Fit Mind - by Liam McClintock (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Bridging cutting-edge neuroscience and ancient meditation tools, Fit Mind is a practical guide to unlocking mental fitness--our highest potential for well-being--in everyday life

Our minds spend little time in the present. They often replay painful memories and chatter internally at up to 4,000 words per minute. They're easily caught up in cycles of craving, self-criticism, and needless worry. While this may seem normal, there's a better alternative: a fit mind.

Buddhist monk and FitMind founder Liam McClintock shares powerful, little-known techniques that enable us to meditate anywhere--whether at home, work, or on the move. This training is both simple and enjoyable. Yet it goes far beyond conventional mental health toward our full capacity for mental fitness. Qualities like presence, vitality, and lasting bliss are within our reach. Fit Mind also demystifies how the brain works, revealing new findings on meditators that challenge popular assumptions.

Despite an Ivy League education and a career in private equity, Liam found himself unfulfilled. The problem wasn't his outer circumstances, but his inner state of mind. He left finance and trained with renowned meditation masters across the globe--from the Amazon jungle to the Himalayan foothills. Along the way, he collaborated with neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital who study advanced meditative states.

The journey ultimately led him to ordain as a Buddhist monk, where he learned a highly effective method for achieving optimal mental fitness. This approach centers on four steps: Recognize, Release, Relish and Remain. Grounded in 2,500 years of contemplative wisdom and supported by modern science, these four steps offer a complete toolkit for beginners and experienced meditators alike. Readers will discover how to:

• Activate blissful "playlists" in the brain on command
• Quiet the mind's excess chatter--going beyond thought entirely
• Enter profound altered states of consciousness
• Gain transformative insights into the workings of the mind
• Experience durable shifts in perception, awareness, and well-being

Mental fitness doesn't require special talent, intense effort, or escape from daily life. With this four-step formula, anyone can train an extraordinary mind amidst the demands of ordinary life. In the end, readers will find that a fit mind--one full of clarity, energy, tranquility, compassion, and joy--is both vital and accessible.

About the Author

Liam McClintock is the founder of FitMind, a mental fitness nonprofit. After leaving a career in private equity, he traveled to Asia to study meditation and eventually ordained as a Buddhist monk. Liam holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.S. in applied neuroscience from King's College London. He has contributed to meditation research at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital.