The Relaxed Mind: A Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice

by Dza Kilung Rinpoche, Tulku Thondup (Foreword)

An esteemed modern Tibetan Buddhist teacher presents a system of meditation instructions designed for achieving relaxation in our stressful, fast-paced world

In the late 1990s, shortly after arriving in the United States, it became clear to Dza Kilung Rinpoche that his Western students responded to traditional meditation instructions differently from his students back in Asia. The Westerners didn't know how to relax—and their pressured, fast-paced lifestyles carried over into meditation. With this in mind, Dza Kilung Rinpoche set out to create a meditation system that could break through the noise of Western life.

The Relaxed Mind  contains instructions for the seven-phase practice that he developed for students in the West. It is adapted from traditional instructions to counteract the overwhelming distraction that is becoming a global culture these days, not only in the West. Beginners will find a wealth of useful, easy-to-understand information while more experienced meditators may be surprised to find their practice deepening through letting go of tension.

Genres: Buddhism, Meditation, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Religion, Philosophy

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain books that have made a deep impact on my meditation practice: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Turning the Mind into an Ally, and The Attention Revolution. I am adding The Relaxed Mind to this List. Powerful, precise, and pity, I can't recommend this book to my fellow practitioners enough: may this be of benefit.

[Markus Stobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on meditation I have read in years. A wonderful journey through all the major forms of Buddhist meditation, from simple mindbody awareness to nondual dzogchen, with practical tips on how to raise and settle energy in your sitting practice.

[Tim Coil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the breakdown of levels of awareness that are recognized through extended meditation practice. The book also described Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and dzogchen traditions which is helpful to understand what type of meditation you will be practicing.

[peter hillebrand · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Peace Corps funded ~therapist~ told me I needed to meditate and then told me to read this book and here are my thoughts:

Meditation: Good, need to start doing it consistently again
Books About Meditation: Bad, no thank you, made me hate reading, just record your thoughts and make them guided meditations

“Favorite” Quote:

“There is really no “how to do it” solution to meditating freely. We are not really correcting anything or applying a remedy.”

(The stuff about Buddhism was cool though)

[Scott Broadbent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful book with a fantastic reader on the Audible edition. It introduces 7 meditation practices and emphasizes how important deep relaxation is in each. My own practice deepened considerably from the guidance in this book.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. I will be relistening to this from time to time.

[Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic overview of several different meditation techniques. Didn’t love how the book was organized or how it flowed.

[Anne Beardsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I learned a fair amount about meditation and mindset in the early part of the book. After the 40% mark, I felt, the good advice got very repetitive. I also had trouble finding much difference between three of the four last meditations presented in the book.

But it was a very interesting book in many ways, and has given me some new perspectives on methods and reasons behind my own meditation. The writing has a chatty, personable style that I very much appreciated. But I found myself eager to finish and move on to another book.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than i even hoped it would be.

[JDK1962 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but, as a secular meditator, not quite what I was looking for. I think this would be of more interest to actual Buddhists. Part 2 gets pretty esoteric.

While I'm interested in deepening my practice, I was not seeing the progression through the seven types of meditation nearly as clearly as the author.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and interesting book on meditation. As a novice, I found it be be useful and informative from an historical point of view

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading in a class, very good meditation guide for westerners.

[Armagan (any pronouns) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. Relaxing, repetitive, not mind blowing, continuous emphasis on nonjudgmentalism, a little bit of intense theory, lots of animal metaphors for didactic story telling.