Talk to Yourself Like a Buddhist: Five Mindful Practices to Silence Negative Self-Talk

by Cynthia Kane

Change Your Words, Change Your World There are hundreds of books, workshops, and classes that teach us how to communicate effectively with others, but very few of us pay attention to how we speak to ourselves. Best-selling author and communication expert Cynthia Kane believes this is a problem, and she is sounding the alarm! Kane writes that there is an unreported epidemic of negative self-talk in our culture today. Many of us speak to ourselves in demeaning and hurtful ways, using language we would never use with anyone else. To make matters worse, we often don't even realize when we are doing this, as these old mental tapes play in repeating loops without our awareness. In Talk to Yourself Like a Buddhist , certified mindfulness and meditation instructor Cynthia Kane introduces the Middle Path of Self-Communication, which consists of five mindful practices--Listen, Explore, Question, Release, and Balance--all of which are grounded in Buddhist principles. This book will show you how
When we speak to ourselves negatively, we set a tone for our day and our interactions with others in the world. Talk to Yourself Like a Buddhist can teach you how to turn off the enemy in your mind--and create a new relationship with yourself and the world around you--simply by noticing, investigating, and changing the words you use to speak to yourself.

Genres: Nonfiction, Buddhism, Self Help, Philosophy, Personal Development, Psychology, Communication

176 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2018

Reviews

[Carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic concepts covered here. I found Radical Compassion to be a better book on this topic.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not going so far as to say Buddhism is the cure for everything but sometimes I do be wondering if there’s anything them mofos haven’t thought about. Perhaps that sort of thinking is indicative of how much more work I have to do? At any rate - this sweet little book gave me some dope exercises and insights. I’m a huge fan of anything which gives me new language or compels me to be a little bit better now than I was before.

[Kim Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year was a year of change for me which offered a unique opportunity to work on myself. In my new job at a spiritual bookshop, I discovered this book and was on hand for the author's event in our store. This book has been an incredibly helpful guide in beginning the process of freeing myself from negative self communication. When I first picked up this book, I read the introduction and was stunned to find the horrible things I've often said to and about myself right there in black and white. What horrible things we say to ourselves that we would never say to another human being! From the start, I was hopeful that I could turn around this negative talk and stop giving it so much power over me and how I feel. I've learned so much and even in the early stages it's made a difference. "Change your words, change your world." I would add "change your life", by communicating more positively with yourself and becoming your own biggest cheerleader.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good balance of practicality and light reading. It does a good job of combining zen koans with cognitive behavioral therapy. I think I was hoping more for practices in improving one's self-talk through mindfulness meditation, which this did not provide. But that did not take away from the quality of the book.

[J. B. Rainsberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you need an introduction to the power of self-talk and need some novice advice on how to talk to yourself, then you will probably benefit from this book. I hoped for something a little more detailed or advanced, but perhaps there exists nothing like that.

[Aryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful

[ten thousand bees]

i re-read this every so often. it gets a little redundant but its good for keeping peace of mind sometimes.

[Jennifer Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone looking for a primer on ways to catch yourself self-sabotaging, dragging yourself down, and generally making everything seem worse (without even realizing it)...this is a helpful little book.

The author’s first book, How to Communicate Like a Buddhist, broke down the elements of Right Speech in a very accessible way. This one takes it a step further by making the reader aware of the constant loop of negativity, judgment, and comparison that we have running through our minds...even the way we make our to-do lists can be harsh and unforgiving.

It’s written in a very simple, straightforward manner, and if you’re short on time, you can pretty much open it anywhere and find something useful.

[One · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't go looking for this book, but somehow it was suggested to me while shopping online for books. I was intrigued and decided to buy it. I really enjoyed the book. It made me become aware of just how often I engage in negative self-talk, and where the root of it comes from. It certainly makes me want to strive to eliminate all the negative self-talk. It's well worth reading, even if you think you don't engage in much negative self-talk. I didn't realize I did it so much until this book raised my awareness.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book! A primer on how to stop self-sabatoging negative self-talk, that most of us don't even know we are doing. Filled with exercises on how to start silencing the negative dialogue in our heads and finally let go of the judgments that are untrue.

[Andy Metzger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an easy read. Some good truths, but seems basic and it lacks challenging concepts.

[Liz Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. It has good exercises that are useful and eye-opening and it has thoughtful tales to reflect on. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it tries to sell the idea that to make progress with yourself you have to forgive anyone who trespasses against you. You can absolutely forgive someone if you want to, but it’s never necessary to do so to improve yourself.

[Nicole Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after hearing Cynthia Kane during a book talk and signing on Cape Cod. The book was not only informative, but gave clear examples of how to change negative thought patterns into positive ones. Insightful and easy to understand, this book offers a new perspective of using strategies to navigate your internal dialog, so you can access a kinder more peaceful way of being.

[Kimi Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I learned some stuff and will definitely be going back to this. I wish their was a little more. A little more depth. A little more information. I feel like the book was very repetitive, yet I got a lot of good from the book. We cause our own suffering and often it's just in the way we communicate with ourselves.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a beautiful book that makes you reflect on how you see the world, it is true that it may not be a read for everyone, but for me it is a reminder that we should be and behave with ourselves as our best friends.

[Marielle Monse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think this book was bad per say but I DNF I couldn't get into it I have read a few Buddhist books so I'm familiar with the concepts this felt very basic and regurgitated I didn't feel the need to read a book that felt like I already read it many times.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Educational

Very educational well researched subject. Cynthia Kane does a great job explaining Five Mindful Practices to Silence Negative-Talk. It was an enjoyable book. I look forward to reading more titles from this brilliant author.

[Heidi Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good introspective read.

I thought that this was well written, and honestly it hit home for me. I feel as though it gives decent tools to begin a daunting task of self-awareness.

[Nora Alshareef · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book. I did like the first one more though.

[Anjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Five Mindful Tools

[Melissa Everly-kosek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This book helps you conquer the negative self talk that you face in a variety of situations. I particularly like the Buddhist stories at the start of each chapter.

[Joyce Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and easy to follow steps + memorable stories!! And very interesting how Kane related the five mindful practices she proposed to the Middle Path

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so sweet.

[Livy Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Don’t believe everything you think without question, if your words are causing you suffering, you can change them.”

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Negative Self-Talk is something I am prone to doing, so I found this book very useful. It is an easy read, with some good advice.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice takeaways and exercises to better yourself.

[Brenden · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty simple book, but that's all it needed to be

[Katherine Evers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book that keeps giving. Have anyone in your life that isn’t nice to themself? I’ve gifted this book like 5 times, no regrets only new perspectives and a happier outlook on life.

[Thomas Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Putting what I read into practice. Wish I’d read this before my chaplaincy training (CPE) thirty some years ago. Would have improved the weekly required verbatims.

[Deb Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillent. Clear. Helpful. Kind.