Principles of Meditation: Eastern Wisdom for the Western Mind

by C. Alexander Simpkins, Annellen Simpkins

"Principles of Meditation with Audio CD" is the first of three book/CD meditation combinations offering a complete course in the practice and application of meditation. This book introduces Westerners to the deep and ancient tradition of meditation in Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism, and then guides step-by-step into personally experiencing it. The CD begins with a brief lecture on meditation in Eastern philosophies, including meditations to give listeners an experience of each philosophy. Part Two helps listeners hone their mental tools to begin meditating. Part Three carefully and sensitively guides listeners into the most important meditation traditions of breathing, visualizing, mind/body, harmony, and emptiness. The last section offers guided meditations to bring about deep inner calm. The CD is separated into tracts for easy access to the different sections.

Genres: Nonfiction, Personal Development, Meditation

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1996

Reviews

[Chandra Tusdiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of meditation guidance step by step from one level to another. Written beautifully and accompanied by exercises and guidance so that we can apply the understanding of this meditation in our daily lives.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief but useful book on basic meditation techniques. Starts out with a basic rundown of Eastern traditions: yoga, Buddhism, and Taoism, which gives some context and conceptual basis for the function of meditation. After this, it goes straight into meditation methods, giving exercises for the reader to try out. The authors cover a fairly broad range of techniques, ranging from visualization to focus on breathing, in a fairly limited space. I appreciated the simple, conversational style of the text and focus on practice, though I think they could have gone into greater depth regarding where each particular technique related to the traditions previously established. But I also think this is asking for more than the book aims to be, which is getting the reader acquainted with the principles and actually having them test the principles on their own. This is ideally the book for someone just beginning to explore meditation, and suitable for a variety of contexts. I wouldn't call myself a complete beginner and apart from the section on yoga, much of the information on Buddhism and Taoism was nothing new. Some of the techniques were not new to me (visualization in particular), but it was helpful to learn more specifically outlined exercises and gain a better grasp of certain fundamentals. Certainly lots of things to try out and apply in a practical way.