The Best Guide to Meditation: This is the Perfect Book if You Want to Reduce Stress, if You Already Meditate but Want to Learn New Techniques, or if You're Just Curious About How it Works Paperback – 15 June 1998

This comprehensive and easy-to-read guide answers many questions about meditation. For those new to meditation, it provides guidance on getting started. For those already practicing, it can take you further if you wish, and it introduces a variety of meditation practices. And don’t be fooled by the 1998 date; this book easily stands the test of time. I just discovered it (2018), and its content is current.Davich covers all the basics in a user-friendly language, from how to sit, breathe, how long, frequency, what to do about distractions, and misconceptions (of which there are many). He provides lots of flexibility; for instance, he suggests several ways to sit, but says the bottom line is what is comfortable for you. He is honest; he notes that it’s best to start with a single 10-minute session, and, as is common to any worthwhile activity, you’ll get better with practice. But, he notes the rewards are great. It doesn’t need to be spiritual, but people of many religions meditate, and have been doing it for thousands of years.He provides descriptions of how meditation is practiced across the globe and in different cultures, and the book defines and describes terms that we bump into all the time, such as, what is a mantra, chakras, guru, tao, visualization, mindfulness, zen, and so on. He doesn’t go in-depth on any topic; rather, he covers just enough to introduce each one and whet your appetite. I found much in this book that I had heard of or seen in print, but had never taken the time to explore. The range of topics is awesome and I plan to hunker down and get to it. I particularly like the section on lovingkindness, compassion, and sending to a loved one.So, if you’ve decided to explore meditation, or want to expand your knowledge and practices, this is a great resource. Good luck.

I am an absolute beginner in meditation and even though i havent even finished chapter two i feel like i have had all the big questions i had about it answered. I already feel comfortable meditating and enjoy the experience as well as feeling some of the benefits too.When i bought the book i was looking for something that was for beginners and made no assumptions that the reader already had some knowledge but also had the depth to take me further,introduce me to different methods and give me an insight into where and how they are used all over the world and im not disappointed. If thats what your looking for then you will be happy with this book! To be fair to the author there is probably a lot for people who are more advanced than me too but obviously as a beginner im not really fit to judge.

If you are wanting to start meditating and want an easy route into it, definitely get this book! It's also nice in the way it gives brief examples of meditations from various disciplines that you can practice or try out. This guy has written several books and I've read them and they all really work for me. Reads like a simple instruction manual. Very helpful indeed. Give it a try if you want to start meditating.

A good read, I would recommend it to others. Any one can write about a subject, and make it sound good, but only those who actually put into practice what they are writing about can give true insight, and details into the various styles of the many different cultures that practice the this subject. It was nice to see not only the basic concept presented, but the differing points of view, and practices being thoroughly explained, without bias.

....only just started reading it. Very interesting easy to read without too much spiritual magic. Answers questions before you can even think of them. The book I ordered is a bit big though.