Masculinity, Meditation, and Mental Health by Tim Lomas

'Masculinity, Meditation, and Mental Health (http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=675073).

It is said that men are ‘in crisis,’ blighted by the adverse effects of corrosive masculine norms ranging from emotional disconnection to aggression. Consequently, with men in considerable ‘trouble’ relative to their female counterparts – from higher levels of suicide, alcoholism and violence to poorer health and educational outcomes – the question of how to help men ‘change’ is a pressing one for society. This book offers one possible solution, as it shows how one group of men learned to overcome their masculine inheritance by taking up meditation. Here we follow their difficult but ultimately rewarding life journeys as they sought and found an elusive sense of wellbeing. The book interweaves these personal narratives with the very latest research and theory at the intersection of gender and mental health, together with practical recommendations for those working with men (and indeed for men themselves). The result is a powerful account of the potential for men to change and to lead lives that are more conducive to wellbeing.

Tim Lomas