Drawing on her 40 years as a teacher and a fellow meditator, Sally teaches us how we can connect to our inner longings and creative "shakti" energy to allow the transformative gifts and blessings of meditation to unfold. With playfulness and devotion "two key attitudes in sustaining a daily practice" she shares indispensable guidance for this voyage of self-discovery, including: How to tune in to your own "meditation channel", a bandwidth of tranquility, energy, and joy; - Why you don't need a quiet mind to meditate; - How the force known as Kundalini can fuel your practice; - Connecting to your ever-present Inner Beloved to let go of conditioned ideas about yourself and make space for the True Self to come forth; - Ripening your practice beyond technique into the "sweet mysterious expanse of spontaneous meditation"; - More than 20 practices for bringing the peace and insight of meditation into your daily life. "Remember: what you seek in meditation is your own Beloved, your own inner intelligence, your own Awareness, and your own Truth," teaches Sally. Meditation for the Love of It points us back to our own intimate heart of hearts, our own deepest experience, and the bliss of existence itself.
Meditation for the Love of It
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About the Author
Sally Kempton is known both for her ability to lead students into deep states of meditation, and for her gift of making yogic wisdom applicable to daily life. She has spent over 40 years practicing, studying, and teaching meditation and spiritual philosophy. A former swami, or monk, she lived and studied for many years with enlightened Indian masters, and received training in the Kashmir Shaivism tradition. She writes "Wisdom," a regular column for Yoga Journal, and teaches workshops and retreats in the United States and Europe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have been impressed with Sally Kempton for a while now and was disappointed that I could not get a copy of her previous book on meditation. Apparently this is a newly updated and revised edition of that book and it is a gem. The book is enlightening, fascinating, informative and above all INSPIRING. For those of us who have attempted meditation without a teacher or guru but have withered quickly in the face of the daunting loneliness of the meditation cushion, Sally has arrived on the scene to guide us, support us, and provide the companionship so often necessary to weather the storm. After reading this book I was, for the first time, excited about meditation, rather than just viewing it as a drudgery I would at some time finally have to face if I was ever to find peace in this world. I have spent years reading about meditation and minutes actually doing it, but with Sally's guidance there is new hope. Now whenever the resistance arises, I just read a few paragraphs and I am back on track.
Sally is very versed and experienced in the "hows" of meditation and conveys that information in a clear and riveting way, but it is her offering of the "whys" that I find so valuable. No, there are no law of attraction ramblings here or promises of unlimited financial or material abundance, just an offering of the real possibility of finally being comfortable in our own skin and situation in life, which is what we are all after anyway, isn't it.
Sally is very versed and experienced in the "hows" of meditation and conveys that information in a clear and riveting way, but it is her offering of the "whys" that I find so valuable. No, there are no law of attraction ramblings here or promises of unlimited financial or material abundance, just an offering of the real possibility of finally being comfortable in our own skin and situation in life, which is what we are all after anyway, isn't it.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a superb meditation primer. It is extremely practical, and insightful - a rare book in being an excellent match for a novice or a long term mediator looking to deepen their practice. It is also fabulous in that it offers ways to experiment with and deepen your practice based on your nature and needs. I highly recommend it. Cindy Franklin
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
If you're new to meditation, Sally Kempton's "Meditation for the Love of It" is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you've been meditating for years and have hit a plateau or are not getting as much out of meditation as you feel you should, you may find this book helpful, provocative, and enjoyable.
Kempton observes that the rewards of practicing meditation can decline as it loses novelty and becomes an everyday routine. She recalls a day many years ago when she suddenly recognized that her meditation practice had become rigid, mechanical, and unrewarding. To break out of her rut, she gave herself permission to experiment and play with her meditation practice, incorporating a variety of approaches and deliberately setting aside the advice of teachers who say there is only one correct way to meditate. She also refocused herself on the "ultimate goal" of meditation: "to experience the full emergence of your own pure Consciousness, the inner state of luminosity, love, and wisdom that the Indian tradition calls the 'inner Self' or the 'true Self' or the 'Heart.'" (p. 26) Most of the remainder of the book illustrates how to incorporate these two insights--allowing play, and focusing on the goal--into meditation practice.
