The Beginner Guide of Meditation

Learn meditation and breathing techniques form easy to follow, down to earth instructions, regardless of your spiritual or religious views.

Instead of providing follow-along meditation to plug and use for any situation or life event, this eBook allows you to truly understand what meditation really is and build up your own personal practice.

Learn nine breathing techniques, ten sitting and three moving meditation methods, upon which you might build your practice, including traditional and lesser-known techniques, from beginner friendly instructions, and over 250 illustrations, hand-drawn by the author (B&W).

This eBook is meant for anyone and everyone interested in learning meditation, regardless of age, sex, physical or mental state or ability, religious or spiritual views, and previous experience in meditation practice. Meditation will be regarded as a tool, or vehicle, you might use along your path.

You will find less about the philosophy and history of meditation practices and more practical advice on how to perform and observe each traditional or modern method described.

SECTION 1 – ABOUT MEDITATION IN GENERAL

CHAPTER 1 – WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MEDITATION?

CHAPTER 2 – THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

CHAPTER 3 – HOW WILL YOU KNOW YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT?

CHAPTER 4 – HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU PRACTISE?

CHAPTER 5 – FINDING YOUR SILENCE

CHAPTER 6 – HOW TO PREPARE FOR PRACTICE? A NOTE ON GUIDED MEDITATION

SECTION 2 – BREATHING

CHAPTER 7 – THE IMPORTANCE OF BREATHING RIGHT

CHAPTER 8 – WHY YOU WOULD OFTEN BREATHE THE WRONG WAY

CHAPTER 9 – BREATHING TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER 10 – BREATHING SMOOTHLY

CHAPTER 11 – SIMPLE ABDOMINAL BREATHING

CHAPTER 12 – ADVANCED ABDOMINAL BREATHING

CHAPTER 13 – EMBRYONIC BREATHING

CHAPTER 14 – FULL ABDOMINAL BREATHING

CHAPTER 15 – EMBRYONIC BREATHING OR FULL ABDOMINAL BREATHING?

CHAPTER 16 – DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

CHAPTER 17 – FULL YOGIC BREATHING

CHAPTER 18 – SQUARE OR CIRCULAR BREATHING

SECTION 3 – SITTING MEDITATION

CHAPTER 19 – THE MOST COMMONLY CONSIDERED MEDITATION METHOD

CHAPTER 20 – PREPARING TO LEARN MEDITATION: MUSIC RELAXATION

SECTION 4 – ZEN MEDITATION

CHAPTER 21 – PREPARING FOR ZAZEN – CONTEMPLATING HERE AND NOW

CHAPTER 22 – SITTING IN ZAZEN

SECTION 5 – MANTRA MEDITATION

CHAPTER 23 – THE OM OR AUM MANTRA

CHAPTER 24 – A NOTE ON TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

CHAPTER 25 – A NOTE ON CONTEMPLATION PRACTISES

SECTION 6 – MENTAL IMAGERY AND VISUALISATION

CHAPTER 26 – A SIMPLE VISUALISATION EXERCISE

CHAPTER 27 – A VISUALISATION EXERCISE TO HELP LETTING GO OF THOUGHTS

SECTION 7 – QIGONG MEDITATION

CHAPTER 28 – LEARNING TO SENSE YOUR QI

CHAPTER 29 – LEARNING TO MANIPULATE YOUR QI

SECTION 8 – ADVANCED MEDITATION METHODS

CHAPTER 30 – BREATHING IN SYNCHRONY

CHAPTER 31 – MANDALA MEDITATION

CHAPTER 32 – OPENING THE CROWN CHAKRA: A MEDITATION FOR SPIRITUAL CONNECTEDNESS

SECTION 9 – FINISHING MEDITATION: SELF MASSAGE

SECTION 10 – MOVING   MEDITATION

CHAPTER 33 – THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVEMENT

SECTION 11 – WALKING MEDITATION

CHAPTER 34 – WALKING ‘YOUR WAY’

CHAPTER 35 – TRADITIONAL WALKING MEDITATION PRACTICES

SECTION 36 – QIGONG EXERCISE 

CHAPTER 37 – BADUANJIN BASIC STANCES

CHAPTER 38 – OPENING AND CLOSING MOVES

SECTION 13 – YOGA

CHAPTER 38 – CORPSE POSE (SHAVASANA) STAYING IN CORPSE POSE

SECTION 14 – OTHER FORMS OF MOVING MEDITATION

CHAPTER 39 – MARTIAL ARTS SPORTS AND DANCING EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

SECTION 15 – AFTERWORD – MEDITATION IN YOUR DAILY LIFE