Mindfulness in Bird Watching: Meditations on Nature & Freedom

by Claire Thompson

Overview

"In Mindfulness in Bird Watching, Claire Thompson elegantly weaves a narrative full of her own delightfully documented encounters with birds in amongst sage guidance on using mindfulness to help readers become deeply aware of the present moment. Following Claire's clearly described exercises has the potential to lead one from mere identification to making deeply insightful observations into the life of birds." – British Trust of Ornithology

Through personal anecdote and expert insight, Claire Thompson of BirdLife International invites us on a mindful journey through gardens, cities, open country, forests, coasts and mountains to enjoy and learn from the magnificent beauty and diversity of the avian world.

Who has never gazed enviously at a bird soaring through the sky? Or delighted in the uplifting tunes of nature’s songsters? Birds can do wonders for our hearts and minds – if we simply pay them attention. With Mindfulness in Bird Watching, Claire Thompson reveals how the practice of mindfulness enriches our bird watching experiences – and explores how birds are, in turn, the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness.

Enjoy the magnificent diversity of colours, songs, flight patterns and behaviours displayed by birds while reaping the benefits of mindfulness:

• Increased concentration
• Increased creativity
• Increased vitality
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Better overall physical and emotional well-being
• Better sleep

Bird flight is a symbol of freedom to soar through life without constraint, and mindfulness similarly enables us to invite freedom and happiness into our own lives.

Find even more ways to practice mindfulness with the Mindfulness series: Mindfulness in Sound, Mindfulness in Drawing, Mindfulness in Knitting, Mindfulness & the Journey of Bereavement, Mindfulness of Work, Art of Mindful Singing, Art of Mindful Crafting, Mindfulness and Compassion, Mindfulness for Black Dogs & Blue Days, Mindfulness for Unraveling Anxiety, Practice of Mindful Yoga, The Mindful Man, Mindfulness and the Natural World and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711298743
Publisher:	Leaping Hare Press
Publication date:	11/05/2024
Series:	Mindfulness in... Series
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x (d)

About the Author

Claire Thompson has a lifelong passion for reconnecting people with themselves and the natural world. Claire has 10 years' experience working in international nature conservation for BirdLife International, the world’s largest nature conservation partnership and for the World Land Trust. As a mindfulness teacher and wellbeing practitioner, Claire leads workshops and retreats in person and online. She is also training as a transpersonal integrative psychotherapist. (www.mindfulness-of-nature.com).

Table of Contents

Introduction 
Chapter One Meet the Birds 
Chapter Two Coming to Our Senses 
Chapter Three Dancing with Waves 
Chapter Four Embracing the Skies
Chapter Five On the Wings of Wisdom 
Bibliography 
Websites 
Index 142
Dedication & Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"In The Art of Mindful Birdwatching, Claire Thompson elegantly weaves a narrative full of her own delightfully documented encounters with birds in amongst sage guidance on using mindfulness to help readers become deeply aware of the present moment. Following Claire's clearly described exercises has the potential to lead one from mere identification to making deeply insightful observations into the life of birds."—British Trust of Ornithology

"Read how the practice of mindfulness enriches our birdwatching experiences and how birds are the ideal inspiration for the practice of mindfulness."—Veggie magazine

From the Publisher