Love this little bit of mindfulness for daily practice. It's a great format as it doesn't overwhelm the reader but provides that daily reminder to be present.

Full of fresh insights, and encouragement to help the reader start a new habits in reflection and a few quiet moments.
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This was a nice little book to dip in and out of, but I found that the almanac-style, one entry a day format really didn't work for me, and I'd find myself setting it aside for multiple days and then coming back and reading a whole bunch at the same time. Maybe this is me and a problem with my mindset. I don't really know. So if you're interested in meditation you should check it out!

The trouble with this one is that it has something for you each day so you cannot give a speedy review. From where I am in the book so far, I think it has some quick easy things that have good meaning. I also like that the author includes a personal experience/thought that pertains to the message of the day. I think it would be great to view every day in print format. I was given an e-copy of this book from NetGalley. Thank you for the advanced copy! I hope others are reading this because I like turning to it to get some positive words when things get tough, especially during this difficult time going on in the world.

I enjoyed reading this book! It’s meant to be read slowly with one passage per day which is perfect. It’s a great way to add some mindfulness to your day! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to be more mindful.

"A Mindful Year" is a book that explains mindfulness to you through practice! This book is to be read slowly, one day at a time.
Each day starts with a beautiful quote; it continues with some wise words and ends with a mindfulness invitation for the reader.
As a tired stay-at-home mom of two children under five, I found it helped me a lot. I found reasons for being grateful and ways of being more present, both with myself and my family.
For several years to come, this book is going to be on my night shelf.
Thank you to Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an e-book copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars

This book is structured in a way that encourages daily reading of 1-2 paragraphs on a concept/idea/thought/encouragement. Each day starts with a quote and then an example/story relating to the quote/idea and then a small encouragement of something the reader can try out or think about in this same area. Here's one example:

"Today why not feast on life? Once we're gone this world will go on without us in almost exactly the same way, just as it did before we arrived. Feel what it's like today to fully inhabit this life. This is your time."

There are bits and pieces from research, from famous writers, from inspirational quotes, etc.

"Research has shown that we're prone to "hindsight bias," meaning we factor our current knowledge into decisions made in the past."

There are many invitations to reflect, to look back, to set goals, to be in the present.

"What have I learned about myself? In what ways have I changed? What will I miss about this chapter in my life? What will I be glad to leave behind? What will I take with me?"

If you've read extensively, like I have, none of these are thoughts you never heard before. And they are all reminders I appreciate regularly. so, for me, this is a perfect bedside companion to start every morning with and end each day with. 1-2 minutes to help make myself more mindful is a precious gift.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Mindful Year; 365 Ways to Find Connection and the Sacred in Everyday Life written by Dr Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr Seth J Gillihan is an inspiring book that you can read each day of the year for a short, proactive lesson to learn and think about. I love these types of books where you can start your day with a short read and have a different mindset to explore. This book is one of the best examples that I have seen in years to inspire you every day of the year.

This book was written by the 2 authors sharing a day at a time of mindful thoughts and exercises that meld together as a connected flow. I feel that I got the most out of this book when I started in the beginning and read just one entry a day. However, these pages are also able to stand on their own, so if your style is more free-flowing and you like to skip around, you will also find great reward in this book.

Themes in A Mindful Year

There are a handful of themes that you will see throughout the book; compassion, authenticity, love and simplicity. Each day has a unique thought and activity, but know that these join together to connect you with what is important in everyday life.

The Style of A Mindful Year

Each days entry starts with a quote to introduce the lesson of the day. For example, "Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom. You don't have to be swept away by your feeling. You can respond with wisdom and kindness rather than habit and reactivity. - Henepola Gunaratana". Next you will have a lesson written by one of the authors, and these are easy to understand and filled with great examples to make them real and relateable. Finally you are given an Invitation to put the days thoughts into the context of your own life. On January 2, you are invited to "Notice today when your mind is running ahead of where you actually are. whatever today brings, remember that you can abide in the present - starting right now."

Each day involves these 3 components and you can spend your desired amount of time doing each days events. Each entry takes under 5 minutes to read, so I have included that time in my morning routine to work my way into a mindful year. I highly recommend A Mindful Year; 365 Ways to Find Connection and the Sacred in Everyday Life for anyone that is looking to stretch and gain more connection in their everyday lives. I think this will also make a great gift for someone that you care about, they will remember you each day of the year as they take their own journey as well.

I like devotional books. I think an individual may be more open to developing their own mindfulness practice with an introduction to small readings with a schedule. Thank you for allowing me to review an advanced copy.

