Book SummaryAware, by Daniel Siegel

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Aware

In Aware, Dan Siegel writes that by increasing your consciousness—your awareness of your life and your world—you can strengthen your mind, improve your focus, increase your social and emotional health, and boost your general sense of well-being. Increasing your consciousness also improves your bodily functions, thus enhancing your health and slowing your aging process. To achieve this, Siegel has developed a meditation tool he calls the Wheel of Awareness, which allows you to expand your capacity for awareness by visualizing and focusing on the connections between your body, your mind, and life around you. When used regularly, the Wheel meditation can revitalize and fortify your cognitive, mental, and physical health.

Siegel is a psychiatrist, author, and executive director of the Mindsight Institute, which promotes understanding of the mind by integrating neuroscience with concepts like mindfulness and compassion. He's also a leading figure in the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology, which explores the connection between the brain, mind, and relationships. You can go to the author’s website to listen to a recording that’ll guide you through the Wheel meditation at DrDanSiegel.com.

In this guide we’ll outline Siegel’s steps for using the Wheel, discuss the benefits of the meditation, and look at how this meditation program compares to other meditation systems. We’ll also explore the origins of some of Seigel’s techniques, and the meditation traditions that precede his program.

The Benefits of Awareness

According to Siegel, awareness is your perception of your experience of whatever is happening around and within you in the present moment. He asserts that people are happiest when living in the present moment—when you live more presently, you can cultivate deeper connections to yourself, others, and the world, and you’ll experience greater feelings of equanimity, peace, and meaning.

(Shortform note: While other psychology experts agree that living in the present moment has benefits, they argue that it isn’t the sole path to happiness. They explain that sometimes, reflecting on the past or planning for the future can be valuable, as our ability to learn from experiences and anticipate outcomes helps us grow and make better decisions. Additionally, distracting yourself from moments of physical or mental discomfort can be a healthy and necessary coping strategy when done in moderation. Ultimately, a balance between presence, reflection, and anticipation might be more beneficial than strictly focusing on the present.)

Additionally, strengthening awareness fosters mental flexibility, enabling you to be more adaptable and resilient in facing life's challenges. Present-focused awareness allows for more thoughtful responses to experiences rather than automatic reactions. This healthy, flexible mind allows for comfort with uncertainty, moves beyond black-and-white thinking, and approaches difficult situations with greater ease. Expanded awareness can bring you more freedom, richness, and joy in life.

(Shortform note: Other psychology experts agree that having mental flexibility (also known as cognitive or psychological flexibility) means you’re adaptable, live more easily in the present moment, and are resilient through adversity. They add that when you have mental flexibility, you tend to make decisions based on long-term goals that align with your values rather than short-term goals, which may not. This implies that people with mental flexibility can defer gratification in the moment for a greater benefit in the future.)

According to Siegel, research suggests that expanding your awareness not only brings mental and cognitive benefits, but can also yield physical benefits. By increasing your awareness, you can enhance your immune system, fortify the processes in your body that repair DNA, reduce stress responses, and improve your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and heart health.

How Meditation Changes Your Physiology

Research has indeed shown that meditation practices like the Wheel meditation have positive effects on your physical health, but Siegel doesn’t explicitly discuss the details of healthy changes that can happen in your body. According to scientists, meditation has been found to affect the immune system by decreasing inflammatory molecules released by cells in response to injury, infection, and increasing your immune cells. It has also been shown to increase the lifespan of parts of your DNA, potentially delaying the aging process. In your cardiovascular system, mediation studies show significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure and improvements in inflammatory gene expression.

Researchers speculate that meditation may produce these positive physical effects because of the interconnection between the mind and body: Meditation improves the functioning of the brain, relieves stress, depression, and anxiety, and supports recovery from trauma. These positive shifts in your mood, thoughts, and emotions may create a downstream effect on your physiological processes.

The Parts of The Wheel

Siegel writes that you can expand your mind’s capacity for awareness and improve your ability to live in the present moment by regularly meditating using the Wheel of Awareness. This mediation tool uses the image of a wheel and its various parts to guide you...

Aware Summary Exercise: Apply The Wheel Meditation to Your Life

The Wheel of Awareness meditation puts you in touch with foundational facets of life: awareness, thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and relationships. The following exercise will guide you through applying the Wheel meditation practices to your daily life.

Reflect on a recent experience where you felt caught up in the "rim of the wheel,”...