Tap into a powerful mind-body connection to optimize performance & boost happiness-on & off the running trails. What if the key to improving your running, shaping your body, & boosting your happiness was all in your mind? In Mindful Running, lifelong runner, coach, & fitness journalist Mackenzie L. Havey recounts her personal practice of meditative running & the influence it has had on her life. She taps a wide range of sources-from weekend warriors to Olympic runners, from coaches & sports psychologists to neuroscientists & meditation experts-to examine how training mental fitness through mindfulness can enhance your running practice & lead to a more contented existence. The research is clear: Mindfulness changes the very structure of the brain. Paired with physical training, mindful running has the potential to give you an edge when you`re out logging miles, as well as help you hone the ability to exist in the present, endure challenges & hardship with ease & find greater happiness in all things big & small. Mindful running is a total body & mind fitness regimen with serious benefits that continue even when the race is over. Regardless of your fitness level, the Mindful Running process is the same: We focus in on the body, mind & surroundings & begin to notice what thoughts, feelings & sensations exist in that moment; we fathom that information, consider how it all fits together from a holistic standpoint, & decide if we need to make adjustments; & by following these steps we enter flow, a state that embodies present moment awareness, concentration, confidence, optimal performance & joy. ...

Cycling is about more than competitive racing, lycra, & physical endurance; it`s about joy, meditative wonder & spiritual enrichment. Mindful Thoughts for Cyclists presents a series of focused meditations on why & how cycling can be a powerful practice of mindful awareness. From the pleasure of riding down a hill, to finding the upsides of a flat, Nick Moore steers us on an enlightening journey through the true value of riding a bicycle. ...

Noticing & appreciating the awesome nature of birdlife is a spiritually affirming activity-reconnecting us to the natural world each & every day. Mindful Thoughts for Birdwatchers presents a meaningful flock of enriching thoughts on the interconnectedness of nature in this delightfully illustrated little book. From learning to deeply listen to nature`s songsters to discovering hidden birdlife in the city, author Adam Ford is an enlightening guide to why birdwatching is vital for a flourishing ecosystem & conscious wellbeing. ...

We`ve come to believe that living in a city is the very opposite of living a mindful life. But this couldn`t be further from the truth. Enriching, inventive, ever-evolving, & social, cities are rich with ingredients for sparkling spiritual health. In this beautifully illustrated little book, Mindful Thoughts for City Dwellers leads the reader on a joyful journey through the city. From noticing urban nature to embracing noise as sound, author Lucy Anna Scott shows us how to find a home for the head, & the heart, in the metropolis-humanity`s greatest invention. ...

Embracing cooking as a spiritually-nourishing meditation is a deliciously simple path to reconnecting ourselves to what we eat every day-this beautifully illustrated little book reminds us how to do it. Mindful Thoughts for Cooks presents 25 thoughtful insights into the holistic health & wellbeing we can digest through the everyday process & experience of cooking. Holistic cook Julia Ponsonby shares the true value of eating homemade, real food, mixing together practical & soulful ingredients with a dash of nature`s alchemy, to present a carefully crafted dish that every discerning cook will want to taste & savor. ...

Mindfulness is so much more than a set of routine timed exercises; it`s the transformative practice of conscious living we can nurture by being mindful of the moment. Mindful Thoughts for Walkers explores through a series of succint meditations, how walking is an opportunity to deepen our levels of physical, & spiritual awareness. Adam Ford is an enlightening guide to how mindfulness & walking can help us face the existential questions of ` Who am I?`, ` Where have I come from?`, What am I doing here?`, & ` Where am I going?` From a gentle daily stroll to a brisk hike across the mountaintops, this is a powerful reading companion for rural & urban walker alike. ...

Six million years ago, the evolving human brain existed only to instruct our bodies to move. In Mindful Walking, psychologist Hugh O` Donovan takes us back to this very basic connection between the brain & the body, & looks at how, by focussing on the simple act of moving, we can achieve better emotional & physical health. Uniting this concept of mindfulness in movement along with the three paths of change for a better life
- walking, talking & meditation
- this book shows us how we can better manage the distractions that clog our path to happiness, while also improving our physical well-being. Including simple exercises on how to incorporate mindful walking into our everyday lives, Mindful Walking is for seasoned walkers, city amblers or people learning how to walk again after illness. Take your first steps on the journey to physical health & mental happiness.

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Mindfulness & the Natural World explores what it means to connect with nature & how we can learn from nature to be more mindful in everyday life. Claire Thompson takes us on an engaging journey into the natural world & encourages us to experience its beauty & intrinsic value through the art of mindfulness. Through personal anecdotes & proven insights, she reveals how a deeper awareness of the natural world is key to inspiring us to care about & protect nature, & developing a more sustainable world. ...

Mindfulness & Surfing casts a fresh perspective on this popular sport, & explores how riding the waves can be the ultimate meditation. Engaging author Sam Bleakley takes us on a soulful journey across the tideline of his personal & philosophical travels. Through lunar cycles & river surfing to the Taoism of nature, he reveals an acute awareness of what the oceans can tell us about our place in the natural world. Meditating on one of nature`s greatest elements
- its salty swells, flow & peaks
- he shares life lessons in mindfulness that will be relished by surfer & non-surfer alike.

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Discover how to be mindful wherever you are
- at home or work, on your daily commute or while travelling. It is often challenging
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