Very helpful and useful book about mindfulness. I am just starting to try and practice it and am finding it a great help in managing my thought. Recommended.

An inspirational and helpful mindfulness book which I found beneficial to my anxiety. Definitely recommended if you need help managing negative thoughts.

Mindfulness is a great way to free yourself from worry, regret, of daily stress and of taking control of your emotional life. So many things in our lives are outside of our control, but our thoughts are something that, with practice, can be shifted to focus more often on what "is" rather than "what ifs". This book speaks simply and clearly to the benefits of mindfulness with great examples of how to put mindfulness to work in your daily life, finding the happiness and joy that is already present in every day.

I am so happy I read this book. It is a short and accessible guide to mindfulness and meditation. When I was reading this, I was going through a hard time in my personal life and this book really helped. It contains meditations that I had not heard of before that were relaxing. I will definitely keep this book as a resource and re-read.

I’m sure the good intentions were there but it came across as a little contrite and in places; almost sarcastic. I also found the content woolly, with no real insight into mindfulness at all. I’d advise saving your money and putting it toward a Calm subscription where mindfulness is both taught and explained in an engaging way.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Frances Trussell and John Hunt Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

You are not your thoughts - what a concept. If I could do that, I’d be a happier little lamb! That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aspire to higher thinking. Now I know, I know, this is not a new concept but it bears worth repeating, or reading, over and over again. I seriously dove into the mindfulness/meditation world around 6 years ago and have read, studied and practiced a ton. So, I was looking forward to reading a new voice. Frances Trussell is based out of London and is a mindfulness, meditation teacher among other things. She has a meditation podcast called The Mindfully Happy podcast and this is her first book. It is small - just over 100 pages. I have to say that everything she discusses is right on the money. She offers many gems, or words of wisdom. The first third of the book she talks about mindfulness with the last two thirds focusing on meditation.

This isn’t a trite book and it doesn’t come off all buzz wordy. She knows her stuff and brings up many important issues that can help us lead a better life. Her main topic is trying to quiet the voice in our head. You know, the one that talks to us all day long, reading from a script that was written a long time ago, that criticizes and beats us down. That voice stops us from being our true self. When it is talking we are either living in the past, or worrying about the future. The amazing thing is no one else knows what that voice is saying or believes it to be true. Only us! We probably won’t be able to totally get rid of it but if we can at least be aware and keep it quiet, all kinds of wonderful things open up to us. With awareness comes space that will allow us to be more true to ourselves. One of the ways of creating space is meditation. Trussell takes you through from a beginning meditation to more advanced ones, explaining the how to and the goal of each one so you can progress accordingly. She also provides links to her website and podcast so you can use these additional sources.

I think the meditation part she did better than the mindfulness. You can’t just throw out a whole but of platitudes and expect people to understand how to go about this very hard work. I would have rathered she focus on one thing with mindfulness and then go on to the meditation part. Like I said, everything she writes is true and important but without guidance I think most people will be lost. Certainly, if you are new to this, I don’t think this will offer any chance at lasting change, or even start you on the road properly. And I have a huge problem with that. I think it is irresponsible to sort of drop all of this stuff out there and not back it up. That’s how mindfulness gets all twisted up and distorted and people don’t really understand what to do with it. I don’t think that if even offers inspiration that will motivate newcomers to go off and learn more. Because I better understand what she is saying, I could nod and agree with it as I read along, but it didn’t help move me along in my practice either. So not for beginners, not for experienced. One thing she does say, which bears repeating, is that there is no wrong and trying is doing. Just by the act of thinking about your inner voice can make a shift. I would encourage anyone to explore this idea of “you are not your thoughts” because all it can do is add to your life in a positive way. She does a much better job with explaining the meditation. Probably because she teaches it, she is better able to break it down. For that alone, the book is worth it.

A short little read about wellbeing, mindfullness and meditation. It was actually quite a nice little read and was quite interesting but I just felt there wasn't much to it. It really wasn't groundbreaking stuff. Would make a nice little gift for someone who needs to be more mindfull though.

I have read many, many books about personal development, including books about mindfulness, so I wasn't particularly expecting to find anything 'new' in 'You Are Not Your Thoughts'. However I discovered this book is a real gem.

