The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Joan Budilovsky (Author), Eve Adamson (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: December 3, 2002

You’re no idiot, of course. Sometimes you just want to relax, clear your head, rest your aching muscles, and rejuvenate your weary soul. You’ve heard meditation is a great stress reliever, but sometimes it seems so complicated it makes you downright uptight.

Relax! Meditation is easy to learn—especially if you rely on The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Meditation, Second Edition, as you follow the path to inner peace. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:

--Zen techniques, including guided imagery and mindfulness, to help you meditate effectively.

--Tips for learning how to use meditation in daily life, including stressful situations, exercise, and fatigue.

--An easy-to-understand explanation of the connections between meditation, sleep, and dreams.

--Expert advice on how and when to meditate and detailed drawings and diagrams for breathing, positions, and more.

--Techniques for meditating to music or modern chants.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joan Budilovsky received her Hatha Yoga Teacher's Certification in 1994 from the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. She is a nationall certified massage therapist in the US, and an active member of the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals.EveAdamson is a freelance writer, student of meditation and co-author of many Complete Idiot's Guides including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Massage and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zen Living

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2 Sub edition (December 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028644417
• ISBN-13: 978-0028644417
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too much extraneous clutter for this beginner, May 23, 2004

By 

abt1950 "abt1950" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

There's something paradoxical about the idea of an "Idiot's Guide to Meditation." Describing the outward forms of meditation is easy but describing the subjective experience is harder, as is actually doing the meditating. There's real discipline involved in developing mental focus through meditation. Somehow, with all the jumping around from one topic to another in this book, that seemed to get lost in the mix.

Myabe that's where my problems with this book come from. There is so much information given about so many different methods that the basics get buried. The authors throw in various traditions, terminologies, positions, theories, and a few women's magazine quizzes were thrown in, not to mention frequent "Bliss Bytes" and "From A to Om." The book seemed scattered and a little too New Agey for my tastes. Personally, I found Lawrence LeShan's classic "How to Meditate" to be better grounded, more instructive, and a more helpful guide for this idiot.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation, November 5, 2001

By 

Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation (Paperback)

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation, by Joan Budilovsky and Eve Adamson, will answer every question you have about meditation, as well as help you find the kind of meditation that is right for you.

Budilovsky and Adamson have teamed up before with books on yoga and massage, as well as writing independently about holistic health.

They write that "meditation can teach you to live in the now, to know yourself--body, mind, and soul--better, and to find the life you need." They first explain how meditation reduces stress and helps in healing, then discuss how "meditation will lead you to a consideration of life's bigger questions. . ." before getting into the actual techniques for successful meditation.

They emphasize throughout the book that meditation does not conflict with any religious or spiritual beliefs.

Instructions start with how to prepare your mind and body for meditation, then explain the different seated, walking, and moving meditations. The authors discuss how to use mantras, mandalas, and visualization techniques to enhance meditation. They also review the basics of yoga, T'ai Chi, and QiGong as relaxation techniques.

Readers are taught how to adapt religious traditions to "create your own profound meditative exercises." They also learn how to perform "body scans" to determine what their bodies are telling them about their physical health.

Definitions of unfamiliar terms are included with the text, making it easy to understand the information presented. "Mindful Minutes," meditation trivia and anecdotes, are scattered throughout the book.

Budilovsky and Adamson say that with a "few simple techniques, you can harness the awesome power of your own mind-body." In The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation, they show you exactly what those techniques are and how to apply them in your own life.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concentrate - Then buy this easy to read, excellent book!, June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Meditation (Paperback)

Is your life out of control? Are you stressed to the limit with family, job and social obligations? If your answer is yes... see a therapist immediately! For the rest of us who want to improve upon and take a break from, the everyday hassles of life, THIS IS OUR BOOK! No mumble, jumble, new age pie in the sky theories here, just a down-to-earth book introducing us to the ages old practice of meditation. History, terminology and easy to follow, step by step meditation techniques are explained in simple terms. You'll also be impressed with all the positive medical benefits associated with meditation. So, after thinking long and hard, if you want to improve the quality of your life, or want to get a taste of, or history of, meditation, you can't go wrong with this great book!