Mindfulness in Bird Watching: Meditations on Nature & Freedom

"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 behaviors 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.