I picked up a cute orange book from the library. I took it because at that moment different thoughts were raging in my head. And here is a telling title: “Clear your mind.” And I took it. The book is easy to read. Sometimes I realized that I was walking the same path as the author, and sometimes I even sympathized with him. And although I have not yet become a master of mindfulness, there is a surprisingly pleasant aftertaste from this book - lightness and inspiration! It’s amazing, although I have been doing mindfulness practices for a long time and meditating, reading smart books, but in this book the author - Yen Kang Zhen - is very He simply and clearly explained to me the path of the Mind gaining power over a person, and then the path of liberation from this power, and the path of returning to one’s true Self. He divided the entire path into seven stages: 1. Emptiness2. Influence3. Beliefs4. Identity5. Judgment6. Awakening7. Mastery If you look very briefly at these stages, you will get the following picture: 1. A person is born with an empty consciousness. This is why, according to the author, babies are so attractive. It is not their appearance that makes us touch, but their calmness, joy, and innocence. The baby accepts the world as it is, without judgment or evaluation. It is this state that attracts us to them so much - we all have this experience, even if we don’t remember it. Therefore, the first exercise that the author suggests is to observe newborn children, feel their state of openness, and then, in a calm place, try to reproduce within yourself the state of relaxation and openness like that of a baby.2. The second part of the journey is Influence. Here the author speaks in the words of all modern psychologists and educators: our closest people do not always have only a good influence on us. And not out of malice! No! The author talks about the traumatic experience of our ancestors, which is passed on from generation to generation. And to this negative experience can be added situations from the life of parents and the usual difficulties that each person faces in their individual experience. To lessen the influence of this period of life, the author recommends reflecting on your childhood, on the childhood of your parents and grandparents. Look at all this with understanding and try to forgive them and yourself. And if it doesn’t work out, contact an experienced psychologist or return to this exercise later.3. Beliefs. This is the period when we internalized the beliefs of adults and people significant to us without criticism. Money is evil. All men and women are liars. Children are spinners. You're a dumbass. And so on. If beliefs were repeated often or spoken with emotional force, we internalized them. And then, of course, they began to manifest themselves and influence our worldview and behavior. As an exercise, the author suggests revising your beliefs. Do I always act like a dumbass? Is having money really that bad? Or maybe children are the joy of life and the opportunity to learn from them? And among men and women there are many beautiful, honest and decent people? And if your beliefs have changed, you may be able to let go of the feelings and perceptions of life associated with them. And if not, again, you can always go to psychologists.4. Identity. This is the stage of life when we, along with our name, began to gain our own and others’ beliefs and views about ourselves. To begin with, there are no two identical views even on one quality. And what is good and bad can change over time to the complete opposite. For example: from killing the offender in ancient times to forgiving the offender today. As a result, our opinion of ourselves is full of false and completely contradictory views. As an exercise, the author suggests starting to learn to accept compliments, giving up doubts about their sincerity. Accept compliments and thank them for them. And if doubts and negative attitudes about yourself arise inside, then notice them and allow yourself to doubt their fidelity.5. Judgment. Here we begin to act consciously, and not relying on.