Book review: Buddha's Book of Sleep, by Joseph Emet
Insomnia is a common complaint, and the market is flooded with drugs, food and devices that promise a good sleep.
by Joseph Emet Tarcher
Insomnia is a common complaint, and the market is flooded with drugs, food and devices that promise a good sleep.
For those who have tried everything but still lie awake at night, this may be the solution: mindfulness meditation.
The practice is based on ancient Buddhist principles, advocating believers to "live in the moment". The Buddha said that one should establish an awareness of bodily functions, sensations, thoughts and consciousness itself, as a way of coping with all the difficulties of life.
In recent years, this practice has become popular in the West, with Hollywood celebrities praising its benefits. Western-trained psychologists also confirm that such meditation has helped many patients to cope with depression, anxiety and other psychological problems.In his book, subtitled Sleep Better in Seven Weeks with Mindfulness Meditation, Joseph Emet, a Zen teacher who has a doctorate degree in music, explains how the practice can help redress sleep disorders. He was trained by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh in France and has taught mindfulness meditation to thousands of students in Montreal, Canada.