There are many things I love about the book. First of all it is short! With many books you have to digest pages of theory before you can 'get going', but in this book there are short exercises you can try right from the beginning. So you don't have to spend time understanding what you are going to be doing - you just start doing it.

This book is also very easy to read. It doesn't bombard you with complex ideas but could give you results that will transform your life. It cleverly addresses the negative thoughts that can creep in, such as 'I won't have time to include this in my life' and 'What if I don't do it right?' and provides suggestions of ways you can gradually extend and deepen your practice. And they are quick and easy steps. You don't have to struggle or work hard at this.

If you are drawn to the idea that behind the noise in our minds there is 'the indescribable hum of happiness' and you long to tap into this happiness, then give this book a go.

I would recommend this for anyone who has heard about mindfulness and meditation but has never tried it; for anyone who has tried meditation but 'not got on with it'; or for anyone who would love to find some happiness but just don't know how to go about it. It is also great for people like me who know the benefits of meditation, but sometimes just get too caught up with day to day 'stuff' and need a reminder that there are simple steps we can take to find joy in each day.

Thank you to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing for a review copy of this book. It is much appreciated.

Fascinating insight and definitely a book I’ll return to. Brilliant ideas explained clearly and helpfully.

Are you plagued by overthinking that eventually leads to depression and even suicidal thoughts? Scared that your life is going nowhere and you're doomed to the darkness forever? Then this is the book for you.

At only about one hundred pages, this book is jam packed full of techniques not only to ground yourself when you start to spiral, but why you feel this way and why you should change it. I learned a lot more than I thought I would, but mostly that a lot of people feel the same ways and don't know it. This book can help people all around the world wake up and realize that there's more to life than suffering, addiction, and sadness.

You may think that you are your thoughts and that your thoughts are you, but this proves exactly the opposite. It gives you ways to calm down when you're feeling like you're out of control or overthinking, and motivational ways to keep your cool. It even explains how meditation and mindfulness works even if you feel like it's not working!

I think the biggest thing I've learned from this book is that mindfulness is something that suddenly clicks on for a lot of people. Like a light switch, it seems like it's so simple and makes so much sense, but you couldn't even think about it when you're in the darkest parts of your life. That and, your brain can't distinguish between memories and real life, so when you're stuck in a thought cycle of living in the past, your brain gives you a kind of fight or flight for it.

Overall, this was a really interesting book, and it's really worth the read. I definitely recommend it for anyone at any part of their lives, good or bad, because I think it's just so important that everyone should know it. After all, all we have is the present.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

Recently I was told that my negative thoughts were killing me and that because I was thinking so much about getting old, I actually was creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hmmm... At first I was quite angry. I like to think of myself as more forward thinking than they were suggesting. But then I realized that they were absolutely right! All of my life I have had nothing except negative thoughts about myself. The reason for this is myriad and complex but the causes are not the same as the solution. I had no idea how to change my thoughts which would, in turn, change my behavior. Then, several months ago this little gem popped up in my "to read" list. Am I ever glad that it did!

I understand all of the different beliefs and have had a semi-working knowledge of the ideas that are presented in You are Not Your Thoughts, including mindfulness, meditation, and more. I won't go into everything in the book, a lot of which is a very simplified of version of Buddhism - which is NOT a religion, I might add - but the exercises, the ideology behind the message of the book has helped me tremendously.

We live in a world that is too stressed, too obsessed, too over-the-top which permeates nearly every aspect of our waking moment. It is nice to learn how to step back, breathe deep and live in the moment. This is a super short book, a very quick read. I took time before writing this review so that I could actually put some of the suggestions into play, to see if it was all hocus-pocus or not. It wasn't. For me, it has been a real eye-opening, thoughtful experience, one that I hope you also will try.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publishes for my copy of #YouAreNotYourThoughts

This book gives practical ideas to help ease into meditation by counting your breaths until you aren’t getting distracted. It’s a handy book for those who want to find ways to ease into mindfulness.
That being said, it didn't help me as much as I'd hoped, but that's just me. I think it would be very helpful for someone just beginning to discover their path to mindfulness.

