First Aid Kit for the Mind: Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviors
What people are saying:
First Aid Kit for the Mind is a lovely and essential book. Lovely in its presentation, in its practical tips and personal stories; essential in looking in a kind and wise way at patterns and triggers. Valerie Mason-John is a wonderful teacher and friend on a journey to freedom and creativity. – Martine Batchelor, meditation teacher and author of Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits
Vimalasara Mason-John’s First Aid Kit for the Mind: Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviors does a marvelous job of explaining how we all develop intricate habits that ultimately limit us, but from which we can break free with the right tools. The author draws from her own backstory to present a compassionate and practical approach to overcoming behaviors that keep us from living our best lives.
But it’s not a collection of quick fixes; it delves deep into the roots of habits, exploring the underlying causes and providing insight and strategies for great change. Vimalasara’s approach is holistic and accessible, blending mindfulness practices, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and ancient wisdom traditions in a way that can be easily digested and applied.
First Aid Kit for the Mind is a masterclass that will leave a lasting impact on any reader seeking to transform their relationship with themselves. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone ready to embark on a life-changing journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. – Stephen Berkley, filmmaker, TEDx speaker
Every household needs this first aid kit! Vimalasara takes an unflinching look at where it hurts and offers essential supplies for healing. This book packs a lot of ancient wisdom into a small space, along with clear instructions that anyone can use. Only trustworthy, good stuff here. Highly recommended for life! – Christopher Germer, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion
First Aid Kit for the Mind is a remarkably concise guide to dealing with the most difficult mind/body states. Vimalasara has a gift for capturing the essence of the problem and giving us the exact help we need for healing. This is the most directly practical set of tools for dealing with addiction and underlying trauma I’ve ever read. – Kevin Griffin, author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps and Living Kindness: Metta Practice for the Whole of Our Lives
As a clinician, educator, and trainer, this inspiring and insightful book left me in absolute awe of Mason-John’s wisdom and guidance as one of the premier social, cultural, and psychological healers of our time. I can’t imagine anyone reading this book, whether client, student, practitioner, or casual reader, without feeling a sense of personal empowerment, enhanced insight, and a renewed will to break cycles of harmful and habitual behaviors. This book is a must-read! – Kenneth V. Hardy, Ph.D., author of Racial Trauma: Clinical Strategies and Techniques for Healing Invisible Wounds and editor of The Enduring, Invisible, and Ubiquitous Centrality of Whiteness
In this gem of a book Vimalasara distills eons of wisdom, many years of study, and decades of deep personal experience. The result is an entertaining, succinct, and highly practical primer to help us get through the many challenging moments life has a way of throwing at us. – Gabor Maté, MD, author of The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture
Vimalasara’s First Aid Kit for the Mind is a user-friendly guide for meeting our minds with kindness and compassion even when we’re struggling the most. Their no-nonsense approach offers readers a chance for freedom from the myriad of habitual tendencies in which we often find ourselves stuck. — Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life
Vimalasara’s book is exactly the salve we need in this moment and time. In this work, Vimalasara allows us the opportunity to shift from overwhelming dread towards practices of healing and balance, creating more opportunities for accessing joy. Drawing from her ancestors and her compassionate way of being allows Vimalasara to offer strategies and tools that make this book accessible to everyone who is seeking to shift from ongoing stress or unwanted behaviors, to living more fully with the gifts life has to offer. You’ll want to check it out! – Fresh “Lev” White, diversity trainer, speaker, spiritual leader, contributor to Real World Mindfulness for Beginners; Transcending: Trans Buddhist Voices; Trans Bodies, Trans Selves; and Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families
Vimalasara’s writing is a clearly and beautifully articulated set of practices to use the power of the mind, but not to be controlled or be seduced by it. She speaks through lineages and generations into the equanimity and balance of heart-mind-body, which will benefit all of us. – Larry Yang, author of Awakening Together: The Spiritual Practice of Inclusivity and Community