health mind and body

This is such a good book. It touches practically all aspects of meditation. After reading it you will feel confident to start meditation or progress along your chosen path.

It is an easy book to read and understand. However, because meditation is such a broad subject this book covers a lot of ground. This can be off-putting to someone who wants a quick introduction. If you are serious about taking meditation to higher levels, this book gives you a very good foundation.

I read the book from cover to cover a few months ago and want to re-read it after having practiced meditation for a few months. This time I will make notes to guide me on what I will do to take my meditation to the next level. The book is chock full of tips. I know there are several tips that I will appreciate more now after some months of practice.

As comprehensive as this book is, it did not cover two areas I would have liked to know more about - using earplugs while meditating on your inner sounds and meditating using electronic feedback devices. I will like to see these areas covered in a more advanced book by the author.

This is a very good general introduction to meditation. This is probably the best beginners guide to the subject that I have read. It covers a great deal of material. As it is not written from any one specific religious background, everyone from atheists to committed Christians will find much in it which is useful. Contains lots of good, practical advice. Whether you are starting to meditate in order to lower your blood pressure, deal with stress, or to deepen your spiritual life, this is the best book on the market that I have found. Recommended.

1st -PLEASE MAKE AN AUDIO FORMAT AVAILABLE!!! Chopped up into 10-15 minute intervals. Not a new-agey, stoned, egotistical, or harsh voice. Get one to match the author's writing voice. One that's knoledgeable, practical, open, funloving, well rounded, and just plain likeable. Maybe the voice of Steve Ross from the Oxygen yoga show Inhale? I would pay just about any price for an audio version of this book on CD with the right voice.

As the author says, mediation is simple and can be explained in 5 minutes or less. but so what? We already "know" many beneficial things. They are useless unless the mind is engaged and we actually "do" them. That's the true value of this book, it kept me interested enough to DO IT. As other reviewers have commented, this book explains medititation benefits, why we might want to do it, is not "religious" or converting yet has colorful and interesting bits of history and flavor, as well as being practical for step by step. A wonderful balance.

Before, when I was stressed with frustration, anger, or worry I would have dinner with a friend, read, or watch TV or a movie. That would usually help a bit and get my mind off the stress for the evening. But it was back again the next day and still growing.

Now, when I am stressed, which is relatively rare, I read sections of this book for maybe 10-20 minutes to get in the right frame, meditate, and the stress is eliminated. Not temporarily distracted, but gone. And it doesn't return. Moreover, if I encounter the same issues that were stressing me out the next day I do not become stressed out again. I have a clear mind on the subject, decide and do what seems best, and that's the end of it. I've recommended this book to many and even bought it and given it away. If you are having a problem with stress I can't recommend this book highly enough. Many, many thanks Stephan Bodian for this wonderful book!