I did the mindful conversation with my Dad, and I'm not sure I learned a lot per se, or at least not a lot of facts, other than confirming that he and I are very like-minded people.

But it was an interesting exercise nonetheless. Having a conversation where you are forced to just listen, instead of butting in (as most of us do constantly) was a strange feeling. I think it's less valuable with somone who you are as close to as a family member, who you naturally understand well and empathise with anyway, but it's a good place to start.

Because ideally, that's how you should spend all your conversations - actually listening to the other person and looking to meet their needs, instead of trying to get your own met.

There is a lot to digest in this chapter, and all of it seems valuable. I like the idea of practising both focused and open attention, I like the thought of joyful mindfulness, I like the thought of walking meditations (although I also like using walking time for podcasts or music), and I definitely want to (try) and be more mindful in conversation. I think I might have to have a plan to implement all of this.

I'm warming to this book a lot, although the start of it put me off a fair bit. I've done a fair bit of meditation in the past, but it has all been focused on the time you are actually meditating, rather than generalising mindfulness into your day-to-day. This chapter has provided a lot of techniques for busting that plateau.