meditation

Meditation for Beginners
$14.98
I've been using the DVD three days a week and feel like it's helping me through a rough time. Just setting aside time for myself every morning with this DVD is a blessing. I like how she moves from basic yoga, to body scan, to mediation. It really primes you for the "work" of the meditation portion. Although, most of the time I skip the body scan because it makes the whole session about an hour instead of an hr. and a half. This DVD is well worth the investment and has led me to interest in other forms of meditation. Go for it!

Opening to Meditation: A Gentle, Guided Approach (Book & CD)
$19.95
I have used these CD meditations many times and always found them beneficial. Early this year I had a severe injury from a fall and after a few months of recovery, began a series of acupuncture treatments for pain. I downloaded the meditations onto my iPod and listened to them during the sessions. They were invaluable in helping me relax and aided my recovery through the procedure. I highly recommend this resource to everyone.

Mindfulness in Plain English, Updated and Expanded Edition
$14.95
This book is the best out of the few dozen books on meditation I've read. He writes about making meditation enjoyable, not a chore, and convinced me to take the same attitude. Other books I've read gave me a lot of info, things to look for, but this one will get you on the cushion. Highly recommended for beginners and probably anyone else.

Also, don't let the fact that this is "Theravada" style meditation fool you into thinking it's less than Zazen or other types. The style has been experimented with and written about for thousands of years by millions of people, it's worth checking out!

8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.
$13.95
I bought this book because I was looking at meditation for dummies to take my meditation practice to another level and found a review that suggested this book was better. I've meditated on and off for a couple years on my own and always wanted to take it to another level but never did. I don't regret buying this book for a second. 8 minute meditation is an 8 week program that changes your meditation technique from week to week, each week bringing you deeper into the meditation. I believe at the end you choose one of the techniques to continue depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Currently I just started on week 5 and have noticed improved concentration and a calmer mind; however I will say that I do 8 minutes twice a day rather than the once a day the book tries to mandate - this is ONLY because I have been doing meditation for a couple years - a beginner should stick to the 8 minutes once a day mandate in the book.

There is a stigma about the word meditation - that it somehow implies religion must be attached to it. There is no religion in this book which is perfect for me. I wish we had another word than meditation so that people would realize it can have nothing to do with religion if one chooses. It is simply the act of training you're mind to "allow what is" as this book defines meditation and teaches you how to do. This allows you to surpass your thoughts that have nothing to do with the moment which amazingly improves your concentration.

I'm sorry to say that I can't say weather meditation for dummies is better or not as I've had that book for 4 weeks and haven't read more that a couple pages of it.