Mindful Thoughts for Stargazers

A beautiful and thoughtful book. It links astronomy with the practice of mindfulness. Each short chapter comprises some scientific information, a simple illustration and ideas for practising mindfulness.
I loved the way astronomy was used to illustrate points for consideration. The mystery and awe of the universe and our place in it are wonderfully portrayed.
The book emphasises curiosity and learning. Very thought-provoking.

Just from the first glance at the cover, I thought this was a kids picture book, but I was pleasantly surprised that it is more than that. Besides the lovely and delightful illustrations accompanying every section, this book holds very interesting information on how night skies and stargazing can help us practice mindfulness. The astronomic aspects were well explained, and I liked how the author connected the outer universe with what’s been swelling in ourselves. The book asks simple questions but makes you ponder for an answer by taking a moment and pause. It makes you aware of the tiny and simple things around and within you. A very thoughtful take on how to practice mindfulness.

This book is perfect for someone who loves the stars and the night sky as well as someone who is looking for a way to do some mindful thinking and introspective personal work. This book combines something that most people are interested in --the night sky-- and ways to think about our lives and how we live them each time we look up.

The simple and whimsy illustrations in this book are perfect; they are not too heavy and overthought and add just the right amount of interest. This book is also packed with little facts and tidbits about astronomy that help ground the more philosophical ideas, making it something that is well-balanced and well-informed.

Hugely enjoyable and informative - it's a book I've now read twice and keep find new parts that really make me wonder. Recommended. My wife also loves it.

This is a sweet book for anyone into mindfulness, meditation and looking at the stars. I have never thought of looking at the stars and meditating but can see why I should be giving this a go and will be trying it very soon.

I thought this was an astronomy book. I’m not even kidding. It is really focused on mindful thought and random tidbits of information. Great for someone who’s looking for such things.

Downloaded from Netgalley free in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Leaping Hare Press, for the read of Mark Westmoquettes’, Mindful Thoughts for Stargazers.

I was immediately interested in this book by the title.

Mindfulness and stargazing? Bringing the two together appealed to me.

It did not disappoint.

Author Mark Westmoquette uses his expertise in astronomy, adds in his Zen knowledge and gives the reader beautiful illustrations to allow visuals to accompany what they are reading. It is a great balance.

There is such peace when gazing up at the stars against the black expanse but one cannot help but wonder. The book provides excellent information on planets and the universe that will appeal to curious minds, but most importantly for me was how mindfulness can be practiced by getting lost in stargazing.

Mindful Thoughts for Stargazers is a thought-provoking read. The facts and learning are there but it’s also very much about quieting your mind. Noticing the night skies and respecting that expanse of great space and allowing it to guide you to a mindfulness experience.

I can recommend this as a wonderfully unique read.

My opinions expressed in my review are my own.

This book is unique and links astrology and mindfulness. It's written in an easy to understand way, Each chapter gives a little scientific background and then connects mindfulness activities one can try. I loved the simple yet powerful pictures throughout the book. A very thought provoking book that was a pleasure to read and I look forward to reading it again. Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Leaping Hare Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book contains a lot of really great information. It helps to link space and stars to mindfulness. I know meditation is an important concept and connecting with the Earth, I had no idea that stars should be included as well. I'm going to use the information I learned from this book and start using it. Recommended.

I was disappointed when this wasn't full of mindfulness exercises to help you really connect with the universe. But I really appreciated for the history and science of the universe that has been created. To really reach one with the universe you need to understand it.

This is such an informative book that caters for meditation under almost every circumstance. It’s explanations are clear and engaging, allowing you to easily practice what is mentioned.

