Mindful Emotion
A Short Course in Kindness
Those who feel called to make a difference in the world will find the practice of kindness to be a powerful first step.
To respond with kindness in all situations can seem like an unachievable goal, but, in Mindful Emotion: A Short Course in Kindness, Dr. Paramabandhu Groves and Dr. Jed Shamel have brought science, ancient wisdom, and psychological insight together in a practical and wise guide that illuminates a clear path to making kindness a bigger part of life, and something that can be relied upon when things get tough.
Rooted in the Buddhist tradition and inspired by contemporary compassion and mindfulness approaches, Mindful Emotion is the workbook for their course, “Kindness Behaviour Training,” but it stands alone as an accessible, practical, and inspiring guide that demystifies the process of becoming kinder and more compassionate with ourselves, those around us, and even those we may not happen to like.
Using the familiar analogy of the garden, the book shows how simple kindness can have far-reaching, powerful, and often unseen consequences, and how, as a practice, it has the advantage of being something that we can start right now, wherever we are.
Key to developing and radiating kindness is meditation, both formal and informal. “Meditation and action mutually reinforce each other,” write the authors. “As we practice, we see more and more subtle and skillful ways of acting with kindness. We learn to combat the unhelpful ingrained habits of our heart and to transform them into ways of being that benefit both us and others and harvest rich rewards.”
With guided meditations both in the text and in the accompanying audio, with practical exercises and lots of encouragement to take a patient, compassionate, and gently questioning attitude to the self, Mindful Emotion is a real gem.
Those who are looking to deepen their meditation practice and bring its fruits out into the world will find the practice of kindness uncomplicated, portable, and transformational. Those who feel called to make a difference in the world will find the practice of kindness to be a powerful first step—it may even be the only one that’s really needed.
Reviewed by
Kristine Morris
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
