Book Review: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook by Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein

If there were a single word that I had to use to characterize modern life, it would be “stress”. Everyone is stressed. We’re all trying to cram so much into our lives. There’s nothing wrong with achievement, but sometimes the overt busy-ness becomes an aim in itself. We’re so busy doing things, that we don’t have time or energy to reflect on the purpose of our activity; don’t have time to rest and connect.

This can create all sorts of problems, from the existential – that of feeling a strong disconnect between who we are and what we do, to the physical – with attendant conditions of sickness, exhaustion, and general malaise. That’s why mindfulness, or a calm sense of consciousness in the present moment, is so important. For me, an almost compulsive juggler, mindfulness is a challenge. When I was younger, my mother would often tell me to "be here now," a phrase taken from the title of a book by Ram Dass. Reading A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook reminds me of how important that notion is, and how many modern conditions are related to our obsession with achievement and advancement and our lack of stillness.

As the title suggests, this is a very practical and application oriented book. It comes with an MP3 CD with guided meditations that follow the written ones in the book. These meditations are softly and clearly spoken by the Stahl, and are designed to address a range of situations.  They are deeply relaxing and can, in particular, help with high-stress situations where the mind won't stop racing.

The book looks at the notion of mindfulness, how to practice mindfulness meditation, how to use it to reduce anxiety and stress, and how to be mindful in one’s practice, while eating, exercising, resting and connecting. Each chapter follows a similar pattern, beginning with an introduction, a formal practice, a journal which invites the reader to explore the concepts personally, an informal practice, a formal and informal practice log, and frequently asked questions. It’s an easy read, and by simply following the steps, the reader will learn a lot about his or herself, and provide a benchmark on which to build regular meditation/reflective time.

Article Author: Maggie Ball

Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader. She is the author of Repulsion Thrust, Sleep Before Evening, The Art of Assessment, Quark Soup, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Cherished Pulse , She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. …

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