Review: Practicing Mindful Living by Dr. Debra Webb

In Practicing Mindful Living: A 365-Day Workbook for Mindfulness Practitioners, Dr. Debra Webb offers poetry, meditations and consultation to foster awareness each day of the calendar year.

A blend of self study and sage advice, Webb’s book presents a special, intentional guide to activities and concepts that can aid the thoughtful reader determining the overall tenor of his or her day. The entries begin with a short, directed poem. Here is an example, the entry for February 19th:

Wobbling down the sidewalk,
Ponytail flying behind her
Determined to master
Peddling and steering
Together
Fall after fall
She asks for one more time
Peddling with persistence
She continues
Working at balancing.

As can be seen, the selection combines metaphors for dealing with problems: moving along by using the bicycle pedals steadily, steering around obstacles and staying fixed on the trail, and always “working at balancing,” which is indicative of these pithy, inspiring poems throughout, coupled with well-chosen pictures that reflect the theme of the stanza. She then provides a few paragraphs of sage advice. As Webb notes for this date, balance is not a task that can be simply accomplished, it is a “lifetime process of persistence.” She recommends working on balance in life, bearing in mind that it will require sustained effort.

Fast forward to September 11th, a fateful day in US history. On that date, Webb celebrates courage – not just courage to stand one’s ground, but at times, to walk away. To practice courage when the necessity arises, she advises visualizing the situation, talking to a friend, and making a plan. Another sampling comes on December 25, when she speaks of “a baby’s story” and making choices of faith; even today, she asserts, “you can walk a new path.”

Though her musings are subtle, the reader will discern some cross-connection between the date and Webb’s counsel for it, as in the examples cited above. Each date is thematically consistent with the time of year, with a cumulative effect as the year moves on. A person could read one of the poems and essays and then take a contemplative walk while the words are mulled to form a creed for that day.

Dr. Webb is a self-described “life-long learner” who has been working on this book most of her life, in the sense that she has been pursuing a balanced, reflective viewpoint for most of her adult years. Webb sees this book as a legacy for her family, and a manual for families in general, as well as using the guide in workshops geared toward achieving inner balance.

The effort required to create this work is admirable. Composing 365 poems and the guidance that underpins them cannot have been easy, even if undertaken over considerable time. And the goal – to foster a genuine sense of awareness of our actions and feelings in a myriad of life situations and to help us manage those situations mindfully, sensitively – is equally commendable, and wholly effective in its intention.

All in all, Practicing Mindful Living can provide meaning and purpose for any reader, on any day, wherever we choose to begin. Dr. Webb’s book would make a lovely “occasion” gift, with an uplifting message to match the date.