The Meditation Bible: The Definitive Guide to Meditations for Every Purpose [Paperback]

Madonna Gauding (Author)

Book Description

Series: ... Bible | Publication Date: August 1, 2005

With more than 140 techniques and practices drawn from Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, Taoist, Pagan, Jewish, Native American, and mystical traditions, this is the ultimate guide to meditation. Easily find out how to meditate to calm and center; cultivate mindfulness of everyday activities; heal physical and emotional ailments; increase love and compassion; end addictions; work with dreams; and deepen your connection with the Divine. An entire section is devoted to walking meditations that will get you moving, and there's smart advice on developing a daily practice and on creating a sacred space.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Madonna Gauding has been a student of Buddhism for over 12 years and is a practitioner of martial arts. She is the author of The Meditation Bible, World Mandalas and Working with Meditation. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402728433
• ISBN-13: 978-1402728433
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 26 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book of meditation techniques we've come across, October 17, 2006

By 

Immrama Institute "www.immrama.org" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meditation Bible: The Definitive Guide to Meditations for Every Purpose (Paperback)

"The Meditation Bible" by Madonna Gauding is by far the best meditation book we've come across this year. Packed with 140 individual meditations, the book contains something for everyone. Gauding has gathered some of the best -- and easiest to learn -- meditation techniques in a beautifully designed collection. Beginners and experienced meditators alike will benefit from this handy guide.

Part 1 features a "Before You Begin" section that explains meditation and provides tips for preparation, body positioning, establishing a daily practice, and more. Part 2 features 140 individual meditation techniques described in step-by-step detail. The organization and presentation of the meditation techniques is what makes "The Meditation Bible" so appealing and user-friendly. The techniques are divided into eight categories:

1. Calming and Centering
2. Living Mindfully
3. Healing Body, Mind, & Spirit
4. Get Moving
5. Love and Compassion
6. Problem Solving
7. Manifesting Your Dreams
8. Connecting to the Divine

For each of the 140 techniques found in the book, the author outlines the benefits of the technique, describes the best time to use it, and includes clear and concise instructions for practicing the technique. The majority of the techniques are not oriented toward any specific spiritual path, instead providing practical meditation methods that will appeal to all readers. The techniques found in the section called "Connecting to the Divine" cover a wide variety of spiritual traditions, including Christian, Buddhist, Quaker, Jewish, Native American, Taoist, and many others.

Experienced meditators may recognize some of the techniques -- The Microcosmic Orbit, The Distracted Mind, Watching Your Breath -- but many of the techniques are creative and unique. Gauding's book describes how to turn nearly any act into a meditation, providing readers with the opportunity to incorporate meditation into their day in ways they probably never even imagined. As a fun and spontaneous way to make use of the book, try opening to a random page and using that technique as your meditation method for the day.

We would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning a variety of fun and valuable meditation techniques.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comfort in times of need and uncertainty, September 14, 2005

By 

Sandy (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Meditation Bible: The Definitive Guide to Meditations for Every Purpose (Paperback)

Containing more meditations than I ever knew existed, this book is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to improve their life. Just recently, I was feeling unsettled and anxious, but I couldn't pin down the cause of the feelings. I sat down with my meditation bible and immediately located several topics that set off those inner bells, telling me to focus on those areas. I followed the instructions, meditated, and could feel my anxiety lessen. Solutions soon presented themselves and the source of my aggitation disappeared.

Madonna Gauding is one of my favorite authors. I love her clear, concise prose, substantive content and insightful revelations. I'm a beginner when it comes to meditation, but with this book in my library, I won't remain so for long.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview, April 20, 2008

By 

Diana (Austin, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Meditation Bible: The Definitive Guide to Meditations for Every Purpose (Paperback)

I have meditated for years and teach meditation to people new to it. I use it as a text book due to the variety of meditations. I like that it includes many different spiritual approaches to meditation and it is a resource that can be used as one continues to explore meditation.