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Book description

In most forms of meditation, the meditator is instructed to let go of thoughts as they arise. As a result, thinking is often taken, unnecessarily, to be something misguided or evil. This approach is misguided, says Jason Siff. In fact, if we allow thoughts to arise and become mindful of the thoughts themselves, we gain tranquility and insight just as in other methods without having to reject our natural mental processes. And by observing the thoughts themselves with mindfulness and curiosity, we can learn a good deal about ourselves in the process.
Jason Siff

Jason Siff

Author Bio

Jason Siff is the head teacher of the Skillful Meditation Project. He teaches meditation and leads retreats throughout the United States and in Australia.

Praise for the book

Daniel Siegel

author of The Mindful Brain and Brainstorm

“Jason Siff has developed Recollective Awareness meditation as a way of revealing and recounting the rich inner landscape of mental life during practice. My own clinical and reflective practice suggests that developing such recollective skills is a part of making sense of our lives and bringing peace to our inner storms.”

Kate Lila Wheeler

author of When Mountains Walked and Not Where I Started From

“Siff's book reads like a novel, but don't let the pleasure stop you. His instructions plug a common vulnerability for many meditators who get tied in knots, trying to discard thoughts as 'distractions.' Instead, Siff upholds the possibility of establishing a gentler, more respectful relationship with every part of our experience, learning from our thoughts and allowing calm and insight to arise naturally.”

Gil Fronsdal

author of The Issue at Hand and translator of The Dhammapada

“A respectful, intelligent, and refreshing approach to mindfulness of thinking. Rather than viewing thoughts as problems for meditation, Jason Siff describes a holistic approach to freedom through a wise exploration of thinking. For anyone who struggles with thoughts in meditation this book teaches a way out of the struggle.”

Author: Jason Siff

Thoughts Are Not the Enemy: An Innovative Approach to Meditation Practice

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