Did you know mindfulness has been practiced by Christians for centuries?  I did not know this.  In “Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments”, the author shares tools to practice a mindful lifestyle and how to use it in our own lives.  He takes a common sense, experienced, and scientific view of present moment awareness, and mindfulness.  And, he examines and describes how to reduce anxiety in our lives by re-wiring our brain through what he calls “holy noticing”.

Quote by Charles Stone:

“Holy noticing practice lowers anxiety and depression and helps us reduce aggressiveness and anger.  It can help us get unstuck from the automatic responses to our emotions such as reactivity, hopeless thinking, defensiveness, and self-condemning thoughts…”

The author says the goal of the holy noticing lifestyle is not to avoid feelings or to detach ourselves from emotions, but to notice them and respond to them in a healthy way.

One of my favourite ideas in this book is an exercise called Review and Renew Your Relationships.  It’s an exercise using concentric circles (circles inside each other getting smaller and smaller).  The author describes this exercise as a visual way to take a healthy inventory of your relationships.  The exercise asks you to envision who you might place in the inner circle (perhaps family members and close friends).  Then envision who you might put in the next few circles (perhaps works associates, neighbours, and/or extended family).  Next, begin thinking of someone in your inner circle and asking yourself questions, such as: “How are things in my relationship with the individual?” “Is our relationship healthy?” “Is there some work I need to do?”

I found this to be a great exercise and it helped me notice places in some of my relationships I could improve.  Without this exercise now in my life, I may not have noticed some important improvement areas.

I recommend this book as a great learning tool for present moment awareness and mindfulness from a Christian perspective.

I received this book courtesy of Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.