Guest post today from our Meditation guide and Restorative Yoga Instructor, Paul Watts. (If you’d like to receive Meditation tips and resources from Paul on a monthly basis, email us at Love@LoveYogaStudios.com)
Hey Meditators, Happy Saturday!
First, I got a question on books for meditation and progressing in a meditative practice. There is a lot of material out there but if I had to recommend two, they would be “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle and “The Places that Scare You” by Pema Chodron.
Tolle essentially teaches mindfulness; the power of living in the moment. The first part of the book is an extraordinarily practical guide on how you start integrating mindfulness into your life. Much of the book is presented as answers to questions from his lectures. Questions from skeptics, frankly and most of the questions are ones I’ve wondered myself over the years. Variations on “this isn’t working, what now?” 🙂 The second half of the book gets a bit “spiritual” and he has his own brand of what enlightenment might mean. You might resonate with what he’s saying or not. But I cannot recommend the first half of the book enough.
Pema Chodron is a Western teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. . . she’s probably the third most recognized teacher of Buddhism in the west after the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Her book “Places that Scare You” is also a practical guide for how to use a meditative practice to start tackling some of the bigger issues you’re facing. She has what the Japanese Soto monks call a “grandmotherly kindness” in that she mixes kind wisdom with a blunt vocalizing of the truth. Check out her videos on YouTube.
You can find both books at the Albany and Corvallis public libraries.
Lastly, it’s another couple of weeks until the next Meditation Workshop at Love Yoga. But I’d like you to consider joining me in a 30 day Meditation Challenge for the month of November. Starting Nov 1st and for the full month, commit to meditating every day. November is a perfect month for these challenges (which come up periodically). We’re changing seasons, changing routines and heading into the end of the year and what might be a stressful time for many of you. Four weeks of meditation and you’ll be more centered and calm when gathering with friends and family at Thanksgiving.
I’m going to do the challenge myself so I’m inviting you to join me.
As always, I hope you are well,
Paul
