Effortless Mindfulness: Genuine Mental Health Through Awakened Presence
by Lisa Dale Miller

Published by Routledge April 2014

The event will include meditation and the author’s talk.

7:30-9:00 Evening Program includes meditation and a talk.

9:00-9:30 Reception with tea and treats.

Effortless Mindfulness promotes genuine mental health through the direct experience of awakened presence—an effortlessly embodied, fearless understanding of and interaction with the way things truly are. The book offers a uniquely modern Buddhist psychological understanding of mental health disorders through a scholarly, yet clinically useful presentation of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist teachings and practices. Written specifically for Western psychotherapeutic professionals, the book brings together traditional Buddhist theory and contemporary psycho-neuro-bio-social research to describe the conditioned and unconditioned mind. This in-depth exploration of Buddhist psychology includes complete instructions for psychotherapists in authentic yet clinically appropriate Buddhist mindfulness/heartfulness practices and Buddhist psychological inquiry skills. The book also features interviews with an esteemed collection of Buddhist teachers, scholars, meditation researchers and Buddhist-inspired clinicians.

In his foreword to the book Ron Siegel, PhD wrote, “In the pages that follow, Lisa Dale Miller takes us on an integrative adventure, exploring the intersection of ancient Buddhist teachings with modern neurobiology and clinical research and practice. While the work of many pioneers have facilitated the integration of mindfulness practices into health care and society by intentionally extracting them from their Buddhist roots, this book offers a different service: it looks unflinchingly at Buddhist understandings of the origins of human suffering and how various meditative techniques were designed to alleviate this suffering by fostering a radical psychological liberation.”

Anam Thubten Rinpoche wrote in his foreword, “You will find that the scholarship and many years of meditation practice of the author are reflected on every page.  It is intellectually satisfying and also serves as a rich contemplative guide for mindfulness meditation and Buddhism in general. No matter what your background might be, as scholar, meditator or seeker, you will find many valuable insights in this work. It is such a joy to see Lisa’s gift in presenting many essential Buddhist thoughts in contemporary language and making them come alive.”

Effortless Mindfulness is available through Amazon, B&N, iTunes, etc., in digital and paperback editions.
Please visit www.awakenedpresence.com for more information about the book.