Seonaigh MacPherson, PhD, is a professor in the Faculty of Education and Community Development at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she is founder and coordinator of the MBTL graduate certificate program. A certified MBSR and MBCT teacher, she lives in British Columbia, Canada. Patricia Rockman, MD, is an associate professor at the University of Toronto Department of Family Medicine, where she is cross-appointed to psychiatry. She is co-founder of the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto where she teaches MBSR, MBCT, and mindfulness-certification programs.
Combining rigorous scholarship with an intuitive understanding of contemplative practice, this impressive book makes a compelling case for mindfulness as an embodied bridge linking the broad domains of education and self-growth. It is a wonderful resource for educators, mindfulness teachers, and professionals interested in fostering curiosity, sensory processing, and awareness as platforms for lifelong learning and well-being. Zindel Segal, PhD, Distinguished Professor, University of Toronto, Scarborough Seonaigh MacPherson and Patricia Rockman have integrated material from a wealth of disciplines, distilling the teaching and learning of secular-scientific mindfulness to cultivate personal and societal wellbeing. In so doing, they bring divergent views of western mindfulness together, emphasizing a common and critical goal in a western world that is in dire need of working toward well-being on all levels. Ellen Katz, PhD, associate professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto This book is a deep dive into the mindfulness field, exploring many of its significant questions, themes, and controversies: its history, how mindfulness emerged in multiple sectors, and scientific and clinical issues. A standout is the useful rubric for evaluating and training mindfulness teachers. Thoroughly researched, meticulous, and comprehensive, this book will be a landmark text for the mindfulness field for years to come. Diana Winston, director of mindfulness education, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center, and author of The Little Book of Being