Practical Zen for Health, Wealth and Mindfulness: Meditation and Mindfulness for Health, Wellbeing and More

by Julian Daizan Skinner, Sarah Bladen, Shinzan Miyamae (Foreword)

Bringing the body-mind insights of Rinzai Zen from the mountains of Japan to the Western world, Zen master Julian Daizan Skinner and Sarah Bladen present simple meditation techniques to help achieve health, wellbeing and success.

Taking the reader through the first 100 days of practice, the book then shows how to adapt the new learned techniques to the rest of your life.

Including case studies at the end of each chapter to show how people's lives have been transformed through their meditation journeys, this is an accessible and practical guide to adapting Eastern meditation into busy Western lives.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 18, 2018

Reviews

[Cliff Chew · Rating 4 out of 5]

All these said, this book should serve as a good beginners guide to meditation. I like how this book goes light on it's overall writing, but yet, strong on the foundation concepts of Zen meditation. I have done meditation on my own, including joining a rather intense a 5-day retreat in a Thai Buddhist temple (Imagine about 16 hours of meditation a day). Hence, while the meditation practices that I learned from this book were a bit different, it was refreshing to understand the view and approach adopted by Zen Buddhist practitioners.

I did feel that the meditation retreat that I went taught me a lot more on the practice itself than the book, but this should be expected. One shouldn't expect to learn as much yoga from a book than from actual classes, and this is my suggestion to someone wanting to adopt a meditative practice. Even the book ends with the message that nothing beats practice, and if you are seriously considering meditation as a lifestyle, learn it from someone who is doing it professionally.

I am now more seriously considering a Zen Buddhist retreat after reading this book!

[MH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This introduction to meditation and mindfulness practice stands out because of the unusual, dynamic tradition it stands in. The author Daizan Skinner and his teachers have practiced, and come to embody Zen wisdom, very deeply in their own lives and teaching. The program he and his co-author Sarah offer in this book is therefore tested and refined over generations, and highly effective. I especially love the chapter they include about the spiritual inner "detox" that can happen with consistent meditation and mindfulness practice. If you don't know to expect this experience, you might decide it's unsafe and stop practicing, and then you'd miss the incredible freedom and healing that emerge if you keep going. "PZ for Health, Wealth, and Mindfulness" is a valuable guide that's secular and easy to follow if you want to learn meditation and mindfulness for health benefits, but also has a deeper foundation in a genuine wisdom and healing tradition, in case you ever want to explore practice on those levels, too.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a smaller and simpler book than Daizan's earlier book that introduces the reader to mindfulness in a very easy and accessible way. The benefits of mindfulness are covered well and there are many small exercises that are enjoyable and enlightening to do. In addition the meditations are written out in full as well as available to access online or download. It also manages to give plenty of background about Zen in an easily digested way. In my work as a GP and psychosexual doctor I find myself often wanting to recommend a straightforward book about mindfulness and this is absolutely ideal.

[K T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Health and wellbeing books are a current fad. There are lots of people with good ideas about how to get there. I have difficulty separating good ideas from proven practices. This book gives the methods used by a ZenMaster from 250 years ago, so there is a track record. I find it straight forwards and the author has a comfortable style that feels like he is speaking directly to you. Highly recommended.

[lloyd and maisie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like it's companion book Practical Zen a wonderful book.
Great easy to follow guided meditations that I found very helpful in my Zen practice,
Highly recommended.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

#NetGalley

A very general aspect of meditation. I wished to see more informative sections and references.
Pu

[Paul Feetham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very practical, down to earth and phenomenally useful text.

[J D Gallivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relocate to now.

As a long time meditator fallen on doubtful times this book enabled me to gently re-engage with my practice.
Thanks.

[Keith Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great easy to follow guide to meditation in the Zen tradition. An everyman’s guide. Not preachy or woo-woo

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a secular approach to mindfullness.
The author's attitude is welcoming but in a toned down way that differentiates itself from a more hippyish mindfullness book.

Not much new ground is covered here, but the scheduled workbook (with new exercises each week) aspect of the book makes this an excellent singular resource

[Lynn Exley]

This book is a wonderful guide, a kindly helping hand on your journey to a better place from which to experience your life, starting from exactly where you are. The practises themselves are tried and tested and accessible online also and you are genuinely encouraged to do the work. Daizan’s words and soft voice hold you as you allow things to unfold, naturally letting go of stuff you’ve been clinging on to for years that isn’t helping. Creating the space for something new and an appreciation of what’s already there. The heart warming case studies will inspire and motivate you. I laughed, cried and smiled. ‘In putting this work into practice, you don’t need to believe anything. In fact, I strongly recommend you keep your wits about you. Look out for my blindspots – even though I can’t see them, I know they are there. Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure I can be of help to you. This material is pretty heavily road-tested. You are not alone we can do this together. Together let’s change your life.’ A genuine, authentic and practical guide to zen for today without losing the essence of these brilliant ancient practises. Thank you.