Mindfulness Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Psychology

How does mindfulness promote psychological well-being? What are its core mechanisms? What value do contemplative practices add to approaches that are already effective? From leading meditation teacher Christina Feldman and distinguished psychologist Willem Kuyken, this book provides a uniquely integrative perspective on mindfulness and its applications. The authors explore mindfulness from its roots in Buddhist psychology to its role in contemporary psychological science. In-depth case examples illustrate how and why mindfulness training can help people move from distress and suffering to resilience and flourishing. Readers are guided to consider mindfulness not only conceptually, but also experientially, through their own journey of mindfulness practice.

Foreword, Zindel V. Segal
1. Unpacking Mindfulness
2. A Map of the Mind: Attention, Perception, and the Judging Mind
3. A Map of the Mind: Being and Knowing
4. A Buddhist Psychology Map: From Suffering to Flourishing
5. An Integrated Map of Distress and Suffering
6. Transformation: A Route Map through Mindfulness Training
7. The Heart of the Practice: Befriending, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity
8. Embodiment: Living the Life We Aspire To
9. Ethics and Integrity in Mindfulness-Based Programs
10. A Final Word
Appendix 1. Definitions of Key Terms
Appendix 2. What Is Mindfulness Training and a Mindfulness-Based Program?
Notes
References
Index

Christina Feldman is a leading senior teacher in the insight meditation community, offering retreats internationally. She is a contributing faculty member in several postgraduate mindfulness programs, including the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and Radboud University in The Netherlands. She is a cofounder of Gaia House in the United Kingdom and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. The author of numerous books, Ms. Feldman is a core teacher at Bodhi College in the United Kingdom and is deeply engaged in the dialogue between Buddhist psychology and contemporary mindfulness.

Willem Kuyken, PhD, is Riblat Professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, and Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. His work focuses on depression and its prevention and treatment. In particular, his research examines how mindfulness and mindfulness-based programs can prevent depression and enhance human potential across the lifespan. Dr. Kuyken has published more than 100 journal articles, including key papers on the effectiveness, mechanisms, and implementation of mindfulness-based programs.