Return to Mindfulness: Disrupting Default Habits for Personal Fulfillment, Effective Leadership, and Global Impact (e-book)

“This book is like sitting next to a kind teacher who guides you through the many distractions of your mind and shows you ways to return to mindfulness, to non-judging awareness. It is full of practical, playful steps to systematically integrate mindfulness into your daily life, ways that Shalini herself has learned while practicing mindfulness as teacher and governmental leader. Whether you are new to mindfulness or have been practicing for decades, you’ll benefit from her guidance toward a calmer, clearer, more loving and compassionate life.” —Mirabai Bush, author (with Ram Dass), Walking Each Other Home, co-creator of Search Inside Yourself: Mindfulness-Based Emotional Intelligence at Google

“Return to Mindfulness is a delightful read that will open your heart and mind. Shalini Bahl shares profound yet practical wisdom that will inspire you to live with more meaning, compassion, and joy. This book is like having a wise friend gently guide you home to your best self. Shalini Bahl draws from ancient wisdom and modern science to outline eight essential mindfulness skills we can cultivate to transform our default habits and return to clarity and purpose.” —Acharya Shunya, author, Sovereign Self: Claim Your Inner Joy and Freedom with the Empowering Wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita

“Once or twice in a lifetime, you may come across a book that can change you in a most positive way. Return has this magic and more. I have often wondered why my mind operates like a pinball machine (monkey mind?) and what to do about it. As a teacher, scholar, and public speaker, I now recognize the multiple selves that arise from my past to hijack what I am trying to accomplish in any given moment. This volume not only helps the reader understand the process, but it also shows how to mindfully, successfully, and playfully change reactions into pro-actions that serve our individual and interpersonal needs. My plan is to use the 50 options until they become a part of who I am across situations. Of course, the process never ends, and I will revisit the eight skill chapters over and over, seeking to mine every nugget of mindfulness gold in the foreseeable future.” —Ronald Hill, Dean’s Professor of Marketing and Public Policy, American University; Editor-in-Chief, Responsible Research in Business and Management Honor Roll

“Return to Mindfulness is a mindful companion for navigating the complexities of life. Shalini offers a refreshing and practical approach to mindfulness. Whether you’re seeking clarity with the eight mindfulness skills or embarking on a systematic journey to build your capacity for real-world mindfulness, this book is your trusted guide for joyful living and empowered leadership.” —Chade-Meng Tan, international bestselling author of Search Inside Yourself and Buddhism for All

“Diving into Return to Mindfulness by Shalini Bahl, PhD., is a refreshing journey back home to inner wisdom. This elegant guidebook not only illuminates the transformative power of mindfulness in everyday life, but also shares eight practical, real-world skills to disrupt unhelpful patterns and integrate presence in any moment. Rooted in timeless Buddhist teachings and informed by modern research, Dr. Bahl’s clear explanations, relatable stories, and accessible applications enliven mindfulness practice. An indispensable companion for anyone seeking to connect more deeply with life, this book embodies compassionate self-exploration and mindful leadership with authenticity and grace.” —Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, preventive medicine physician, certified yoga and mindfulness meditation teacher, and author of Finding Om

“With amazing openness and clarity, Shalini Bahl shares her notable personal successes and failures, bringing them together for an insightful awareness of how mindfulness can make a pragmatic difference. Her journey weaves the different aspects of herself together through mindfulness, integrating them, while neither judging nor watering down any aspect of who she is, but rather welcoming them. Shalini’s skillful crafting of the process of coming together reflects much of the tensions of present-day life, showing readers how to work with the joys and difficulties inevitable in life.” —Ted Meissner, senior mindfulness teacher, podcast host, Mindfulness Voyage

“Return to Mindfulness offers practical exercises and insights that can effortlessly be incorporated into one’s day, helping to find clarity and self-awareness amid life’s overwhelmingly busy moments. Shalini Bahl’s expertise shines through as she demystifies the practice, making it accessible to anyone, regardless of their prior experience. This guide equipped me with the tools to lead my company and staff with greater empathy, clarity, and authenticity. By integrating mindfulness into leadership practices, Return to Mindfulness not only fosters personal growth but also transforms organizations and communities, creating a ripple effect of positive change on a global scale. Return is an essential companion for those seeking a more balanced, mindful, and meaningful existence. With its gentle guidance and profound insights, this book has the power to transform your life, making mindfulness not just a practice, but a way of being.” —Caroline Aller, founder and clinical director, Amherst Cognitive Therapy

“Return to Mindfulness is a wonderful book. A mix of real-life examples and practical applications. Good for both the newcomer to mindfulness as well as the person who practices daily. A reader can read straight through or skip to the different practices. I felt like Shalini was in the room leading me as I read the pages. This has been a wonderful book to read as I enter a new chapter in my life. A reminder to return to my center and take time to just breathe. A must have by your bedside or desk.” —D. Cristi Stroud-Downey, wife, mom, sister, and managing director, Guardian Life

“Return to Mindfulness is a beautiful guide to finding moments of awareness during days filled with multiple demands and expectations. Shalini’s honest reflections sharing her journey with mindfulness are relatable to all of us who struggle to pause in the moment and be with what is present. The eight mindfulness skills taught in the context of daily work and life routines will help readers further their mindfulness practice and grow as leaders bringing positive change to the world. I was fortunate to study with Shalini as I began my mindfulness journey. Return to Mindfulness is a lovely reminder of the compassionate and gentle guidance she provided.” —Greg Runyan, director, Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative

“A Return to Mindfulness is what we need in this moment. Shalini offers a profoundly thoughtful guide and reminder for us to be and see one another as deeply human. The 8 mindfulness skills—awareness, compassion, curiosity, energy, appreciative joy, inner calm, focus, and equanimity—are shared with ease and clarity. This means that each of us, as leaders, can more skillfully navigate division, conflict, and competing needs, as we extend compassion and take wise action that inspires new ways of being and thinking that inform how we do what we do. Return calls us to co-create the conditions and solutions that help bring people together, find common ground, and flourish. The beauty of Return is that it applies to all that we do at home, at school, in business, in politics, and more. Everywhere we are, Return should be.” —Michelle Lopes Maldonado, Virginia state representative and founder of Lucenscia

“How many town councilors do you know who practice and teach mindfulness— and bring it into their day-to-day life? Not enough! Shalini Bahl has done just that. This book is a testament to both the practical and profound impact of the practice of mindfulness and the way of life it promotes. Return to Mindfulness is a rich treasury of insights, methods, and playful illustrations, and also an honest account of a real journey to openness that all of us can relate to.” —Barry Boyce, founding editor, Mindful magazine and mindful.org

“Return to Mindfulness masterfully articulates the barriers we all face in being mindful during our everyday lives. Whether you’re a leader or seeker, this book will serve you as a wise guide—a calm, clear whisper in a noisy, distracted world.” —Amishi Jha, Ph.D., neuroscientist and best-selling author of Peak Mind