
In exchange for my investment of reading hundreds of pages, I got a comprehensive guide with practical meditation exercises and an abundance of the science behind the benefits. However, I also got a very heavy wet blanket. Full Catastrophe Living seems determined to quash any actual attempts to practice mindfulness for yourself. For instance, Kabat-Zinn reiterates the necessity of going into the practice with an open mind—but not too optimistically, but then again with not too much pessimism either. Full Catastrophe Living does contain myriad examples of people undergoing extraordinary changes within a couple of weeks of mindfulness practice, but it's equally full of warnings, disclaimers, and admonitions.
If you are suffering chronic pain of any kind, I would recommend this book because it's full of examples of mindfulness accomplishing medical miracles. If that isn't your situation, I would not recommend it. Kabat-Zinn lays on the difficulty of achieving results with an unnecessarily heavy brick.
Starting Over
After reading Langer and Kabat-Zinn, the concept of mindfulness seemed murkier than before I'd begun, so I went back to Thich Nhat Hanh's Work. Sliding past the suggestion to thank my breakfast, I dove into the rest of it and found ideas I can incorporate into my life at various times of the day, for a few seconds or a few minutes at a time.
After Langer and Kabat-Zinn, I found that Thich Nhat Hanh's words rest easily. No judgment, no pushing, no questions. Breathing, eating, sitting…it's all covered beautifully in the 120 slim pages of Work, and the writing is full of encouragement.
Walking slowly can be done anywhere, anytime. You can try walking meditation when you walk across your office or go between offices, when you go to the restroom or walk around the park on your lunch break. Don't think that you have to be a "Buddhist" or understand everything about mindfulness right away. Anyone can practice walking mindfully.
Thich Nhat Hanh has authored many books, and they tend to be short, gracefully written, and full of detailed examples and specific guidelines. His work is often called "applied Buddhism," and his books are meant to be carried around, not necessarily read in sequence, and employed at will. I think his approach would work well for anyone interested in the practice of mindfulness, even those with limited time.
Something for Everyone
The fourth book I read was one that I'd nearly dismissed outright, but it turned out to be the most valuable to me: Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel (Dutch edition published 2010; English translation 2013). It was filed in the children's section and had an adorably simple illustration on the cover. Consequently, I expected a picture book with very simple content, but Sitting Still Like a Frog is actually a fairly dense but immensely readable 100 pages with instructions on teaching children the practices of mindfulness.
The subtitle of the book is Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), but this book is clearly written to be read by adults so that the ideas can be conveyed to children. In other words, this is a book for everyone, and you may choose to relay the information to kids if you have the opportunity. Otherwise, read it just for yourself. As Snel writes:
Mindfulness—or deliberate, friendly attention—is beneficial not only for children. Parents also like to have a way to free themselves from their relentless stream of consciousness. Thoughts never stop. All you can do is stop interacting with them, stop listening to them.
Sitting Still comes with an engaging CD with mindfulness exercises ranging from three to ten minutes each. Exercises like "The Spaghetti Test," "First Aid for Unpleasant Feelings," "The Conveyor Belt of Worries," and "Sleep Tight" are clearly geared towards children, as is narration such as "Frogs can jump really far and croak really loud, but they can also sit very still and do nothing" or "Maybe you notice that…your bottom can't stop wiggling." Still, I think just about anyone could benefit from these exercises; they're pleasant, uncomplicated, and soothing. For those of you with children in your lives—be it your own kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, or family friends—I think it could be fun to try doing one or more of these exercises with them.
I suppose at this point I should close with "Namaste," but instead I'll leave you with this from Sitting Still: "You cannot control the sea. You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf on them. This is the central idea underlying mindfulness practice." Best of luck finding the shortboard or longboard—or perhaps a hybrid—that works for you.
Check out The Whole U events calendar for Mindfulness Meditations on the second Thursday of each month.
