The Art of Cultivating Mindfulness: Ancient Monastic Techniques for Concentration in the Digital Age

A guide against distraction in the digital age. Discover ancient monastic techniques to concentrate like a monk without giving up modern life.

Distraction is not a new problem, nor are we the first to complain about how difficult it is to concentrate. For early Christian monks, this was a reality they had to deal with on a daily basis. They had chosen to give up everything to consecrate their lives to God, but the demons of distraction stood between them and their goal. Instead of resigning themselves to the wandering of their minds, they developed powerful strategies to improve their attention and engagement. The Art of Cultivating Mindfulness is a collection of his surprising and insightful advice.

This work collects the wisdom of the Collations of John Cassian, a monk of late antiquity who interviewed the most experienced monks of his time, the Desert Fathers, to discover how to strengthen the mind. In response, these sages offer a variety of techniques to increase concentration, including setting goals, training the body, managing memory, using mantras, taking breaks, consulting others, and, above all, being honest with yourself.

With the careful and timely selection of Jaime Kreiner, this new translation makes available to today’s readers the wisdom of an ancient text that has much to say about the nature of the mind and the art of attention.

Critics have said…

“The human brain has not changed much in fifteen hundred years, and modern readers desperately need the wisdom, comfort, and practical advice of John Cassian and his fellow desert hermits. Kreiner’s vibrant selection brings us closer to these monks as friends and disarms us with advice on how to confront destructive mental habits and the deep spiritual longing that lies beneath our addictions to ringing phones and glowing screens. Molly Worthen, University of North Carolina

«Jamie Kreiner’s brilliant selection invites the modern reader into an ever-current conversation about the human challenge of distraction. The art of cultivating mindfulness contains wise advice that is as useful and comforting today as it was centuries ago. It is a must read for anyone who struggles to focus on their goals, that is, for everyone. » Danièle Cybulskie, author

Jamie Kreiner is a professor of history at the University of Georgia and the author of The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction.

2024-02-13 04:52:03
#Art #Cultivating #Attention #Jacinto #Pariente #Juan #Casiano #EBook #Read #free #days