Okay, Mike - I listened to almost all 31 days of the Mindfulness Summit, with great speakers, great information, lots of inspiration - and it surprises me that first book I decided to read (downloaded from my public library) is "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story" by news anchor Dan Harris. I enjoyed his presentation, but I found him to be slightly obnoxious, not "my kind" of person at all - and yet... he's like me in many ways - impatient, cynical, and quick to judge. I'm almost through it, right at the part where he describes how he finally came around to practicing metta/loving kindness - and how it's like the icing on the meditation cake (my metaphor).
One of the really interesting things in the book is all of the other mindfulness and meditation practitioners Harris comes across and talks about - many of them participants in the Summit!
Anyway, I am finally getting serious about a daily practice. This morning I incorporated metta/loving kindness and it felt great. I also really need it right now. My stress since mid-October has gone off the charts. Just trying to hold it together here...
~Jan
