Still the Mind: Simple Breathing Practices for Inner Peace

by Bodhipaksa

Find the Stillness Behind Every Breath with This Step-by-Step Guide to Meditation

The average person has 12,000 thoughts per day--most of them a recurring handful of unwelcome distractions. On Still the Mind, master meditation teacher Bodhipaksa offers an essential program for anyone looking to move beyond the chatter of a too-busy mind, while laying the foundation for a daily meditation practice. Two discs of instruction and guided sessions will help you discover the breath as an untapped source of mental clarity and inner peace, as you transcend the hectic demands of everyday life to settle into the deepest parts of yourself.

Bodhipaksa's gentle teaching style and straightforward delivery take the mystery out of meditation. His step-by-step instruction will help you to cultivate your own daily practice right in the middle of your busy life, as you explore:


The basics of sitting practice, including timing and expectations
How to evolve a joyful and empowering practice
Using the breath as a natural gateway to wisdom and clarity
How to channel mindfulness into your everyday life
Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned meditator, Still the Mind gives you easy access to greater self-awareness and self-confidence, increased calm in any situation, and harmony within and without.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction

2 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I’m a Buddhist teacher and author living in New Hampshire, but originally from Scotland.

I got the Sanskrit name (which means “Wings of Enlightenment,” incidentally) when I joined the Western Buddhist Order in 1993, after 11 years of Buddhist practice. I practice at Aryaloka Buddhist Center, which is just down the road.

I run Wildmind, which has a mission to spread compassion and mindfulness through the practice of Buddhist meditation. We offer an extensive self-paced guide to a variety of meditation techniques and well as a regular stream of articles in our blog. We also publish guided meditation CDs. Wildmind’s where I do the bulk of my writing.

I teach meditation and Buddhism in prison. That’s an incredibly satisfying thing to do.

I like kayaking and photography. I love reading and movies. Sometimes I hike, but I’ve been getting lazier as I’ve been getting older.

In 2006 my wife and I adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and that’s been more satisfying than I could have imagined. And then in 2009 we did it again and adopted a baby boy, also from Ethiopia.

[info from Bodhpaksa's about page]

Reviews

[أثير · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I fall asleep every time I start meditating with the narrator, probably due to listening while laying on my bed. But at least it showed its effectiveness in stilling my mind and putting me to sleep =)

But with all seriousness, it's a good start for those who want to halt a chaotic mind..

[C2015 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! Ive read about meditation and practiced on and off for years...he is the FIRST to ever talk about the difference between counting the in breath vs the out breath and breathing into the bottom of your stomach vs your throat. Really really good. And a lovely accent :-).