Heavily Meditated: Your Down-to-Earth Guide to Learning Meditation and Getting High on Life

by Caitlin Cady

Heavily Meditated has everything you need to know to get hooked on meditation for good. Presented in a simple, friendly, accessible style that even the busiest of meditation-doubters can relate to, this book clearly outlines:

- What meditation is
- Five fundamental meditation techniques (and which one is right for you)
- Where, when and how to sit
- How to deal with thoughts
- Why meditation is so damn good for you
- How to measure your meditation practice
- How to set goals and get hooked on meditation
- How to upgrade your practice from habit to ritual.

Filled with exercises, worksheets, cheat sheets and other practical tools, as well as relatable personal stories to light your way, Heavily Meditated is your down-to-earth guide to meditation, and how to turn it into a habit that sticks and reap the benefits of a happier, calmer and more intentional life.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Health, Audiobook

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2020

About the author

Caitlin Cady has been called a “wellbeing whiz” by Australian Yoga Journal and her positive perspectives and relatable, playful approach have inspired people across the globe to get lit up and live to their full potential.

With a mad love for meditation and a colourful career, Caitlin is a devoted yogi, entrepreneur, author, speaker and mother of three. With multiple businesses under her belt, including a nightclub and street mag in Byron Bay, Caitlin now channels her energy towards empowering others with tools for higher vibes and better health.

After a decade long battle with Chronic Lyme Disease compounded by years of depression, anxiety, perfectionism, over-achievement and disordered eating, Caitlin turned to meditation as a last resort, desperate to heal herself. As it turned out, meditation was the medicine that set Caitlin on a path to holistic wellness, happiness - and freedom from Lyme Disease.

Now Caitlin's on a mission to make meditation more accessible and help others get their daily dose. Caitlin's signature style of soulful straight-talk makes ancient practices and spiritual principles relatable, resonate and accessible for modern life.

Her first book Heavily Meditated: Your Down-To Earth Guide To Learning Meditation And Getting High On Life will be published in March 2020 by Hardie Grant Books in Australia and August 2020 in the USA and UK.

Reviews

[Kate Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. The voice that Cady writes in is irritating. Her colloquial style seems to be aimed at a young, free spirited type of reader but comes across as someone trying to be down with the kids. The word ‘yo’ appears far too frequently for my taste and phrases like ‘bye Felicia’ feel tacky and already make the book feel dated. The playful tone feels out of place. Maybe the title of ‘Heavily Meditated’ should have tipped be off, but the book it full of puns, which don’t sound clever. The use of one subtitle ‘get stoned’ (which covers the use of crystals, not smoking weed) is particularly eye-roll worthy, especially coming after a section on burning sage and other herbs. There are a lot of illusions to drugs and being high on life, which are perplexing and border on being inappropriate.

While Cady does use some research to explain the benefits of meditation, she also discusses the healing power of crystals and smudging with sage and other herbs, which, each to their own, but isn’t what I come to meditation for. The tips she gives are useful but could have been presented in a shorter and more concise way.

The extra resources on her website are nice but not essential. The bonus meditations are a nice addition though.

[Sarah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I’m very much a newb when it comes to meditation so this was genuinely very helpful. It’s very short so I listened to it on my commute and daily walk in the park and finished it all today.

Not gonna lie, the language is a bit cringe (I kept thinking of “my name is skylar white, yo”) so that definitely made it lose a few stars but otherwise I actually got a lot from this read

And those meditations??? so relaxing!

[teres · Rating 1 out of 5]

i get that she wants to make meditation 'relatable' or whatever but is she not embarrazzed by adding on 'yo' to every other sentence.....

