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Beginning Meditation: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience
Welcome to a Rendezvous with Your Innermost SelfWhat if you turned to meditation for the sheer enjoyment of it? That may sound unlikely, but when we approach the practice with playfulness, receptivity, and excitement, meditation can become one of the most intimate and fulfilling relationships we will ever have. On Beginning Meditation, master teacher Sally Kempton welcomes newcomers to a practice based on embracing the fullness of our experience and reconnecting with the love, compassion, and wisdom that we are in our essence.Beginning Meditation gives you a richly informative program for a rendezvous with your innermost self, through insights and techniques including: How to choose a core practice that will become your meditation home base The key principles of practice and their inherent paradoxes How to experiment with other techniques and ultimately transcend technique entirely Six guided meditations to support your evolving practice Meditation is a journey, says Kempton, and the secret is to stay on the map. Beginning Meditation offers a struggle-free way to create a practice infused with love and fueled by the spirit of adventure."
2 pages, Audio CD
First published January 28, 2011
About the author
Sally Kempton
20 books96 followersSally Kempton is a widely respected teacher of meditation and spiritual wisdom, known for her capacity to kindle meditative states in others, and to help students work with meditative experience as a framework for practical life-change. A former journalist who wrote for Esquire, New York, and the Village Voice, she has spent over four decades practicing, teaching, and writing on meditation and spiritual philosophy. Sally spent 20 years as a swami in a traditional Vedic order of monks. She was deeply trained in the teachings of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta under the guidance of her enlightened teacher, Swami Muktananda.
Sally is the author of the best-selling books "Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga" and of "Meditation for the Love of It,” which Spirituality and Health magazine called “the meditation book your heart wants you to read”. Her audio program, Doorways to the Infinite: The Art and Practice of Tantric Meditation, was released by Sounds True in 2014. She is on the faculty at Esalen and Kripalu, teaches meditation on the websites Glo.com, Gaia.com, and Yogajournal.com, and is a contributing editor at Yoga Journal. Sally teaches online courses and seminars on meditation and spiritual philosophy, and leads retreats and workshops in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Sally is the author of the best-selling books "Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga" and of "Meditation for the Love of It,” which Spirituality and Health magazine called “the meditation book your heart wants you to read”. Her audio program, Doorways to the Infinite: The Art and Practice of Tantric Meditation, was released by Sounds True in 2014. She is on the faculty at Esalen and Kripalu, teaches meditation on the websites Glo.com, Gaia.com, and Yogajournal.com, and is a contributing editor at Yoga Journal. Sally teaches online courses and seminars on meditation and spiritual philosophy, and leads retreats and workshops in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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March 20, 2012I tried to listen to this while lying on the floor to fix my shoulder, ala _Pain Free_ by Peter Egoscue. Unfortunately, it put me right to sleep every time. Aside from being too tired, I guess I don't really want to meditate that much after all. I had this for almost two months and didn't even start it until a few days before it had to go back.
A few cool points she makes, though:
- Once you've set your intention to meditate and started a meditation session, whatever happens is part of your practice. Don't think the cat or the traffic is messing it up. It _is_ your experience.
- Don't try to shut off your thoughts. That will never happen. Just note that you're thinking and go back to focusing on your breath, or the space between breaths, or "ahhhh," or whatever.
- If you decide to do it for 20 minutes, do it for 20 minutes, even if your brain won't shut up. It may turn out to be really valuable.
A few cool points she makes, though:
- Once you've set your intention to meditate and started a meditation session, whatever happens is part of your practice. Don't think the cat or the traffic is messing it up. It _is_ your experience.
- Don't try to shut off your thoughts. That will never happen. Just note that you're thinking and go back to focusing on your breath, or the space between breaths, or "ahhhh," or whatever.
- If you decide to do it for 20 minutes, do it for 20 minutes, even if your brain won't shut up. It may turn out to be really valuable.
July 3, 2023
Many books attempt, and fail to make meditation accessible. This is the rare exception. Kempton presents the topic in a straightforward and down to Earth manner that I have been unable to find in other offerings. If you are looking to start a meditation practice, and need guidance, start here first.
January 27, 2019
I really liked how alternative this gets. I'm all for the woo-woo and this delivers.
April 25, 2020
I wish there was more material, but what was there was good for beginners.
February 10, 2021
Good beginner audio book. Some theory with some practical exercises.
April 9, 2021
Although I’m enjoying my first meditation experience and the fact that it’s explained very simply in this audio book, the sound of the narrator’s saliva, heard while swallowing and opening her lips to talk is very distracting.
One thing that would have been helpful for sure is if the audiobook has been divided to more sections than just Meditation I and Meditation II so the listener would know when each meditation would start and when it would end, ie how long the mini meditation sessions are.
One thing that would have been helpful for sure is if the audiobook has been divided to more sections than just Meditation I and Meditation II so the listener would know when each meditation would start and when it would end, ie how long the mini meditation sessions are.
August 25, 2014
I used this audiobook to help get me back in the practice of regular meditation. It was successful in that role. By the end of disc 1 I was soothed and relaxed and found the guided teachings helpful. During disc 2, however, I found the guidance more of a hindrance. It was kind of like continuing to use training wheels even though you don't need them. Looking back, I probably should have just scrapped the disc and started doing my own thing, but I wanted to see it through; holding out for some great nugget. The nugget never presented itself unfortunately.
If you are completely new to meditation, or need help getting back into it, then this title should be a great help. Once you feel you "have it" though, don't stay tethered to it. You can always refer back to it as needed.
If you are completely new to meditation, or need help getting back into it, then this title should be a great help. Once you feel you "have it" though, don't stay tethered to it. You can always refer back to it as needed.
December 13, 2016
I meditate sporadically, though I would like to establish a daily practice. I am happier when I have meditated. I have more patience with my family, and I feel better, I feel well.
I wouldn't say I'm a beginner, but I like the no-pressure approach that the label "beginner" allows. This book will be helpful to anyone interested in meditation, and the fact that it's an audiobook lends itself to practicing right away with the guided meditations in the second half. The author has a soothing voice, and she offers practical advice. I appreciate and connected with this: "The process of concentrating, losing focus, then bringing your mind back is actually one of the essential gestures of meditation. It's not a flaw in your practice - it's the heart of your practice."
I wouldn't say I'm a beginner, but I like the no-pressure approach that the label "beginner" allows. This book will be helpful to anyone interested in meditation, and the fact that it's an audiobook lends itself to practicing right away with the guided meditations in the second half. The author has a soothing voice, and she offers practical advice. I appreciate and connected with this: "The process of concentrating, losing focus, then bringing your mind back is actually one of the essential gestures of meditation. It's not a flaw in your practice - it's the heart of your practice."
August 9, 2016
I am VERY new to meditation and I thought this was a very helpful starting point. The narrator's voice is also very soothing and it made me relax. It's far from all inclusive though, but it's quick and a good starting point.
February 13, 2013
Listened to it on audio and it was OK. I did like that it was a guided practice, which was easier than reading and then meditating.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews