Let That Sh*t Go

November 30, 2020
Purewal and Petriw, founders of, respectively, meditation workshops Pure Minds and Mind Matters, lay out strategies for using mindfulness to reduce stress in their amicable debut. The authors ground their methods for finding inner peace in practices such as deep breathing, observational thinking (which fights against a “chatty mind”), and counting one’s blessings. Most of the tips are quick and easy, such as breathing exercises one can do on a commute, “observing-mind” mindfulness for eating (“find peace while you chew”), and taking a 15-second “restorative break.” They also recommend making time to vent (such as a phone call with a friend where you “set an actual timer and then bitch your heart out”) and working to overcome blame in relationships (“When you blame, you are handing the reins to someone else and giving up control of your own life”). Above all, they push that readers should acknowledge suppressed emotions, “express them in every way,” and then let them go. While many of the concepts are simple, together they make for an appealing guide to daily mindfulness and stress relief. Those who liked Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass will enjoy this.

December 1, 2020

In these turbulent times, Purewal, founder of mindfulness meditation company Pure Minds, and mental health workshop leader Petriw (Mind Matters) offer a way to cultivate calm and address things that get in the way. They discuss letting go of negative self-perceptions, regrets from the past, and anxieties about the future. They do that by teaching the practice of mindfulness--finding calm within. Steps toward becoming mindful include awareness, self-love, acceptance, perspective, authenticity, and forgiveness, and each of these is well defined. Purewal and Petriw reiterate the directive in the title to let go of the garbage and concentrate on the gifts in daily living. VERDICT Nothing new here, but this title is still helpful for those seeking inner peace in a stressful world.

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