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite good introductory range of information surrounding different meditation practices and everything that surrounds them. Including sample meditations too (in Audiobook format was very useful). Many book extras available to enhance the practice and find out what works for you.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read...I never really was able to successfully sit down and practice meditation..Tried a few times with no success...I received this book last week and I am loving this fantastic read...Author has such a way of explaining how to meditate that it’s not a daunting experience...It’s easy people and achievable... I think in the world we are living in now that to be able to sit for 20 minutes and find “a calm,a peace” is huge...I highly recommend this book for anyone that has tried but never succeeded...or to those that are curious and intrigued with meditation... This author is able to hold your hand and walk you through each step of a successful practice from perfect place to sit down to helpful tips for music to help calm your mind... I never write a review but felt compelled to do a big shout out for Heavily Meditated...Kuddos to this author..

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who does regularly meditate and has for some time, most of the information here wasn't new to me. But for the newly meditating or those who are curious, this would make for an excellent introduction. It's honest and takes real life into account. Cady not only talks about the hows of the practice but also the why - the many benefits to our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. If you're worried about "not doing it right", or that you'll skip a day and ruin everything, or that you don't have the time/patience to make a go of it, this book will help allay those worries. Lots of additional resources to keep you learning as well.

[Mel Sweeney (mels.bookshelf_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavily Meditated is a good introduction to meditation and its benefits to our physical, emotional, and mental health. It is a good mix of science/evidence and hippie/earthy vibes, so I think would appeal to a wide audience of beginners. However, I think if you had some form of meditation routine in place already OR have done any research into its benefits, then you may not find much new information here.
The book is VERY casual in its language, with some slightly cringeworthy puns and quirky anecdotes. It does create a very relaxed vibe to the book which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing, but it did get a little much after a while.
The author does a great job of disarming meditation as an undaunting experience, making it more accessible and achievable for everyone. She provides lots of practical tips to bring even a small bit of calm into your life, and acknowledges that everyone will be different in what works for them. She also offers lots of ’book bonuses’ on her website and app to help you enhance your practice and find to what works for you i.e. downloadable worksheets, free audio guided meditations etc.
Overall, a beautiful and visually appealing book for the coffee table and a good introduction (very) to meditation, but if you have some sort of practice in place already then I don’t think it would offer you too much.

[Raine Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good light hearted read. I read other reviews & we are all allowed our own opinion but i think some seem to take it a little seriously. Someone said that if you have any experience then it will be no help. I didn't find this. I have been meditating for 12 years & felt like i needed a fresh approach. This book showed a different view that i liked & i feel more inspired. Also, its not just for young people, although i understand why people have said this, her voice & way of speaking reminds me of Dakota Johnson a bit. But it brought a nice light-hearted approach to a subject which is often portrayed as way too heavy & serious. I also like that she didnt do the awful over soothing, slow voice. I've read lots of books on this subject & this was different & I'm definitely glad i got it.

[Ally Millington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened as an Audiobook

Look, I'll be honest - I found Caitlin's voice a little grating after a while. That really impacted on me enjoying the book - I may have enjoyed it more if I read it.

This book is good for those who have tried meditation in the past. I am however a complete novice and since I have made a choice to try learn skills to meditate this year I had hoped it would help me establish some habits I could use in order to meditate more.

Unfortunately - 8 weeks into the year and I am still struggling to find the time and commitment to give this a go.

If you have tried mediation before and find that it works for you - this book will help you get more out of your meditation habits. but as a complete novice, not so much.

[Ben Butterworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Heavily Meditated" is a fun and friendly collection of advice from an author with heart. Sometimes she's a bit cringe, but Cady is clear and very readable; I'd rather that than something dull!

It's refreshing to read a book about spirituality that gives you a framework and encourages you to start exploring things for yourself instead of prescribing you a practice that won't fit with your life. Cady doesn't say she's an expert or tell you what you should experience by meditating, she just gives you some information and encouragement (and a few guided exercises) and lets you get on with it. I prefer this approach to being dosed out sage-like wisdom I don't understand.

Enjoyable, easy to read and informative. I'm going to recommend this to my friends.

