Book Review: The One-Minute Meditator : Releiving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life

Amazon.com Review nnIn an age when everyone is pressed for time and completely stressed out to boot, finding inner peace in just one minute is the type of self-help concept that should quickly find an eager audience. In their new guide on how to meditate in short periods, authors David Nichol and Bill Birchard contend that because the true measure of life is how we feel and act minute to minute, "you can take any minute in life and turn it into a minute of better living. As some Japanese meditators say, you can steal moments from the day."nnDrawing on their experiences as seasoned meditators and teachers, the authors begin their guide with an illuminating look at all the reasons our brains find it difficult to slow down and smell the roses. Like barking dogs chasing cars, our overly busy minds are often running madly after fearful, grasping, joyriding fantasies that make it difficult to concentrate or feel calm. Yet within each of us is a yearning for peace--and that, according to the authors, is the key. By following a series of simple one-minute meditation and breathing exercises contained in the guide, anyone can reduce stress and discover quiet self-knowledge and clarity of mind. While the book is aimed at readers interested in the short take, it also contains useful information for those who wish to extend their practice. Especially useful is a section on how meditation can enhance healing, most particularly for those with high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, or drug addiction. The last chapter of this very friendly guide illustrates how to enrich meditation with mantras, imagery, and yoga. ­-Marianne Painter --This text refers to the Paperback edition.nnProduct InformationnnA fascinating guide to why and how to meditate in short periods of timeOn an average day, in an average minute, we can process over 240 billion bits of information per second. Such incredibly rapid brain activity can lead to confusion, fear, tension, stress, and anxiety. To stave off these pressures, our minds instinctively look for “one-minute escapes” like exercise, drinking, drugs, smoking, sex, and entertainment. All efficient short-term distractions, none is a permanent salve. The One Minute Meditator shows listeners how to harness the innate drive for quick mental escapes and use that urge to quiet our thoughts from within. Proving that meditation is both physically and emotionally healthful, Nichol and Birchard show listeners how to meditate whenever they have a solitary minute or more—on the walk from the parking lot to the office, while waiting in line, while on hold on the phone, or while trying to fall asleep. Both inspiring and instructive, The One Minute Meditator gives us the tools to incorporate the power of meditation into otherwise busy, harried lives. nnTo view this book on Amazon.com, click here.