Deborah Norris frees mindfulness from its roots in religious traditions of world renunciation and the quest for ultimate truth and salvation, and its more recent appropriations in cognitive behavioural therapies. She gives us the science in fine detail, explaining how different kinds of awareness create different effects on the brain and nervous system. She shows how mindfulness can be adapted easily to the needs and preferences of each individual for themselves, on their own terms. Uniquely, she has transformed it to be a fundamental tool not only for psychological healing, but for optimising our being in the world by generating states described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and the people he studied as states of flow (forget the Burning Man creeps, this is the real deal). The title, then is more than apt. In fact, Norris's writing itself is so meditatively artful that it weaves a spell of its own on the mind of the reader that the experience of flow is brought to life and embodied in its pages. It is gently compelling. Enjoy.

This is a truly outstanding book on mindfulness practices, in particular meditation. I have meditated for decades and this book has helped me to reach yet deeper "places" in my spiritual quest. I find the writing to be not only scientifically sound but literally inspired, in some places reading almost like poetry. There's also this awesome connection: My preferred reading material is in the area of philosophy, with Spinoza's writings being among my favorites. His magnum opus, The Ethics, has much content (in Parts III - V) that is beautifully in the spirit and same vein as what Ms. Norris has written.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their meditation practice, and learn how meditation affects the mind and body. In the Flow is written in a way that I wish most scholars would emulate. It’s highly informative, coherent and accessible. My experience, as a senior lecturer in writing showed that very few scholars write books that are both rigorous and readable. In the Flow is both. I’m actually voluntarily rereading it! And, I plan to cite quotes from it and encourage my meditation students to buy the book. But this book is not just for students. It will be terrific for anyone interested in mindfulness and the mind and body connection!