The Best Guide to Meditation

by Victor Davich, Jack Canfield (Foreword)

You've heard about meditation but don't know where to begin? Begin with this book!

-Want instant gratification? Go directly to chapter 2 and you will start meditating immediately!

-Your doctor says you can control stress with meditation. Your doctor is right! It also works on anxiety and hypertension.

-This book jump-starts the novice by making meditation instantly accessible, and shows intermediate and advance meditators how to deepen their practice.

-Busy, busy, busy? If you're looking for peace of mind, happiness, relaxation, and serenity, try meditation.

-It's simple, it's natural, and its results can be permanent
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-Who meditates...aside from Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, and The Beatles? Well, Goldie Hawn, Barbara De Angelis, Richard Gere, Oliver Stone, Andrew Weil, M.D., and Howard Stern, to name a few.

-Feeling muddleheaded, slightly out of it? Meditating gets you in touch with your emotions and teaches you how to go with the flow.

Genres: Nonfiction, Meditation, Spirituality, Self Help, Philosophy, Health

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1998

Reviews

[Rei ⭐ [TrulyBooked] · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's simplistic and easy to read which will be good for some people, but for me it detracted from the experience. I would recommend anyone who is interested in meditation to at least give this book a look into. It is like a children's guide to meditation and that can be a good thing. I couldn't engage with the book though and there were little things that kept jarring my focus. For example, they would make reference to scientific studies or proven health improvements after meditation, but there are no references. There's a resource table in the back for readers to look at, but nothing that shows where what they said was proved. It makes me skeptical, not of the practice of meditation. I wholeheartedly think that meditation is a good thing, but when people try to bring science into it and don't cite their sources, it puts what they're saying on par with the science in "The Secret" (basically not very high).

The techniques are useful and varied. They break them down so that they're accessible to everyone. I just wish that they trusted their readers a bit more and didn't feel the need to pander to us (by talking about American Patriotism and how meditation is patriotic). I also wish that they didn't throw in science jargon without the sources to back up those statements. Even if they're right in what they're saying, the misuse of science in new age books runs rampant.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most useful guide to meditation I have read. One I go back to every year. Stands out as everything a guide book should be - travel or meditation. Victor Davich has written a fabulous guide for anyone curious about meditation, learning to meditate, or exploring various types of meditation, giving references throughout to expand one's horizons if you wish. A+++

[Tram Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the straightforward and accessible guide to meditation. It shows a glimpse of different types of meditation, and I thought it was helpful to have a deeper understanding of them. Been doing mini meditating sessions everyday and I could feel a difference it made in the way I see life 🍀

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing overall guide to meditation. The book includes many different traditions including but not limited to Buddhism, Jewish, Christian and Hindu. I found myself drawn over and over again to different sections and different quotes, jotting down many of them so that I could refer back to them. My book is becoming dog earred and highlighted. The Best Guide is easy to understand. It even talks about how to teach your children to meditate and how to find a reliable retreat or guru.
I would definitely recommend that you have this book on your shelf and give it to friends who are just starting their journeys.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at half price books. I debated not buying it because it is older, but hey who needs a book published in the last 5 years to describe a century old practice. Overall, this book is a good introduction to meditation complete with exercises. A lot of time is spent on the history and different philosophies of meditation (perhaps more than you needed to know). Unfortunately, I realize meditation is harder than it seems. I can only keep my mind still for about 3 minutes until it wanders.

[Tim Gannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviews a variety of meditation practices. The main focus was on Hinduism and Buddhism, then Western traditions such as Gnostic, Jewish, Christian and Islamic. Some MEAGER attention to Africa and North American indians. Thought shamanism of N American indian tribes could have been given a much greater section. They they went over numerous examples of meditation techniques from these different traditions. It was a good primer to get you going.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

With my increased interest in yoga, I wanted to find a basic book that would introduce me to meditation. So far, I like the setup of this guide, and I think it will be a good start to a meditation practice.

[Nicole Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The other early bday prezzie from the mom....as good, possibly better than 8 Minute Meditation in that there's so much more information, but it's a longer book. If you want an almost instant meditation guide, go with Davich's 8 Minute Meditation, but be sure to read this one next. Thanks Mom!!!

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is for people have never tried to meditate before, very basic.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some authors make meditation too simple - others to incomprehensible. This Zen porridge is just right.

[Cynthia Langston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a fan of reading books on how to learn to meditate or do yoga, but this book gives a fairly well-rounded idea of many forms of meditation. Most books only give one or two methods.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical guide for meditation. A great read for beginners of meditation.