CM Hamilton - How Do You Meditate?: Interviews with 30 Meditation Teachers

The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see - A. K. Trenfor

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To find out how meditation teachers meditate , I contacted teachers from around the world and asked them lots of important questions. In this book I have pulled together thirty interviews from a remarkable group of meditation teachers whose diverse and enlightening responses offer insights, advice, and inspiration as they answer key questions and share simple, accessible wisdom.

In this book you will learn:

• the favourite techniques of each meditation teacher,
• common mistakes and best advice,
• how often to meditate, whether to go on meditation retreats, and the benefits of guided meditations compared to non-guided self-practice,
• suggestions for how to think about goals for a meditation practice,
• misconceptions and risks,
• favourite quotes and stories, book recommendations,
• and much more

The book

The idea for this book came from my own interest and study of meditation practices and techniques over many years. I often seek out interviews with meditation teachers in print and online, and from podcasts and videos. I always enjoy these, but I find that they are usually missing some simple answers to key questions. I created a list of my own important questions and then sought out teachers to answer them.

I contacted meditation teachers through social media and internet searches, through public relations firms and book publishers, and through the recommendations of students and other meditation teachers. I am really pleased with the result. The deep and thoughtful answers, diversity of responses, and unique insights are more than I could have hoped for or expected.

How do you meditate?

First, I asked each of the meditation teachers: how do YOU meditate?

I asked about the benefits that meditation teachers personally get from meditation, what types of meditation they have studied and now practice, and how many times a day they meditate. I asked what lessons they have learned that influence their practice and what common errors and struggles meditation teachers see in their students. I asked what they think about retreats and guided meditations, what advice they most often give, and what books they have read and recommend.

I hope this assortment of well-known and lesser-known teachers from different backgrounds provides answers to some of your important questions too, each with their own unique insights and approaches.

Meditation resources

There are many great free and inexpensive resources on the basics of meditation, and many of the teachers in this book refer to resources and websites in their interviews. At the end of this book, I have also provided some simple meditation instructions, as well as some tips for starting and maintaining a meditation practice. There is a section at the end of this book called Basics of Meditation, which includes three simple meditation techniques that are also included in my book Meditations: 50 Meditation Techniques .

You can also go to http://bit.ly/morehdym and sign up for a free pdf with links to free resources, courses, apps, and other free meditation content, plus the authors favourite quotes from each teacher featured in this book.

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