Contact: Susan Brinkmann, 215-983-9701, sbrinkmann@womenofgrace.com
 
PERKAISE, Penn., Nov. 15, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Once relegated to the obscure confines of Buddhist temples, the new mindfulness revolution has become one of the hottest psycho-spiritual movements of our time. It's practiced by people of all ages, from all walks of life, for everything from gaining self-awareness and inner calm to treating PTSD and other anxiety disorders.

But what exactly is it? Where does it come from and how did it become so popular so fast? What does the science say about it and how compatible is it with Catholicism? Even more important, is there a Catholic alternative?

Award-winning journalist and New Age expert Susan Brinkmann turns a reporter's lens on these questions in a straightforward, fact-based book entitled, A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, published by the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation. And some of the answers she found are quite surprising!

For example, this book reveals little-known facts about the true origins of mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn's internationally recognized Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program. Also revealed is the truth about the thousands of well-publicized studies attesting to the effectiveness of mindfulness - and just how few were found to be methodologically sound.

Susan also searches for answers to the most burning questions on the minds of Catholics today who are being introduced to mindfulness by healthcare professionals, teachers, retreat masters, and personnel departments. Is it okay for a Catholic to use this just to focus on daily life? Can it be incorporated into a Catholic's prayer and spiritual life?

"There are many surprises in this book, but what will probably be the most startling revelation is about the little-known alternative to mindfulness that has been buried in the mystical tradition of our Church for hundreds of years," Brinkmann says.

"Any Catholic who adopts these practices in their everyday life will not only become more mindful of the present moment, but they will experience a closeness to God that they never thought possible in this world. They will quickly come to understand that these practices are not just an alternative or adjunct to mindfulness; they are a replacement par excellence!"

With an imprimatur from Bishop Robert Joseph Baker of Birmingham, Alabama, and reviewed by experts in theology and Buddhism, the book also includes a foreword by Dr. Anthony Clark, associate professor at Whitworth University, who specializes in East Asian studies.

A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness provides some of the most substantial and up-to-date information on the subject available today while providing Catholics in search of a more mindful life a theologically sound and time-honored method to acquire it.

For interviews, contact Susan Brinkmann at sbrinkmann@womenofgrace.com or 215-983-9701.