Toronto Method Mindfulness Handbook: Six Lessons in Embodied and Compassionate Meditation

TORONTO METHOD MINDFULNESS HANDBOOK is a thorough guide to the fundamental theory and practice of contemporary mindfulness meditation. It is a stand-alone resource for both beginning and intermediate practitioners. Through six lessons, Ari Kaplan explains the importance of balancing present moment awareness with loving-kindness, curiosity with non-identification, and intentional practice with the spontaneous experience of pure beingness. His teachings are rooted in well-recognized research methods, such as the Toronto Mindfulness Scale and Emotion-Focused Mindfulness.

Reading or listening to this book is a meditative experience in and of itself and offers tools to:

• Enhance self-awareness and insight,

• Relieve stress,

• Notice biases and social conditioning,

• Alleviate mental suffering, and

• Improve relationships with others and oneself.

Kaplan blends science, law and philosophy with personal stories and shares his own experience with inter-generational trauma. He illustrates the likelihood of avoidance or spiritual bypassing on the way, and how self-compassion practices can open a doorway to healing deep pain.