Fully Present

The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness

By: Susan Smally Ph.D., Diana Winston

Narrated by: Elizabeth London

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Mindfulness—the art of paying attention with openness and curiosity to the present moment—has attracted ever-growing interest and tens of thousands of practitioners. This uniquely accessible guide provides a scientific explanation for how mindfulness positively and powerfully affects the brain and body, as well as practical guidance.

With sections devoted to “The Science”, “The Art”, and “The Practice”, Fully Present will help you understand how and why meditation is so effective, and will help you develop and sustain your own practice in order to:

• Reduce stress
• Boost your body’s immune system
• Ease chronic physical pain
• Cope with negative emotions
• Increase self-awareness
• Cultivate happiness

Complete with fascinating research on how our brains work and respond to meditation, as well as practical tips and exercises, Fully Present is an essential guide for anyone interested in enhancing their own health and well-being.

©2010 Susan Smally, Ph.D., Diane Winston (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic Reviews

“A highly readable, informed, and elegant synthesis. Susan Smalley and Diana Winston have done a remarkable job of weaving together a coherent and compelling narrative that encourages each one of us to explore mindfulness from the inside out for our own benefit and the greater well-being of the world.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn, best-selling author; founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School)

“Brilliant, authoritative, rooted in solid research, and incredibly useful! If people would follow the practices outlined here, it is guaranteed they would become happier, healthier, and more fulfilled in their lives.” (Edward Hallowell, MD, best-selling author of Driven to Distraction)

Decent information but very boring

This has information that is really useful but it's basically like a longer version of a paper you would write in a freshman science class. There's just no passion. "Study x said this. You can mediate by doing y." Over and over.

Some very useful insights but to sum up: meditation helps basically everything about you; psychological or physical. Meditate comfortably in whatever way makes it most likely you will continue the practice.

Family Physician point of view

If you are looking for a 'how to' book, this is not the one for you. If you are looking for a 'why to' book, this by far is the best one I have found. Up to date. Could have been edited a little better. I am recommending for my patients. Doc in Indiana

Not very interesting

I like the ideal of being fully present in this life. But doubt that this book will assist in that goal. The author seems to repeat herself, perhaps with the idea that repetition will lead to being fully present. In any case, it put me to sleep about half way through.

Possibly this book is better read or skimmed than listened to. It is not as interesting as the description and sample suggests.

Improves upon re-listening

This audiobook contains a wide variety of information. I find the depth of information to be very useful. The audiobook starts with the author's own life experiences and difficulties and how they deal with them. Then there give you scientific information, including the mindfulness clinic they run. There are also instructions on the different types of mindfulness meditation.

The only negative for me is that in this audiobook, you are referred to go to their website where you can download guided meditation files, but when I get to their site, I can't find any related audio files. So that was disappointing.

The narrator of this audiobook grows on you the more you listen to it. At first, I thought she was okay, but the more I listened to the audiobook, the more I find that her voice is a good match for the content.

Overall, I really enjoy this book and have already listened to it twice. I will listen to this every once in a while. I believe this is my favorite audible purchase.

Excellent for those studying subject but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This is not a book for someone who is trying to learn how to do mindfulness. It is a complete history, full of definitions and research studies.

Has Fully Present turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

A Gem

I first encountered this book when I was actually taking a class given by MARC . Since I practiced a form of meditation, and I am a lawyer to boot- I thought I understood and knew it all. So glad to have found the Audible version, it provided me with a road map that will allow me to fully use this practical and invaluable manual.

This book changed my life

If you could sum up Fully Present in three words, what would they be?

Truly Enlightening!

What other book might you compare Fully Present to and why?

I would compliment this book with "May I have your attention"

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are" - Bernice Johnson Reagon

Any additional comments?

I listen to Diana Winston's iTunes meditation every night. In the morning I'm fully present.
Thank you for this most precious gift!

Life-Changing Book

This book covers everything you want to know about living a good life through the practice of mindfulness. It blends both Scientific studies with antidote to explain the importance of meditation. It also gives you practical advice on applying the principles. This was more than what I was looking for. I highly recommend this book!

Enlightening, Sensible, Approachable...

"Fully Present", leads the reader to a clearer understanding of the mind & thoughts, & how we can better relate to them in our everyday lives, & gain an advantage over our mind wanderings to give us better focus, & increased awareness that will improve our efficiency in all that we put our minds to do.
Hurdles are taken away as you progress more & more.
Good to listen to, & meditate on.

Sensational!

Actually, I don't think I had many expectations. I was interested to read more on mindfulness and increase my awareness on the topic. Fully Present was fabulous! I love how the authors give you the science and then built in practice exercises. This allowed me to apply what I was reading. Chapter 10 was the chapter that resonated with me the most! So much so that I listened to it several times and then read it for myself. Thank you for writing this book!

listened 3x and grt 2 fall asleep too

narrator gentle lovely voice
scientific and spiritual enjoyable good luck with your journey to mindfulness