Perhaps it's women's curse- natural born multi-taskers that we are- or perhaps it's just the constant barrage of sensory stimulus society aims at us at any given moment, but the idea of simply 'being', no matter what task is being done is a foreign concept to many in this day and age. I'm pretty guilty of this myself. God forbid anyone take time to simply eat and focus on eating, rather than doing a 'working lunch', or to take time to walk to just walk, or even worse, to just sit quietly and meditate. There never seems to be enough time to concentrate on only one thing.

Enter 'mindfulness', the idea of being fully present, aware in each moment, rather than endlessly anticipating the next. Kabat-Zinn is pretty much the go-to guy for mindfulness studies in the United States. Here, in this very simple, elementary guide to mindfulness, he walks beginners step-by-step through the basics of the practice. A sort of 'crash-course' in mindfulness, if you will. His voice is soothing and appealing as he leads the interested from simple definitions through to meditation excercises.

If you have any experience with this sort of meditation, the information offered here will probably be insufficient for you. But for beginners, this introduction can't be beat.

A friend gave me this audio book to listen to saying "you may like this". She was right. I did like this. My first audio book in a few months now. I do not normally like audio books, preferring the paper product over the audio.
It was a pleasant surprise to listen to the audio book though as it felt if I am relaxing listening to a melody and not a book. I am not talking about the tone of the speaker though that was not so bad either. I am referring to the content of the book which made a good listening.
I might even be tempted to get more inspirational audio books.
The 5 meditation techniques are a nice way to clear your mind of thoughts and relax whether you are at home or work. Give it a try. You may be surprised too :-) Priced a little steeply though so see if you can get your friend to buy it for you.

Mindfulness for Beginners is, in many ways, just that. For beginners. But, one would not know that until further into the study of mindfulness, and Mindfulness for Beginners is a wonderful starting point.
Not only meditations, this book also details other tenants of mindfulness which can be used in a moment to moment basis, in every part of your life.
It helps lay the groundwork for increasing your effectiveness in listening, not only to others, but to your own reactions to the world, learn to pay attention to the way your actions and feelings affect the world around you. Learn to become a non critical, non analytical observer of yourself! Just about everyone could benefit from at least one section of this book, which makes it a fantastic resource.
Mindfulness for Beginners can be a wonderful beginning to a more peaceful, and meaningful way of living in the hectic day to day life of the modern world.

Titles that say 'Beginners' tend to make me wince. This was great, however. It looks at the relationship between the heart and the mind, and the importance of curiosity and identification. It encourages consciousness.

Another major focus is on mindfulness, whether it concerns meditation, fitness, health and eating, thoughts, emotions, or mindfulness of our surroundings. A lot of this is based on concentration and unwavering focus.

This book is deep, easy to understand and follow, and altogether enjoyable. It provides great foundations, covering all the basics you'll need to continue to focus on mindfulness. Of all the options you have available to you regarding mindfulness, this is toward the top.