Practical Mindfulness

Target Audience The appetite for mindfulness is growing and clearly hasn’t peaked yet. The CDC reports that the number of American adults who meditate has increased from 4% (12.8 million) in 2012 to 14% (44.8 million) in 2017. Meditation and mindfulness practices have become a cornerstone of stress management in virtually every arena of modern life, including the workplace, healthcare organizations, schools, and spiritual groups. Many books on meditaton are New-Agey, clothing meditation in more mystic and mythic costuming, or are larded with medical and psychological jargon. Practically Mindful instead aims directly at a specific niche: well-educated, science-minded readers who are curious about mindfulness and the benefits of meditation but are skeptical of approaches that lean toward the devotional or are gilded with unnecessary “academese.” Marketing Plan“Traditional” media The author is comfortable with radio/TV interviews, book signings, sandwich board couture in the town square, etc. He has been in a board leadership role since 2011 at Capital Public Radio, a large network of NPR stations based in Sacramento and covering most of Northern California, including parts of the Bay Area—now flourishing as one of the top 10 NPR networks in the US. Through his activity chairing CPR’s Programming/Technology committee and contributing to their Marketing, Strategic Planning, and recruitment committees, he has cultivated friendships and contacts that he can use to get interviews and other publicity. Podcasts There are three podcast series that the author is developing and/or collaborating on. Practically Mindful Moments will showcase featured concepts and practices from the book in a "bite-size" (~5-10 minute long) series of brief podcasts to promote Practically Mindful. The author has identified around fifty subjects—some about mental health and consciousness, others practical tips on meditating. He intends to produce these to "drop" as part of the promotional run-up to the release of the book. 123 Focus is an introductory meditation curriculum targeted at elementary school age children that the author created for his local school district about ten years ago; it ran as a pilot project for two years. He is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ publicity arm, as well as some talented vocal performers to develop a children’s podcast form of that curriculum targeting childhood obesity, entitled 123 Focus’ Good Dog, Scarfy! The team have proof-of-concept sample recordings available to the public for market research. (https://www.dropbox.com/home/123%20Focus%20Scarfy%20podcasts) SHRINK/EXPAND, a mass-market podcast on demystifying and highlighting mental health issues, is the next project on the author's radar. A national NPR content provider that he consulted reinforced the absence of this subject area in the podcast “ecosphere,” and agreed it could both be a good public service and a popular one. Content developers/editors at his “home” NPR affiliate have responded very favorably to the idea, including consideration of recording and hosting it there. Other Social/Online Media The author has his own professional website (gregsazimamd.com) that includes links to his academic and mass media writing. A more book-specific website (prac0callymindful.com) is secured and can include introductory meditation exercises, guided meditations on video or audio, and a blog. TED Talks These 5-15 minute presentations are popular and influential for briefly introducing a particular thesis or “take-home” point. The author has developed some ideas for a TED talk about lowering the bar for awareness training using mind “maps” featured in the book.

A no-nonsense, no incense guide to mindfulness and meditation. It explains and trains an essential human capacity: clear awareness in and of our experience of everyday life. Practically Mindful specifically targets smart, curious readers interested in the nuts and bolts of mindfulness, but skeptical of the crystals and granola.Stressed Out in These Uncertain Times? You Can Adapt. Here’s How.

“An insightful and demystifying look at mindfulness practice.” —Kirkus Reviews

2021 INDIES Gold Winner Body, Mind & Spirit

Breathe in and out through the stressors of life with this accessible meditation guide. Learn the life-changing benefits of mindfulness to navigate these uncertain times.

Training exercises that work. Practical Mindfulness approaches mindfulness and meditation from a hands-on, how-to, irreverent perspective–appealing to all readers curious about meditation, and health care and education professionals looking to learn and teach the fundamentals of meditation to their patients and students. Applying Dr. Sazima’s training routines, we can all learn better coping methods and less burnout, in the midst of all that is happening.

An accessible approach to finding “home.” We all search for that safe, comfortable feeling of peace of mind–our inner “home.” When we face challenges–from a tough day at work to a life-threatening health problem–we can realize with blinding clarity there is no sustainable outside solution. Without a more developed interior awareness, we can suffer stress, anxiety, and depression. This guide is the solution to reclaiming your peaceful place in every moment.

Meditation training from an expert. Dr. Sazima is a board-certified psychiatrist, an educator of family doctors-in-training at Stanford’s Family Medicine Residency, and an experienced meditator and meditation teacher. He is also a survivor of a rare bone cancer who has used the powerful practice of meditation to navigate his own medical crisis. Now, he is on a “pay it forward” mission to show us why and how meditation works, in an accessible and entertaining way.

We can adapt – Practical Mindfulness shows us how. Readers of books such Think Like A Monk, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, or 10% Happier will love Practical Mindfulness.