How to Meditate: A Practical Guide Paperback – Illustrated, October 3, 2005

I am currently taking several courses in Buddhism, and one is taught by the author of this book. I just started that course and her teaching style seems down to earth and enjoyable, but I was slightly annoyed when I saw this book would be required reading for the class. The reason was simply that I've read many books on how to meditate before, and I am taking these classes to advance my knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist practices specifically and felt like this was a slight step backward in my knowledge. I based my entire assumption on the title "How To Meditate". But I dutifully ordered a used copy of it and prepared myself for yet another introduction to meditation book. Turns out the book is fantastic, but I have to say I dislike the title a lot. It doesn't do the book justice and it's such a generic title that I thought I had it all figured out before I even got it. I would have absolutely passed by this book if I hadn't been required to purchase it for the class.Yes, the book does offer instructions on how to meditate. And she does so in a very down to earth, accessible way. Plain language, and a very direct "how-to" that is missing from many other meditation intro books. How to sit, what to do with your eyes, hands, etc., what strange thoughts or distractions may occur and how to address these problems when they happen, and more. But there is SO much more to the book that I never would have discovered based on the title or even the description, and it's that other content that makes me especially happy. The first two chapters cover the how-to basics for the most part. The rest of the book is mostly specific Tibetan Meditations; meditations on the mind, analytical meditations, and visual meditations. Then another entire section on specific Tibetan prayers and other devotional practices. This was exactly what I wanted to learn in the course but did not expect from this book based on the title.I feel it's somewhat important to stress that these are meditations and prayers that are mostly from the Tibetan tradition. That's not to say that anyone can't enjoy them, you certainly can, and the instruction is presented in a way that anyone can benefit from, but some of the references might be very new or even strange if you aren't already practicing the Tibetan tradition or even in Buddhism at all. For example, she includes meditations on Tonglen, meditation on Avalokiteshvara, Vajrasattva purification, etc. It's the very thing I love about the book since I've been trying to learn and compile these exact practices from various sources, but I'm not sure it would be the best choice for someone who just wants a secular introduction to basic meditation. That's why I dislike the title so much; people like me wanting specific Tibetan practices will easily miss it, and those just wanting a basic intro to general meditation might end up with a bunch of Tibetan stuff they didn't really need. It's kind of like buying a book called "How to Cook" but finding out it's mostly about how to cook Thai food.Back to the instruction aspect: she adds to the basic instruction in the first two chapters by offering more specific instructions at the beginning of the various practices, and then gradually incorporates what you have learned from previous chapters as you progress through the book. So you learn specific meditations, practices and prayers AND get instruction on how to do them. It's easy to google the names of any of these Tibetan practices and get lots of results, but not many that include HOW to do the practice in addition to the recitations and visuals. And she simplifies it nicely so it's suitable for beginners to these practices. Chapters are short and easy to digest. This book is going to be a huge help in aiding me to establish a more disciplined set of practices, there are some for daily use (refuge prayer, dedication of merit, etc), others for special situations like times of illness (Medicine Buddha), etc.So I love the book and am very happy to have an easy to understand guide that teaches these practices and am looking forward to learning the ones I don't know and incorporating them into my routine. I still think it should be named something more accurate like "How To Do Tibetan Practices" or "A Collection of Tibetan Buddhist Meditations and Prayers Including Instructions" or something along those lines. But if you don't mind that they are Tibetan Buddhist oriented, or if you are looking for a Tibetan Buddhist specific book that covers basic meditations and prayers, this will be a wonderful resource. I'm very glad I was required to purchase this, it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

The book cuts through the clutter of meditation and mindfulness and presents the material in a clear and concise manner. The book does citing other references to related matters presented early and much later in the book, which is bit confusing. You need jump back or forward in the book to keep the flow going.

This is a very (mind's) eye opening book. I'm very new to the practices of Buddhism and the material it covers is really easy to understand. It's forgiving for aspiring Buddhists, spiritualists, or anyone who just needs to meditate. I'm still in awe that so uch valuable information could be packed into this 300 page book. I'm not through reading this yet but I almost don't want to finish it because I want to be able to keep on reading it. I plan on referring to this book as a guide through out my spiritual journey. If youre still deciding whether or not to purchase this book, do so. Buy two and give the second one to someone as a gift. Thank you Kathleen McDonald.

This book showed me the basic way to meditate. Makes meditating a natural task and you aren't pressured to think about certain things, but just to simply gain inner peace. It threw me off a little when asking you to meditate on certain chakras or buddhist gods, but this is dependent upon how deep you are into the Buddhist practice.

A must read. Whether you're a spiritual seeker, a wisdom seeker, someone seekeing for inner or outer healing, a religious researcher, or your just like anyone else who seeks piece in life this book will improve you. This book does not have all the answers, it is rather a guide to teach you how to find your own answers which is the explained very well. Priceless for beginners with an interest and worth every penny for andvanced practicioners as I have full confidence it can open doors to people of all walks of life - whether you practice religiously or not. A tip not mentioned in the book that worked for me, being attached to your own happiness, bliss, devotion toward religious beliefs, mindfulness, vigor, tranquility, rapturous feelings (eg. gooseflesh or levatation sensation), visions, equanimity, and even subtler attachments are corruptions toward the ultimate goal, enlightenment. I would recomend applying the techniques in this book before going that far because an understanding of compassion, one of the main emphasis' in this book is not a corruption, however, but a foundation toward the highest realizations possible according to the Buddha. You will surely enjoy the techniques if done right and without prejiduce or inner resistance. Good health, long life and piece be with you my friend."Contentment is the greatest wealth" Buddha.

This book was required for my coarse online on Buddhist Meditation. I am happy to have it though because it is quite comprehensive. It takes the reader from the most basic meditation practices to some of the higher level practices. Just last night I was struggling emotionally an picked up this book as a resource for help. I found what I needed. This book will make a great reference book for those learning to meditate, and those more experienced with meditation. It will definitely be kept in my permanent collection. I love it!!!

Reading this book has been a real inspiration. I have a better knowledge of how to properly meditate and i like how it teachings me different ways to meditate. Many people either want to mediate but don't know how to either get started or what exactly to do. With the help of this book it will answer all your question about the how, when, where and what you need to do to get started with your meditation.

Good quality / great product