A few caveats are in order: As I said at the outset, this isn't a book for beginners. Much of the discussion refers to experiences they will not have had, and the book isn't organized with their needs and concerns in mind. It's also not a step-by-step manual, even though Kempton does include more than 25 exercises and many more tips and guidelines. In addition, Kempton approaches meditation as a spiritual and mystical practice on the order of and sometimes directly involving prayer. Although she makes nods to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Sufism), her main influences are Hindu and Buddhist. Rationalists who see meditation as a path to relaxation, simple mindfulness, and non-mystical self-knowledge may be put off by this spiritual/religious orientation.
Here's where I give my big disclaimer: I'm a relative beginner and a rationalist, so I'm not a member of the book's core audience. Keep that in mind when I say that my overall impression of the book is positive, and that, with its combination of personal reminiscence, practical exercises and tips, and religious/philosophical discussion, the book will be very well received by many experienced meditators, especially those who are spiritually inclined.
P.S. This book is a revised edition of "The Heart of Meditation", originally published in 2002.
Kempton observes that the rewards of practicing meditation can decline as it loses novelty and becomes an everyday routine. She recalls a day many years ago when she suddenly recognized that her meditation practice had become rigid, mechanical, and unrewarding. To break out of her rut, she gave herself permission to experiment and play with her meditation practice, incorporating a variety of approaches and deliberately setting aside the advice of teachers who say there is only one correct way to meditate. She also refocused herself on the "ultimate goal" of meditation: "to experience the full emergence of your own pure Consciousness, the inner state of luminosity, love, and wisdom that the Indian tradition calls the 'inner Self' or the 'true Self' or the 'Heart.'" (p. 26) Most of the remainder of the book illustrates how to incorporate these two insights--allowing play, and focusing on the goal--into meditation practice.
A few caveats are in order: As I said at the outset, this isn't a book for beginners. Much of the discussion refers to experiences they will not have had, and the book isn't organized with their needs and concerns in mind. It's also not a step-by-step manual, even though Kempton does include more than 25 exercises and many more tips and guidelines. In addition, Kempton approaches meditation as a spiritual and mystical practice on the order of and sometimes directly involving prayer. Although she makes nods to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Sufism), her main influences are Hindu and Buddhist. Rationalists who see meditation as a path to relaxation, simple mindfulness, and non-mystical self-knowledge may be put off by this spiritual/religious orientation.
Here's where I give my big disclaimer: I'm a relative beginner and a rationalist, so I'm not a member of the book's core audience. Keep that in mind when I say that my overall impression of the book is positive, and that, with its combination of personal reminiscence, practical exercises and tips, and religious/philosophical discussion, the book will be very well received by many experienced meditators, especially those who are spiritually inclined.
P.S. This book is a revised edition of "The Heart of Meditation", originally published in 2002.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
In Love with Meditation
I have just stumbled upon Sally's wonderful work. This book is a compendium of reminders and encouragement for deep Seekers of Truth. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sally Ross
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read!!
love it!! It's a great book for beginners like myself! I encourage all readers to read Eat, Pray, Love also!!
Published 3 months ago by Belinda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple, clear, inspiring & supportive
I found this book to be refreshingly clear, straight forward and simple while also providing in depth information drawn from experience of a devoted spiritual guide.
Published 3 months ago by nirah johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have for your spiritual journey.
A must-have for your spiritual journey.
I have made a few half-hearted attempts at meditation in the past only to give up because I wasn't getting anything out of it. Read more
I have made a few half-hearted attempts at meditation in the past only to give up because I wasn't getting anything out of it. Read more
Published 3 months ago by chaos
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different view
Sesame as her DVD I like her approach and easy way to go about meditating. Definitely worth a chance. Read it.
Published 4 months ago by lucysurf
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something for everyone
I love this book! I have meditated for years but am newly inspired by Sally Kempton's wonderful way of making it all feel new. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Katharyn Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excelent!
Excelent! Very practical, easy to read for begginers. And you can tell it was written with passion. I recommend it.
Published 5 months ago by angie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love to meditate
I mediate daily, and study yoga philosophy, which informs my work as a psychoanalyst and my life as just plain me. Sally Kempton is a wise leader. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lynn Somerstein, PhD, RYT
4.0 out of 5 stars
Soothing, warm and entirely personable
Sally Kempton's, "Meditation for the Love of It" is THE book to start with for novice practitioners of meditation. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sibelius
5.0 out of 5 stars
Encompassing, warm and full of valuable actionable info
This is a beautiful, encompassing and useful book. Meditation for the Love of It approaches the art of meditation as a way to love your life and embrace your own being. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jill Florio
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
