8 Minute Meditation

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I got done reading 8 Minute Meditation awhile ago. I thought I’d give it some post-reading settling time to see how it really goes. I asked for this book because I thought meditation might be a good thing. It is supposed to be calming, distressing, and soothing. I’ve used different types of meditation as part of classes before, but using it on my own, for no specific reason was not working for me. Yes, even months after finishing the book, I still find time to meditate.

This book sounded like a good way to start practicing meditation. I had a guided sleep relaxation session that was somewhat like meditation…except the voice of the therapist annoyed more than relaxed. I knew that wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, most times I tried to meditate before bed that lady’s voice came into my head and gone was my dream of zen.

So I thought I’d pick up this book, read it in a night and be set to go – forever. Not quite so fast. This book is an eight week program. I obviously missed that part in the summary. The author takes you through a different meditation technique each week. The techniques are sandwiched by a pretty thorough introduction and a nice conclusion. Overall, I liked the book. The techniques are simple. They are easy to understand and implement. The eight minute time limit is also nice. It keeps you from thinking about how much time the session will take from your busy schedule. Eight weeks is enough exposure to allow to figure out how you want to continue. Sounds simple? Really though, it was.

I’m not 100% sure what zen is, but I’m all about finding it. I didn’t meditate every day like the instructions asked and I still don't. That’s ok, but that’s also addressed in the book. It’s as complete as you can get for what is being taught. No, it didn’t lead me to my zen spot. I do feel it helps me go to sleep easier. It shoves the low priority thoughts from my mind so they are not recurring nuisances later. It gives me some quiet time with me. I don’t have to spend money at the spa or go on a shopping spree. I’m not some seven level meditation master, but you don’t have to be to start experiencing some of the benefits from a little quite time and meditation.If you're curious about meditation or have dabbled in it and not sure where to go from there, pick up this book. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to find. Don't worry about people thinking you're odd for carrying around a meditation book, they thought that way before they saw the book.