Elizabeth Reninger - Meditation Now: A Beginners Guide: 10-Minute Meditations to Restore Calm and Joy Anytime, Anywhere

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ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-497-4 | eBook 978-1-62315-498-1

A BEGINNERS GUIDE

10-Minute Meditations
to Restore Calm and Joy,
Anytime, Anywhere

ELIZABETH RENINGER

Before You Begin

AS YOU READ THROUGH THIS BOOK, REMEMBER:

Yes, meditation is for you.

The benefits of meditation are available to everyoneregardless of age, health, gender, race, religious affiliation (or lack thereof), or level of education. All thats required is genuine interest.

Everything you need is already within you.

Meditation doesnt require any extra equipment. Your precious human body-mind is both the territory youll be exploring as well as the observational tool you will be using.

All are welcome.

Meditation is not about rejecting thoughts, emotions, or any other aspect of experience. Instead, youll learn how to give these phenomena lots of space rather than getting wrapped up in them.

Live the experience instead of thinking it.

Like the taste of a peach, the fruits of meditation are experiential: truly known only by you. The guidance here is offered like a peach in the hand of a friend: yours now to accept, taste, and enjoy.

Have fun!

Try to think of the meditation practices as play more than work. Trust that there is much of value to discover, and take a childlike approachbe endlessly curious and open to the adventure.

Welcome! This book is for those of you who are brand new to meditation. Its also for those who have tried meditation and are now ready to revisit the basics and perhaps establish a more consistent practice. Within its pages, youll find a variety of exercises easily incorporatedas ten-minute breaksinto your busy day. Theyll help you reconnect with the peace and joy that is your natural state.

The term meditation refers to practices for training the mind and tuning into the aware presence that is the background of all of lifes experiences. It can involve a wide variety of techniques designed to promote relaxation, enhance energy, improve concentration, and develop compassion. The most general purpose of meditation is to cultivate an abiding sense of well-being throughout lifes activities. In this book, through a series of user-friendly exercises and discussions, youll be introduced to the core principles of this ancient practice. Youll learn the art and science of silent introspectionof giving your body and mind a rest, while remaining fully awake and observant.

Theres a great bumper sticker (perhaps youve seen it) that reads: Dont believe everything you think. This good advice points to an insight that is cultivated through meditation: You dont have to respond to that chattering voice in your mind, that never-ending stream of thoughts. You dont have to get caught up in the whirlwind of its dramas. Instead, you can learn to observe the thoughts in your mind in a similar way to how you might watch a movie.

Knowing you are separate from what is happening on the big screen allows you to enjoy the film. Likewise, taking a stand as the witness (the observer of your thoughts) helps you retain your independenceyour freedomfrom the movie playing in your mind. You can also think of yourself as an actor: A skilled Shakespearean actor playing Hamlet on stage recites his lines with passion and precisionwithout for a moment believing he is, in reality, Hamlet. Similarly, you can allow the various dialogues to unfold in your mind without believing you are your thoughts or even that they are true. To see this clearly is one of the fruits of meditation.

Through the simple exercises presented in this book, you will:

Learn how to calm and befriend that internal chatter in your mind that so frequently seems to operate on autopilot.

Be introduced to 32 unique meditations that can be practiced, in ten-minute periods, anytime, anywherefor an abundance of choice and flexibility.

Receive tips for applying meditation at work and on the go, as well as allowing mindfulness to naturally be part of your daily activities, such as eating, driving, and taking care of household chores.

Learn about common obstacles to successful meditation and how to overcome them.

Be guided through Loving-Kindness and Appreciation meditations to generate positive energy, and explore productive ways of relating to difficult thoughts and feelings.