The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life [Paperback]

Bill Birchard (Author), David A. Nichol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2001

On an average day, in an average minute, we can process over 240 billion bits of information per second. Such incredibly rapid brain activity can lead to confusion, fear, tension, stress, and anxiety. To stave off these pressures, our minds instinctively look for "one-minute escapes": exercise, drinking and drugs, smoking, sex, and entertainment. All efficient short-term distractions, none is a permanent salve.The One-Minute Meditator shows readers how to harness the innate drive for quick mental escapes and use that urge to quiet our thoughts from within. Proving that meditation is both physically and emotionally healthful, Nichol and Birchard show readers how to meditate whenever they have a solitary minute or more: on the walk from the parking lot to the office, while waiting in line, while on hold on the phone, or while trying to fall asleep. Both inspiring and instructive, The One-Minute Meditator gives readers the tools to incorporate the power of meditation into otherwise busy, harried lives.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In an age when everyone is pressed for time and completely stressed out to boot, finding inner peace in just one minute is the type of self-help concept that should quickly find an eager audience. In their new guide on how to meditate in short periods, authors David Nichol and Bill Birchard contend that because the true measure of life is how we feel and act minute to minute, "you can take any minute in life and turn it into a minute of better living. As some Japanese meditators say, you can steal moments from the day."

Drawing on their experiences as seasoned meditators and teachers, the authors begin their guide with an illuminating look at all the reasons our brains find it difficult to slow down and smell the roses. Like barking dogs chasing cars, our overly busy minds are often running madly after fearful, grasping, joyriding fantasies that make it difficult to concentrate or feel calm. Yet within each of us is a yearning for peace--and that, according to the authors, is the key. By following a series of simple one-minute meditation and breathing exercises contained in the guide, anyone can reduce stress and discover quiet self-knowledge and clarity of mind. While the book is aimed at readers interested in the short take, it also contains useful information for those who wish to extend their practice. Especially useful is a section on how meditation can enhance healing, most particularly for those with high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, or drug addiction. The last chapter of this very friendly guide illustrates how to enrich meditation with mantras, imagery, and yoga. ­-Marianne Painter

From Booklist

Call it transitory meditation. The idea of meditating for one-minute intervals may seem to miss the point of meditation, but Nichol and Birchard make their case. Nichol is a graduate of the Menninger School of Psychiatry and uses meditation in his clinical practice. Birchard is a journalist and coauthor of Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability to Competitive Advantage (1999). Both have been meditating for 25 years. "Because the quality of our lives revolves around how we feel minute to minute," they propose that it is realistic to focus their approach on one-minute time spans. The authors interviewed others who were learning how to meditate and tell their stories, detailing both the physical and the mental benefits of meditation. Each of the seven chapters includes four one-minute meditation exercises. Nichol and Birchard offer a simple and sound approach for beginners seeking to discover meditation. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738203785
• ISBN-13: 978-0738203782
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #905,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to learn about meditation, read this book!, July 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life (Paperback)

I have meditated daily for the last 3 years and have found this book very helpful. I had let my meditations become more "routine" than "mindful". The very easy excercises through out the book helped me find my center again.

I would recommend this book to anyone at any level . . . beginner to experienced!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "How To Meditate" without the mumbo jumbo, April 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life (Paperback)

A year after diagnosis with high blood pressure, I've been on diets, medication, and a steady dose of advice from my family. My doctor suggested I meditate to reduce stress, but everything I read wanted to change my religion.

This book is terrific. A quick read, it is a practical, hands on, step-by-step approach to meditation. And it really works. Finally I understand what all the shooting was about.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ommmm along for peace of mind, November 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life (Paperback)

10/18/2001 - Ommmmm along for peace of mind
By Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY

This autumn, our national psyche's Teflon shield has been severely scratched by terrorist attacks and anthrax headlines. We cannot change reality, so people need to find healthful ways to cope. For centuries, people around the world have found an inner calm through meditation.
It seems easy. Just sit or lie down, close your eyes and clear your mind. Alas, taming those wild monkeys that jump around your mental tree is very difficult. This book and audio presentation explores the practice of meditation:

* The One-Minute Meditator by David Nichol, M.D., and Bill Birchard (Perseus Press, and Audio Renaissance, 3 hours, abridged). Read by Nichol, the tape is fervent in describing the way training one's mind can decrease stress.