[RachelKrystina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was very well thought out and a pleasure to read. It’s not overwhelmingly long so I was able to finish it within a few days. It’s a fantastic book to refer back to and is set out very well. I also like that the book is hardcover and the paper is good quality so it’s nice to hold and read. While I already knew a lot of the information in this book, there were some new techniques that I picked up. I love that she put references for products that she uses at the back of the book as I’ve used these websites and purchased some of the products that she recommends. Buying the book also gives you access to book bonuses like free guided meditations on her website.

[Malloree Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I picked up this book as I’ve been wanting to get into the habit of meditating daily. I’ve only ever dabbled in the past and used online guided meditations.

Caitlin’s voice is loud and clear in this book - and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At times there are a few lame puns and quirky anecdotes, but I think this just helped give the book its character. Without them, it is a pretty dry subject.

Overall, Heavily Meditated is a great guide for beginners to meditation, and gave me some useful guidance on my meditation journey. The added resources that are available are an awesome addition that I will definitely be taking advantage of.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love that someone is bringing more awareness around meditation and I really congratulate Caitlin for that.
However, for me, the 2 elements this book are addressed more effectively elsewhere:
• Philosophy/spiritual/rationale: The power of Now
• Techniques: free mobile app 'Medito'

She does do a good job of trying to make meditation more accessible/relatable, but I didn't find it helpful.

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lockdown 2.0 Book #1

This was a fun introduction to meditation with great tips on how to get started and stick with your practice. Would be really great for a beginner or someone curious about meditation. I love Caitlin’s voice, she’s fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously which is refreshing in the meditation world. Overall would recommend. It’s also a beautiful book that’s gonna look great on my coffee table ;)

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a yoga teacher with some meditation training I found this book a great refresher! It had a beautiful layout and graphics. It really inspired me to get back into my meditation practice and gave extremely practical and realistic tips. The journaling prompts were also excellent and well thought out. A very refreshing and uplifting read.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

**listened via audible**

I really enjoyed this, as I am completely fascinated with meditation. I practice meditation, but do need to be more committed.
I enjoyed listening but I didn't feel like there was too much substance within the book, and couldn't actually tell you any info that I took away from listening/reading.

[Tiia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got some tips out of it and fairness she makes effort to advertise meditation as easy and simple practice, discarding your excuses. But I found her writing/reading more of an annoyance and she put me off bit too much I did not actually get back to meditation. End of the recording there is her guided meditations and her voice on them is very relaxing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the world is in self isolation a book like this is so important. Meditation can help all of us find balance and clarity in a global crisis. It is a simple guide to meditation making it easy for everyone to achieve.

[Svitlana Ramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

May be useful for someone who's lived under a rock for a while, but for anyone who has any familiarity with meditation at all - this is very basic and provides no new information. The author tries to hide the "basicness" behind witty jokes that don't always land.

[Julz Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had a meditation practice for about 7 years now and I have learnt new things from this book! I also love Caitlins humour and relaxed way of explaining things, this is a great way in for newbies and an insightful read for the established.

[Niki · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- returned to library within first 25 mins of listening. Life is too short to listen to an audiobook aimed at people who think they’re too cool to meditate read in a really irritating American accent. Sorry.

[Sian Lile-Pastore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good guide to meditation and easy to use. The voice didn't quite work for me - but might be just the thing for you!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious about Meditation, but wanted a simple explanation so that I could get started... easy to read with humourous tone.
Recommended for the Meditation Beginner for some light reading.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as audiobook. The short guided meditations are great bonus content!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with good advice on how to start the journey with meditation.

[Claire O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of good tips, actionable excercises and science based information, but I found the language irritating at times.

[Cloay · Rating 3 out of 5]

- available in SG NLB 158.128 (Sengkang

[Kim Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's simple and an encouraging place to start a mediation journey

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an introduction it was a nice balance.

[Tom Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of titbits in here but in general not my cup of tea.