The last big writing assignment my 2010 writing students have is to write a Rhetorical Think Piece using three resources from the sources they used for their research paper.
It is always my goal to have written what I assign, and yet I haven't written to this particular assignment. So, I write. And I chose to use three sources that I am reading right now as I learn more about a topic I love: Mindfulness.
Below is my review of three books regarding Mindfulness - for my students and for my blog readers. Enjoy.
Ronda Walker Weaver
April 4, 2018
English 2010
Rhetorical Think Piece – Mindfulness;
Benefits and Practices
I have been studying Mindfulness for the past six years. I injured my
back six years ago. I could not get into a doctor for three months, so I had to
find some way of staying in the moment and keeping my pain at bay. Then, five
and a half years ago I found a tumor in my left breast. It was cancerous. I
went through eight months of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. During this
time my mind and body were restless and in pain. I needed the practices Mindfulness
offers to control my pain and to keep myself in the moment rather than worrying
about tomorrow.
There are three publications that helped me as I wrote my research paper,
“Practicing Mindfulness.” These pieces are Breathe:
The Well-Being Special; Mindfulness: An Eight Week Plan for Finding Peace in a
Frantic World, and 101 Mindful Ways
to Build Resilience: Cultivate Calm, Clarity, Optimism and Happiness Each Day.
Jonathan
Grogan, editor. Breathe: The Well-Being
Special. Times Inc. Books, 2017.
Summary
Breathe: The Well-Being Special, is printed in magazine form, with
numerous topics regarding practicing Mindfulness. There are several articles,
or chapters in this publication, with numerous authors and specialists in the
area of Mindfulness contributing their wisdom. The book is broken down into four
areas: Mindfulness, Wellness, Kindness, and Inspiration.
With these four chapters,
the publisher takes the reader from the actual practices of Mindfulness to the
benefits of Mindfulness.
I appreciated the
essay, “Let Go,” where the author writes about identifying feelings that are of
no benefit and giving the reader the permission and tools to let go of these
emotions (16).
A second article,
“Yoga: find your balance,” is a good beginner’s guide to Yoga. This article
discusses how to find the right type of yoga for anyone interested in
practicing.
Interestingly,
kindness, plays a powerful role in practicing Mindfulness, as the article on
“Letter Writing” explains.
Lastly, in the
“Inspiration” section, topics include taking a bath, benefits of essential
oils, a good night’s sleep, and having hope.
Point of View
This book is very
upbeat and very simple. The articles are clearly presented and written for a
general audience. There are “cutesy” drawings, pictures, fonts, and sidebars,
which made me believe, along with the article topics, that this was written for
a female audience.
Counter-Argument
My counter-argument
would be that the articles are very short quick reads, with nothing too deep or
intense. There were topics where I wished there would have been more
information, or at least some resources made available. This book appears to be
a “one-stop shopping” publication, where this probably should be a primer with
resources if the reader wants to go deeper into any of the topics presented.
Tone
The book is cleanly
and clearly presented. All of the articles are positive and very
life-affirming. This book, like a magazine, does not need to be read in any
order, as the articles do not build on each other. It does have a Nordic feel
to it – from the drawing on the cover to the feel of the paper to the simple
drawings inside. There is a Scandinavian term that is quite popular these days,
“hygge,” and this publication lends itself to the idea of cozy, simple, and
encouraging.
Value
The value is the
set-up of the book as well as the readability. It offers a great overview of
what breathing and well-being really are.
Mark
Williams, and Danny Penman. Mindfulness:
An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World. Rodale Books,
2012.
Summary
This book is a basic guide to understanding Mindfulness, and it offers
simple forms of Mindfulness that anyone can practice.
Point of View
Mindfulness Guru,
John Kabat-Zinn wrote a foreword for this book. And, if he endorses its
publication, it must be of value. This writing is not just “fluff,” but a “how
to” manual for application of the material that is taught. This book is a
challenge – not only reading the material as well as choosing to take on, and
commit to, the eight-week plan that is created in the book.
Counter-Argument
While practical and
even wise, this book’s “change your life in eight weeks” premise can be
daunting. I am even a little concerned about committing to this challenge; what
if I cannot do the eight weeks? Will I be a failure? I think shortening the
challenge would make the entire book a little friendlier.
Tone
Jon Kabat-Zinn sets
the tone for the entire book. He offers, “This is an inspiring program for
anyone caring about his or her own health and sanity.” With that aspiration,
the reader sees not only a challenge, but a confirmation that the work entailed
will be worthwhile.
Value
If the reader is a
skeptic, this book probably is not of much value; but then, why would someone
be reading this if they were not interested in Mindfulness? The value in this
book is not only the explanation of the forms of Mindfulness, but also the ways
to put this into practice – whether it be formal meditation or informal focus.
Donald Altman. 101 Mindful Ways to Build Resilience: Cultivate Calm,
Clarity, Optimism and Happiness Each Day. PESI Publishing, 2016.
Summary
Altman’s guide to Mindfulness is a “how to” manual for
bouncing back from stressful moments using simple sixty second exercises, that
are mostly applicable in any situation, any place. It is divided into four
sections: Calm, Clarity, Optimism, and Happiness.
Point of View
This book is
presented as a toolbox of sorts with the table of contents showing exactly what
tool is needed in any stressful or anxiety producing situation the reader is
in. It is accessible, simple, and very reader friendly.
Counter-Argument
The author makes the
presumption that all of the readers will have been in situations where stress
can happen and then downtime can quickly proceed. He also presumes that his
readers are resilient and able to bounce back from challenges.
Tone
The tone is chatty
while also teaching. Altman gives step-by-step instructions for each mindful
moment. For example, under “Daily Intention Setting,” he teaches the reader
should make a conscious effort to set positive intentions for the day, every
morning, “It helps you show up in a way that makes even your smaller actions
count. A guiding intention invites a sense of order and calm into your day –
and life.” He then proceeds to give four “How-to” points for putting this into
action. This clearly defined and leaves the reader with no excuse for not being
able to act on these intentions (11).
Value
Easy, simple, quick,
without taking more than a minute, these applications are doable to even a
novice at practicing Mindfulness. This practical guide does what it promises,
if the reader gives the actions just a try.
Conclusion
My ability to practice Mindfulness supported my
experiences with my back, my cancer treatment, and my desire to find a place in
my mind and my day to calm down. Even today, when life gets stressful, my
anxiety gets high, and I cannot sleep at nights, I have the resources and
knowledge to practice Mindfulness, whether that be a fifteen-minute meditation,
some deep stretching or yoga for a bit (even at work), or taking the time to
close my eyes, picture a sunny day at the lake, and “ommm” for a few minutes as
the plane takes off, or lands, on my way to England this next week.
