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Mindfulness Through Science and Verse bridges contemplative wisdom, psychological science, and poetic expression to offer a novel framework for understanding and practicing mindfulness.
The book critically examines the evolution of mindfulness from its Buddhist origins to its integration within contemporary therapeutic frameworks. It offers a nuanced view of mindfulness, acknowledging both its empirically supported benefits and its underexplored challenges-including expectancy effects, adverse experiences, and ethical considerations in clinical and educational contexts. Through original verse, guided meditations, and poetic analysis, readers explore themes of impermanence, compassion, nature, grief, and transformation. The book draws from Buddhist and Christian contemplative traditions, while also honouring secular and Indigenous poetic voices to create a rich tapestry of global wisdom. By weaving together scientific rigour, contemplative depth, and poetic sensibility, it invites readers to engage with mindfulness not only as a cognitive skill, but as a creative, ethical, and transformative practice-one that honours both empirical inquiry and experiential wisdom.
Whether the reader is a mindfulness practitioner, therapist, educator, spiritual seeker, or someone drawn to the contemplative power of language,
Mindfulness Through Science and Verse offers practical tools and reflective insights to support their journey.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Mindfulness and Mind-Body Therapies: Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Contemporary Science
Chapter 2: Mindfulness and the Brain: A Scientific Exploration
Chapter 3: Rethinking Mindfulness
Chapter 4: The Dharma in Verse - Buddhist Roots of Mindful Poetry
Chapter 5: Sacred Stillness - Christian Poetry as a Pathway to Mindfulness
Chapter 6: Mystic Echoes: Meditative Poetry from the World's Spiritual Traditions
Chapter 7: Poetic Breath: Secular Mindfulness and the Power of Verse
Chapter 8: The Poetic Path: Discovering the Self Through Poetry
About the author
Dr. Heather Kempton (poet name Rowan Taw) is Associate Professor of Psychology at Massey University and a volunteer Buddhist Chaplain. Her work bridges mindfulness, cognition, contemplative science, and poetic insight.
