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The Power of Stillness: Learn Meditation in 30 Days
The Power of Stillness comes as close as any book could to having a teacher by your side as you learn to meditate, sitting with you each day and gently guiding you through each meditation. The book provides an easy to follow 30-day program to learn what meditation is, how it might help you, and most importantly, how to do it. Meditation serves many seeking direction, calming and stress relief, contemplating religious teachings, inspiration for creative endeavors, clarification of life’s purpose, delving into our inner selves, healing or coping with health issues. Millions of people now meditate regularly, and many thousands more are being introduced to the practice. Religious leaders, health care workers, and spiritual teachers all recommend meditation. Twelve-step programs recommend quiet contemplation. Although it is often recommended, meditation is rarely taught. Since it is practiced alone and in the privacy of one’s own home, few beginners receive clear direction.
213 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
11 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 27, 2013
Meditation has become something I look forward to, and this book helped me find a way to calm down my brain at least once a day.
The idea behind this book is that you follow the short meditation plans that it lays out for every day. Each day has a short meditation explanation, followed by a meditation assignment for that day. It slowly builds up the time you're meditating each day, giving you time to get used to meditating, as well as getting used to fitting it into your daily schedule.
One of the things I really like about this book is that it visits on lots and lots of different types of meditation, not really harping on one type as "perfect for everyone" - you try moving meditation, spiritual meditation (you get to pick your religion/non-religion of course), chakra-focus meditation, and guided visualization meditation, to name a few. At no point does the book have a discriminatory tone or bias, and the back also has an index of other books to use as a follow-up if you're interested in a specific type of meditation.
Trying lots of different types of meditation gives you an ability to pick and choose what works for you, while also building up your tolerance to adding something to your (probably incredibly busy) schedule. If meditation is something you've been meaning to get into or give a try, I'd definitely start here, and give it a shot.
The idea behind this book is that you follow the short meditation plans that it lays out for every day. Each day has a short meditation explanation, followed by a meditation assignment for that day. It slowly builds up the time you're meditating each day, giving you time to get used to meditating, as well as getting used to fitting it into your daily schedule.
One of the things I really like about this book is that it visits on lots and lots of different types of meditation, not really harping on one type as "perfect for everyone" - you try moving meditation, spiritual meditation (you get to pick your religion/non-religion of course), chakra-focus meditation, and guided visualization meditation, to name a few. At no point does the book have a discriminatory tone or bias, and the back also has an index of other books to use as a follow-up if you're interested in a specific type of meditation.
Trying lots of different types of meditation gives you an ability to pick and choose what works for you, while also building up your tolerance to adding something to your (probably incredibly busy) schedule. If meditation is something you've been meaning to get into or give a try, I'd definitely start here, and give it a shot.
February 20, 2020
There was some good information about the benefits of meditation and how to meditate. Then there's 30 days of practice meditations. It got a little weird for me at this point and so I skimmed over the rest of the book but didn't feel like this was how I wanted to meditate. This might work for some people but not for me.
June 10, 2015
Meditation has been on my bucket list for a very long time and when I came across this book it was a no brainer to buy it. It made it simple for me to follow the practices everyday and guide me through the start of my meditation journey. It had lots of good advice. I really thought it extremely helpful.
January 27, 2023
"Let's take a moment here and be honest in our approach so that we can cut through a lot of the haziness that surrounds this issue. First, let's admit we are human, subject to mistakes, and that we are not, as things stand, 100 percent committed to the cause of our own peace. We still believe that some things in the world will bring us happiness, and we don't always embrace the presence of God saying, 'Your peace is all I want, Your presence is my highest aspiration, Your treasure is all I own!' Neither do we always embrace others in a way that reflects this commitment." pg 85
"Learning meditation is really learning to redirect our desires." pg 89
"As you will learn, the deepest meditation is a silence and stillness that utilizes no words, prayers, or images. It comes from the power of an individual's undivided yearning for contact with their Spirit.
