Meditation for Dummies. (For Dummies)

“A useful guidebook filled with clear instructions and helpful hints.”

—Deepak Chopra

“An easy-to-follow yet comprehensive introduction to the practice of meditation.”

—John Gray, author, Men Are From Mars, Women are From Venus

Meditation Pluses: it can improve your focus and concentration; reduce tension, anxiety and stress; promote creativity and enhanced performance in work and play; lower blood pressure; and improve immune response. Also, it requires no special clothing or equipment, it can be done anywhere, and you can learn the basics in just minutes. Meditation Minuses: it will never be an Olympic event and it won’t make it easier for you to get a date...on the other hand, the improved health, vigor and self-awareness that comes with the practice of meditation can do wonders for your love life. Interested?

Packed with state-of-the-art information and savvy advice, this friendly guide demystifies meditati on traditions and practices and shows you step-by-step how to relax, take a deep breath, and open yourself to inner peace and understanding. You’ll discover how to:

• Understand meditation traditions
• Develop a meditation practice that works for you
• Overcome roadblocks to happiness and success
• Cultivate your spiritual side
• Extend meditation into your daily life
• Meditate to heal or to achieve peak performance

Expert Stephen Bodian distills the best of the various meditation traditions and gently leads you step-by-step to discover a form and style of meditation that works best for you. Instruction manual, survey course, and a guide to deeper exploration, Meditation For Dummies covers all the bases. You’ll discover:

• Where meditation comes from and various traditions around the world
• How to prepare for meditation and how to sit, dress and other practical aspects
• How meditation can help you open your heart to love, compassion, and forgiveness
• How to troubleshoot emotional, behavioral, professional and physical problems using meditation
• How to use meditation for healing and performance enhancement

People throughout history have used some form of meditation for self-improvement and spiritual enlightenment. Now let Meditation For Dummies introduce you to the amazing benefits of sitting still and focusing.

"A useful guidebook filled with clear instructions and helpful hints." Deepak Chopra "An easy-to-follow yet comprehensive introduction to the practice of meditation." John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are From Venus Praise for Meditation For Dummies^® "A simple yet very rich compilation of the nitty-gritty information you need to begin or deepen a meditation practice that will work for you." — Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind "Do yourself a favor: Read this book! … The perfect antidote to the stress of everyday life." — Frances Vaughn, Ph.D., author of Shadows of the Sacred "Stephan gives us all the basics — clear and simple ways to relax the body, quiet the mind, and open the heart." — Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

The easy way to relieve stress and enrich your life

Packed with detailed directions to help get you started

Meditation can reduce your stress and blood pressure — and add more joy and focus to your life. But how do you begin? Packed with state-of-the-art information and savvy advice, this friendly guide demystifies meditation traditions, explains meditation practices, and shows you step-by-step how to relax, take a deep breath, and open yourself to inner peace and understanding.

Discover how to: Understand meditation traditions Develop a meditation practice that works for you Overcome roadblocks Cultivate your spiritual side Extend meditation into your daily life Meditate to heal or to achieve peak performance

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"An easy-to-follow yet comprehensive introduction to the practice of meditation."

—John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Research has proven that meditation relaxes the body, calms the mind, reduces stress, and enhances overall health and well-being. Whether you're new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner coming back for a refresher course, this comprehensive book-and-CD package provides a wealth of useful tips and techniques.

Discover how to

• Explore effective meditation techniques
• Develop your own meditation practice
• Meditate for stress reduction, spiritual growth, healing, or performance enhancement
• Understand the history of meditation and the latest research

Includes bibliographical references (p. 325-328) and index.

Stephan Bodian conducts workshops and classes in meditation and is a practicing psychotherapist at the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy.

Getting acquainted — Getting started — Troubleshooting and fine-tuning — Meditation in action — Part of tens — Appendix.