A Mindful Year by Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Dr. Seth J. Gillihan is a self-help book….

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Blackstone Publishing, and of course the authors, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis and Opinions:

This book is meant to encourage the reader to look into themselves and connect to the important aspects of their life.  Basically, the authors wrote to each other every day for a year, sometimes about what was going on in their life, sometimes just philosophical ideas or thoughts.

It is meant to be read as a daily inspirational, and I actually found it to be just that.  Each days reading usually started with a quote from a famous personality (for example Martin Luther King Jr. or Eleanor Roosevelt).  Then the authors letter of the day (they alternated days), and then a follow-up "invitation", for you to give some thought to what was just written.

Needless to say I am trying to stick to the schedule, and some days I can't relate to what I read, and others I can.  Overall,  this is probably the best daily inspirational I have found.   The only suggestion I have is to make sure you take some quiet time to read and reflect.  It can't be rushed.

Definitely recommend this book for those who occasionally need some thought-provoking reflections.

This is a beautiful book. I love the daily prompts that remind me to slow down and connect. I highly recommend it.

I thought this book was great! I feel very relaxed after putting to practice what I read. I feel this book is great for EVERYONE! Lets face it, in todays world we could all get some use out of relaxing.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me this advanced readers copy in return for my honest review.

I liked the idea of this and really wanted to like it, but I found it incredibly dull and hard to read. It's 365 short, rambling essays with a little takeaway of something you're supposed to think about that day. For example, January 20 opens with a quote about uncertainty and then a little one page sermon on embracing uncertainty. It ends with the day's "invitation" (your job for that day) -- "If you find yourself worrying about an uncertain outcome today, remember: life is uncertain. Open to the continual unfolding of life as it is revealed moment by moment."

There are no photos, illustrations, colors. Every day is just this sort of rambling intro and then something you're supposed to accept or think about. I'm afraid it was a miss for me.

My rating system:

1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

I love how easy this book is to read and to incorporate into every day life and activities. I appreciate how it isn’t too heavy or dense and really makes me think about intentional and mindful living and ways that I can make my life better. If you want something that is clear and easy to read and put into practice, this book is a good one!

This book is one to pick up every day right before you start your day, so you can implement the "invitation" that the authors give. Every day of the year has a different entry with a quote and an invitation to follow up. Perhaps it's because I've read multiple entries a time, but the subject of the entries look too similar at times or are recurring in further months. That might make the book repetitive and perhaps there could be more diverse content covered in this book.

The authors both write entries in this book, which gives two views on being mindful. What bothers me is that the two different authors are getting intertwined, and that at times I don't understand anymore who is who. They talk a lot about personal experiences, which makes me feel more like I'm reading their diary instead of experiencing mindfulness. Although I don't mind personal experiences to teach being mindful, after multiple wedding receptions I didn't need any more of those.

When you want to have a book that will guide you day-to-day, this book might be for you. A couple of minutes a day teaches a new lesson and invites you to put the lesson into practice.

This book was such a refreshing read, and I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I read a lot of books like this, and you do hear the same old things recycled. This one was full of fresh insights, and encouragement to help the reader start a new routine in beginning each day with reflection and a few quiet moments.

The book uses both meditative techniques and cognitive behavioural exercises to suggest ways of alleviating stress and anxiety, and this is a book I will return to again and again. In the interests of providing a review, I did read the book in one go even though it's intended to be read a day at a time as there are 365 'sections', so I would like to reread this starting in January as the authors intended, ie a page or so every day.

NOTE: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’m not done with this book as it is a book you use everyday of the year. It reads like a devotional. Each day of the year had something to consider in your life to help you reflect on various actions or occasions. I like the “things to consider” for each day. This section helps to really reflect!

"A Mindful Year" had many tidbits of wisdom that I want to implement into my daily life. I definitely think this book has helped me reflect on my life and fueled my desire to become more mindful and aware of everything. However, I just feel like the market is saturated with book about mindfulness and have not read enough to know if this book provides anything new or unique that all the other books.

This was a difficult book to review as the intent is to read one daily reading at a time for 365 days. Having said that, I have read enough of the book to know that the authors have provided the readers with words that are thought-provoking and meaningful. Written as communication between the two authors who are friends living on separate continents, I found the book to be inspirational and successful in getting the reader to focus on the moment at hand - a prelude to meditation perhaps.

My intent is to continue reading the daily readings as they are intended . I' would recommend this book to anyone who needs help to shut out the busy nature of today's world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review which I have provided here.

A really useful book, recommended to be read daily or coming back for the advice and challenges brought by the authors. I could relate with it.