"To achieve this contact, nothing at all is needed other than a willingness to let go of everything except a central focus on God. The peace that follows is only natural. So here is a new spin on what your desires can accomplish: you need do nothing but love God, love the Spirit, and let go of everything else, if only for a moment, and let your heart's desire open the door for you." pg 90
"Release every want and need you ever had, or imagined you had, and commit yourself to that single, all-important desire for peace and stillness and the presence of God. Forget everything and everyone, and focus entirely on giving your mind over to your practice." pg 90
"When we bring our meditative mindset to daily life, peace extends to our every step and breath, to our meals and our work, filling our days from morning till night. Folding the laundry can be a meditation; washing the dishes can be a meditation. In fact, all of our daily activities can be transformed into communion, opening us to the beauty of each step and every passing instant. Clarity is reflected in our eyes, actions, words, and thoughts, as a single devotion steps in to unite every separate aspect of our lives. In this way we can tap into the great internal flow and let our lives become a continuous meditation in motion." pg 96-97
"Any change-whether it involves something as simple as walking or something as intangible as advancing on a spiritual path-brings a temporary sense of instability but is necessary if one is to progress." pg 100
"A man does not seek to see himself in running water, but in still water. For only what is itself still can impart stillness to others." - Chuang-tse (pg 102)
"A mind at peace naturally radiates healing... A mind at peace extends calm and healing to others." pg 103
"Be calm in the face of conflict, always, and truly challenge yourself to evolve spiritually." pg 104
"Nothing in this world is more scarce than peace of mind; nothing, then, is more valuable to you, to those around you, and even to the entire world, than your ability to channel peace to others." pg 105
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (pg 107)
"Developing reason requires you to explore and discover the parts of your thinking that hold you back from spiritual progress." pg 126
"The real in us is silent; the acquired is talkative." - Kahlil Gibran (pg 150)
"Affirmations involve us in a process of bringing potential states into immediate awareness." pg 156
"When you accept the fact that you cannot control other people, you are then free to choose whether or not your own peace is worth tossing away because other people refuse to meet your standards." pg 175
"Through compassion, you learn not to attack; where attack seems due, you instead realize that people who attack you are in desperate pain themselves. What they really need is your forgiveness and compassion." pg 175
"You can walk the path of love, with forgiveness and compassion as your guides, or you can walk the path of judgment, with fear and anger by your side. Furthermore, whether you realize it or not, you do choose between those two paths every day. You cannot be in the world without walking one path or the other. Neither is there a way to seek an alternative beyond these two; you are on one of these two; you are on one of these two paths right now, at this very instant; and so am I. Now each of us needs to ask ourselves, How do I feel? Which path have I chosen? And we need to realize that if we are unhappy with our choice, there is an alternative." pg 180
"Learning meditation is really learning to redirect our desires." pg 89
"As you will learn, the deepest meditation is a silence and stillness that utilizes no words, prayers, or images. It comes from the power of an individual's undivided yearning for contact with their Spirit.
"To achieve this contact, nothing at all is needed other than a willingness to let go of everything except a central focus on God. The peace that follows is only natural. So here is a new spin on what your desires can accomplish: you need do nothing but love God, love the Spirit, and let go of everything else, if only for a moment, and let your heart's desire open the door for you." pg 90
"Release every want and need you ever had, or imagined you had, and commit yourself to that single, all-important desire for peace and stillness and the presence of God. Forget everything and everyone, and focus entirely on giving your mind over to your practice." pg 90
"When we bring our meditative mindset to daily life, peace extends to our every step and breath, to our meals and our work, filling our days from morning till night. Folding the laundry can be a meditation; washing the dishes can be a meditation. In fact, all of our daily activities can be transformed into communion, opening us to the beauty of each step and every passing instant. Clarity is reflected in our eyes, actions, words, and thoughts, as a single devotion steps in to unite every separate aspect of our lives. In this way we can tap into the great internal flow and let our lives become a continuous meditation in motion." pg 96-97
"Any change-whether it involves something as simple as walking or something as intangible as advancing on a spiritual path-brings a temporary sense of instability but is necessary if one is to progress." pg 100
"A man does not seek to see himself in running water, but in still water. For only what is itself still can impart stillness to others." - Chuang-tse (pg 102)
"A mind at peace naturally radiates healing... A mind at peace extends calm and healing to others." pg 103
"Be calm in the face of conflict, always, and truly challenge yourself to evolve spiritually." pg 104
"Nothing in this world is more scarce than peace of mind; nothing, then, is more valuable to you, to those around you, and even to the entire world, than your ability to channel peace to others." pg 105
"The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21 (pg 107)
"Developing reason requires you to explore and discover the parts of your thinking that hold you back from spiritual progress." pg 126
"The real in us is silent; the acquired is talkative." - Kahlil Gibran (pg 150)
"Affirmations involve us in a process of bringing potential states into immediate awareness." pg 156
"When you accept the fact that you cannot control other people, you are then free to choose whether or not your own peace is worth tossing away because other people refuse to meet your standards." pg 175
"Through compassion, you learn not to attack; where attack seems due, you instead realize that people who attack you are in desperate pain themselves. What they really need is your forgiveness and compassion." pg 175
"You can walk the path of love, with forgiveness and compassion as your guides, or you can walk the path of judgment, with fear and anger by your side. Furthermore, whether you realize it or not, you do choose between those two paths every day. You cannot be in the world without walking one path or the other. Neither is there a way to seek an alternative beyond these two; you are on one of these two; you are on one of these two paths right now, at this very instant; and so am I. Now each of us needs to ask ourselves, How do I feel? Which path have I chosen? And we need to realize that if we are unhappy with our choice, there is an alternative." pg 180
August 14, 2015
Great! Read very insightful
I'm thankful for your words and your truth. I found this book to be very informative upon my journey to seek stillness with understanding of exactly what I'm looking for!
Very grateful!
I'm thankful for your words and your truth. I found this book to be very informative upon my journey to seek stillness with understanding of exactly what I'm looking for!
Very grateful!
January 27, 2009
If you are looking for a book that teaches you meditation techniques as well as the benefits from meditation then this is a great book for you.
June 17, 2011
I started into this book, but it wasn't what I was looking for at this time. I may borrow it again in the future.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews