Gary Gach at Readers’ Books in Sonoma

“Pause, Breathe, Smile” author Gary Gach will be at Readers’ Books at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20, to read from his new book and to discuss why mindfulness and meditation are not always easy to access.

Gach, who has spent more than 50 years studying and practicing mindful living, brings readers back to these basics in his new book, “Pause, Breathe, Smile: Awakening Mindfulness When Meditation is Not Enough.”

Addressing students of all levels, the book simplifies the three central aspects of mindful living, allowing the reader to explore mindfulness in their lives as a healing and transformative practice.

Gach is the also author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Buddhism” and editor of “What Book!? Buddha Poems From Beat to Hiphop.” His writing has appeared in Buddhadharma, Lion’s Roar, the New Yorker and Yoga Journal. He lives in San Francisco and teaches regularly at the San Francisco Zen Center.