What a wonderfully delightful book! The illustrations are just lovely and really make everything come to life and connect. This book was small but mighty. There was a lot packed into a small number of pages. I love books like this! It gives you a real bang for your buck. The chapters really walk you through the beginning of finding mindfulness and meditation and how it all is interworked with the stars and space. It really was a quick but fascinating read. I felt like I really connected with the author at some points and that made me want to read the book all the more. I easily give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

As someone interested in mindfulness and in love with the night sky, this book seems to have been made for me. I appreciated the insights about working in astronomy, as well as the science and mythology lessons. This was much heavier on science than I expected, but I found it fascinating and learned a lot. After each scientific explanation, Westmoquette brought the lesson around to practicing mindfulness by drawing parallels between the delicate balance of the cosmos with inner awareness. It was a much different approach than anything I've read in the past about mindfulness and, for that, I love it.

If astronomy isn't your thing, the publisher (Leaping Hare Press) has other titles that include Mindful Thoughts for Walkers, Mindful Thoughts for Gardeners, and plenty more. I would love to read more of these.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This is such a cute little book. Very enjoyable:) would definitely recommend it to other stargazers out there.

The principles of astrophysics are gently explained and in each chapter we are reminded about calm thinking, connectedness with our planetary home and with those around us. The short book can be a quick read or you can take a chapter at a time for reflection. Gravity, or the moon, or constellations, or extrasolar planets, are explored with reference to people like Carl Sagan and Steve Jobs. We're also told something of meditation precepts and how, if our attention span has been dwindling to twelve seconds, we can still try to live more meaningfully and deeply.

Fun facts include cities with buildings on solstice lines, or astronomers watching the sky from a high telescope when the clouds cover all below the mountain. Maybe this book will make you more aware of your inner self, or maybe it will just remind you to look at the sky more often. As we ought.
The illustrations are not Hubble but graphics, but that's okay, artists need work.

I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

I downloaded this today and have skimmed it as I think it is a book that I will dip in as and when. Unfortunately I had to download it on Overdrive and I only have 50 odd days to read it.
Never mind, I am planning on Perseid meteor shower spotting tomorrow night and will have a look at this book before we go. My daughter did GCSE Astronomy and I think that she will love it.

This book will exercise your mind while you get to relax under the stars. This book is also handy to have around while outside, which is a perfect feature because it is pocket-sized! Perhaps you’ll see constellations, eclipses, shooting stars and whatever else the wonderful night skies have to offer. The writer is an ex-Zen monk as well as an astronomer lending his knowledge and experiences to this book.
This book has a variety of sections as well as well done illustrations. It is a simple book that combines astronomy more by using his experiences of Zen thoughtfulness to basically help the reader relax. He does accomplish his goal and does a good job. He gives the readers things to think about or ponder while also providing some astronomical answers. This is a well written book with a variety of talents, which could lead to knowledge and some peaceful times enjoying time under the stars. There is so much in this book, but given in a way that does not feel overwhelming.

It really did hit me in the right way as I was reading it. It makes a lot of great points and it's parallels between one thing and the other, while at times a bit reaching, makes perfect sense.

This is a book that is simply titled and fulfils that in every sense.
The author is a bright and talented scientist who gave up astronomy to teach mindfulness. There is no self-justification for this in the book, no forceful mandate to free up one’s mind and find a equilibrium.
The book taught me a great deal about the universe and our interaction with it; the book explains much of Buddhist thought and teaching and cleverly brings mindfulness from a quiet moment like looking up at the stars, to everyday life.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
I did not feel compelled to throw in my lot with the teaching of Buddhism nor rush out to buy a powerful telescope.
I did see a link from stargazing to mindfulness.
The book is light on technique, just a few basics, but strong on why we might be motivated to de-stress and reflect.
The writing is broken down into simple sections that flow and compliment each other to make for a pleasing read. It is further enhance by simple illustrations and shared insights from his religion.
I found the whole thing engaging, well expressed and refreshing - without any imperative or force to make disciples or new converts.
It made a lot of sense and tied his thinking into a single thoughts; our existence into a common life and brought us back to a starry night to introduce wonder and self awareness.

This was a sweet and thoughtful short read. I appreciated the opportunity to review an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.