The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress Paperback + MP3 CD Edition

I may return later to leave a full review when I am more available, but this book is transforming.

I purchased this workbook after thoroughly reading 'The Mindful Way Through Depression.' That book gave me a deeper understanding of depression and why mindful meditation works. I referenced it throughout this workbook's 8-week course. I won't go into my story, but believe me, I had tried everything to overcome a dangerous 1.5 year situation-related depression. I completed the 8-week course 14 months ago, and continue with the practice daily. Due to my situation, I am committed to continuing for the rest of my life, because I know I have to. This program saved my life. . . . .literally. If you are suffering with depression, and are willing to commit to an 8-week program, PLEASE do this course. You have nothing to lose, and possibly, everything to gain. The course did not provide overnight, miraculous improvement for me, yet the subtle and positive changes were evident to me (and my husband!), and continue to this day. I understand that a meditation practice takes a lifetime to master, so that helps me remain realistic and patient with myself, and take things one day at a time. I still have a long way to go in my healing process, but my meditation practice is helping me get there, day by day. My heart goes out to all of you who struggle with depression and its disabling effects, and my hope is that this program will help you as much as it did me.

This is truly a workbook with lots of space to record your thoughts and impressions right in the book. I have used this book by myself and in a small group. The directions are very clear for each exercise and the weekly activities are very manageable. I also like the fact that the guided exercises have written directions and are on the CD. The program has worked for both myself and the group I peer-facilitated. However, it's not the kind of program that you go through once and that's it. I've already done it twice and have learned more about myself the second time around. Plus, the idea is that you incorporate parts of the program into your life. The only reason I gave it four stars is that I feel that I benefited most from the program when I also read "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression," (Second Edition.) Because the workbook is set up as a workbook there is not as much explanation of how and why this method works. After I read "Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression" I felt like I had a better grasp on the program. I recommend getting both books.

I was a bit sceptical when I first read about this treatment on the BBC website a few months ago . At the time I had been on some light medication and it was having little to no effect on my anxiety attacks and state of mind in general . So I thought , what the heck . I'll give it a go . I'm 6 weeks into this course and I can't really put into words just how much it's helped me . My anxiety attacks have all but disappeared completely . I've had a few personally issues over the last month and I've been able to deal with them on my own . My general state of mind is much more positive than it was . I no longer dwell and worry about things in the past , or the future . I don't really understand how this course works , but to be honest at the end of the day it doesn't really mater . I would recommend this course for anyone who has any depression , panic or anxiety issues . Hopefully it'll work for you as it did for me .

I decided to buy this book because I completed an 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course and wanted to have some kind of tool/process to keep the momentum going that I had started with my class.So far, I'm 1 1/2 weeks into this book and I"m really pleased with it. It provides just a bit more structure than the course that I took, yet still follows the same format, essentially. The meditation CD is a wonderful adjunct to this product. The voice is very calming and soothing. I also appreciate the bit of theory that is provided in each chapter as to the rationale for each of the exercises.I would encourage anyone who would like to either start this process or to continue it to purchase this book.

I bought this book after watching a video by the author on youtube. I have been practicing meditation intermittently for several years, and for this reason, I found some of the exercises to be a bit tedious. That being said, I think those with little previous exposure to mindfulness-based meditation will benefit greatly from this book and from the approach that it advocates: namely, the idea of distancing (rather disattaching) from the thoughts, emotions, etc. and being able to observe them and even feel them without being caught up in them.I think the 8-week aspect was a bit gimmicky, and perhaps sets people up with false hopes of a quick recovery, though an 8-week commitment is probably enough to at least gain a solid foundation in the basics of mindfulness.

I am slowly working my way through this workbook and am definitely noticing a change in my attitude and level of depression. The individual chapters all seem to be about 10 pages long +/-, so it's easy to find the time to read them. Taking the time out of your day to do the exercises takes commitment, especially for people with busy schedules, like me. But, as with anything, you will get out of it proportionate to what you put into it, so make the time. I am totally confident that my own improvement will be substantial by the time I am done. Depression has been my constant companion literally all of my life. I can't express how good it feels to know that I will finally feel some control over it and relief from it.

Do you have an hour a day to spend working on your mental health for six straight weeks? Than go to a certified CBT therapist and put in some work on yourself. This workbook requires way too much of your time to be worthwhile. If you are willing to spend the amount of time this book requires, then there are other things you can do that will give better results.