Create peace and calm for yourself with Mindful Colouring, which includes a 64-page book and a 150-sheet paper block with mandala designs and patterns to colour in. For hundreds of years, mandalas have been a source of inspiration for those who have meditated on their qualities. Here, Cassandra Lorius has brought together a unique collection of mandalas inspired by different traditions, from Hindu to Celtic, and explains the symbols contained within each one and the symbolic meanings of the colours used. Each mandala has a special theme to spark your creative flair, from love and compassion to gratitude and success. You will learn about the power of colour as a pathway to tap into your inner self, and colouring-in has been shown to reduce stress levels: the process is like meditating, which is known to have numerous health benefits. The paper block includes 150 sheets of mandala designs and patterns for you to colour in, allowing you to experiment with different colourways, and each can be kept and framed as a creative keepsake.

"Much of what I have written about derives from my own personal experience with meditation and other activities associated with spiritual states. A hallmark of understanding the workings of meditation is the experiential aspect. One cannot truly understand it just through the intellect. One must experience it directly to comprehend fully. The authors of the recently published book Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, all seasoned psychologists, wrote about this issue. In attempting to incorporate Jon Kabat-Zinn's time-tested Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program into their own cognitive approaches in treating depression, they realized that hearing and thinking about the methods were not enough. They needed to be deeply engaged in the Mindfulness practices themselves before they had a true comprehension. They also realized in order to effectively treat depressed people with this technique, during teaching, they needed to remain in a mindful state themselves for the students to gain maximal understanding. When one has a direct experience, it can have powerful effects on belief. Such was my own as it pertains to spirituality and might explain why, as a scientist, I felt the need to search for clearer understanding of it."

Imagine finding a perfectly shaped heart rock on the beach: a gift from the sea symbolizing the universal image of love, while also crystallizing the simple joys of walking by the water's edge. Inspired by these wonders of nature, photographer Amy M Dykens presents here 136 beautiful images of heart rocks in their native environment along with her words of calm introspection and an appreciation of generosity and love. Some of these treasures are heart shaped, some have a heart image through or on them, but all are precious creations.