This is a very simple guide for beginners to the practice of mindfulness. I am not a beginner to this topic So it was not helpful for me, however I believe it will be helpful to anyone who is just beginning a practice of meditation and/or mindfulness. One thing I did get from this is the authors definition of mindfulness which is to keep our minds full of whatever it is we are doing at any given moment. I have never heard it explained exactly like that before and it resonated with me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

You Are Not Your Thoughts: The Secret Matter of Mindfulness is a good introduction to mindfulness and meditation. A quick and easy read, it actually explains how to meditate for those who have not been able to find the information elsewhere.

The author distinguishes between thoughts (mind) and feelings (emotional reactions to thoughts that cause physical changes within the body). Her premise is you are not your thoughts, that you can control your thoughts (and reactions to them) by meditation, and that by focusing on the now, not the past, and not the future, you can embrace the art of new beginnings.

At first, I took exception to the title, because I think our lives ARE based on our thoughts and self-beliefs. If we constantly dwell on the negative, we are a negative person and that produces consequences both for ourselves and for those around us. If our thoughts are kind and compassionate, we tend to be kind and compassionate. I do agree with the author that our thoughts are often not based in fact, and that we have the capability to question our thoughts, acknowledge the feelings they create, deal with them and move on. We can redirect our thoughts to our benefit.

"Your attention is yours to give, be aware of where you choose to place it."

Many thanks to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing - O Books for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy read, I think this is something we could all use. This book teaches us simple ways in which we can begin to meditate and make the changes in our lives we are looking to make. I enjoyed reading it and got some new understanding on things, now to put what I learned into practice.

We all wish to be more mindful, engaged, present – loving the life we are living, but is this possible and how? You Are Not Your Thoughts: The Secret Magic of Mindfulness makes the journey into a mindful way of being a profoundly simple one, both to understand and to access. It is a book for those who want to truly know the power of mindfulness to transform their experience of life.

The little book that makes a big impact... a must read for anyone wanting to know and understand what mindfulness is all about and how to bring it into their lives.

The author is a straight shooter who doesn't sugar coat it... she guides you through exercises and discussions of the basic concepts. in easily digestible snippets and easy to do steps that you can start straight away to make the necessary changes to your life.

It's a practical and insightful way to train your mind to think more positive, resulting in a more productive life whilst avoiding the pitfalls of negative thinking.

I am on over thinker, suffering with anxiety and depression and I found it inspiring... and whilst I've just had a read through the book, I've not yet tried any of the exercises or authors suggestions... I look forward to trying them.

It's packed with insights and tips for incorporating mindfulness into our everyday life

Thank-You Netgalley for my ARC.

This book is a really short book which is something that I really appreciate in self help books. I just want to get to the point and start to put what I have learnt into practice. I feel that this book is probably more aimed at somebody who has never practiced mindfulness before. The author talks of separating your thoughts from your feelings which did give me pause for thought. I would recommend this book to anyone who suffers from anxiety and has n3ver practiced mindfulness before.

Great read for a beginner into mindfulness, This title is fun of nuggets to carry through your journey of mindfulness and peace.

Having read a lot of self-help books I found this book didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. If you are new to the mindfulness genre then I am sure it would be informative.

This wonderful little book is so simple but so truthful--it really resonated with me, right from the very first page! I want to buy copies of this book for everyone I know because I truly believe almost everyone could benefit from the messages contained here. At it's most basic, we have the power to be happy by choosing to live in the moment we are in, and choosing to not let our thoughts control us. The author guides us through exercises and a logical roadmap and discussion of basic concepts, but she shoots very straight. She doesn't sugar coat it; I felt very much like she was speaking directly to me and that she KNEW me. :-) I suspect, deep down, many of us are trapped in circular worrisome thinking--replaying the past, worrying about the future, missing out on what is happening RIGHT NOW. I know I am. But the author gives us tools to help us stop the madness and learn how to just BE. It sounds simple because it IS. Doesn't mean it's easy...but she puts the information into easily digestible bites, in easy to do steps...I felt lighter and happier just a few chapters in, and by the end, I felt as if something fundamentally MAJOR had changed. I have to keep working on it, but seriously--while this is not necessarily NEW information, this book is written in a very straightforward, appealing manner that feels like you can start right this second, right on this page, right NOW. And your life will change. Just start with the first page.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.