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| Guided Meditations: For Calmness, Awareness, and Love | 
 enlarge | Author: Bodhipaksa
Publisher: Wildmind Meditation
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $11.92
You Save: $3.03 (20%)
Buy New/Used from $11.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  (79 reviews)
Sales Rank: 4756
Format: Audiobook
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown)
Media: Audio CD
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
ISBN: 0972441409
Dewey Decimal Number: 133
EAN: 9780972441407
ASIN: 0972441409
Publication Date: October 1, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 One of the better ones. March 8, 2007
25 out of 25 found this review helpful
Guided Meditations by Bodhipaksa is one of the best meditations tapes that I have found. I take care of my mentally challenged adult sister so I deal with stress on a daily basis and it doesn't look like a tropical vacation is in my future anytime soon.
Most mediations tapes that I have purchased have this swirling, synthesized music background that is not only cheesy but is often so loud that it clashes with the verbal instruction. If and when you do hear the instruction, it is usually composed of affirmations encouraging you to think "Happy Thoughts". This is not my cup of tea and I usually end up throwing them out.
Guided Meditations has no background music - none. Nor are there any "I'm good enough. I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me" type affirmations. In addition, the instruction starts right away.
Bodhipaksa has this gentle Scottish voice that is almost like someone whispering in your ear, encouraging you to just settle down and breathe. There are times when the verbal instruction stops and allows you to concentrate and practice the instruction.
There are 3 parts to the CD. The first two sections are over 25 minutes in length and the 3rd one has to do with Walking Meditation which is about 19 minutes.
I only do the first two and if I only have 10 minutes, then I set a timer for 10 minutes. If the next day I have more time, then I adjust accordingly. By the way, this CD is not to be used while driving or operating machinery.
The slant of the CD is a Buddhist orientation and that might put some people off. Don't let it deter you as it is hardly noticable. I am an Atheist and could care less about Buddhist philosophy. I still rate this 4 stars.
I just purchased another one of these CDs for a friend who has breast cancer.
it works February 23, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I am a newcomer to meditation. This was the first time I've tried an audio meditation CD before. I usually do my own visualizations, with pretty good results.
Tonight I tried the second meditation on this CD, "Development of Lovingkindness". I had a terrible headache and thought that meditation might help. The deep level of meditation I achieved was beyond anything I've ever experienced...honestly I was totally amazed. My headache pain went away completely and I felt tingly and rejuvenated afterwards.
At first listen, the voice of the leader may sound a little silly. But find a quiet place, put on some headphones and the experience totally changes- very soothing and deeply relaxing.
 Great for strengthening practice January 9, 2007
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I love this CD and it has been so helpful for me in settling into a regular meditation practice. Although the goal in meditation is to eschew aids, to begin with it is difficult to really just sit and watch tbe breath, or follow your own particular style of meditation and this CD helps you to focus and keep going. I like that there is no music to distract one and that there are periods of silence between the very gentle voice guidance delivered in a soft Scottish brogue. I have tried other loving kindness meditations, but particularly like this version with its simple focus.
 it works, but it could be better January 9, 2007
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
This was not a very expensive CD, so I suppose it was worth it. I have heard better, but this does help me relax and ease into the meditation process.
A very good CD, but more geared toward those beginning meditation January 5, 2007
49 out of 49 found this review helpful
I have been meditating for over 20 years and I teach meditation. In general, I follow the Buddhist Vipassana methods although I'm always open to learning new things. I bought this CD to check it out because I am always looking for new resources for people learning meditation.
This specific CD contains three basic meditations: mindfulness of breathing, loving-kindness and walking meditation. The first two are rather common to find, but instruction on walking meditation is a bit more unusual to find on audio.
I found all of the meditations to be simple, straightforward, uncomplicated by distracting music and well thought out. The first two do an excellent job of covering the basics and are quite good for a beginner. There are many fine points to both these meditations that one can learn later from a book such as MINDFULNESS WITH BREATHING by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu or Sharon Salzberg's book on Loving-Kindness Meditation.
I'm glad a walking meditation was included on this CD and I think this one is a good start. However, I felt this section of the CD could be better and include more instruction. There are many levels to walking meditation and perhaps the author felt it was most important to start somewhere and give people a simple practice to start.
I have found walking meditation to be particularly useful for busy Westerners and learning the various levels and fine points of this practice important. There are not a lot of audio resources for this information, but the Insight Meditation package by Salzberg and Goldstein does a pretty good job. However, their voices are not nearly as pleasant as Bodhipaksa. This additional instruction may help you to take your practice of walking meditation further, however.
Overall, I think is a very good CD and I would recommend to beginners particularly Westerners without reservation. At the same time, I would also recommend that beginners continue to grow and pick up additional resources as they progress particularly with respect to walking meditation.
I would like to mention that all of the meditations are a good length for beginners, easy to follow and stress basic points. For some beginners, thirty minute meditations may be a bit long, but you can always take the CD, learn the principles and practice any length you desire. A strong point of these CDs is there is not so much information that a beginning practitioner is not overwhelmed or trying to follow to many fine points where diminishing returns sets in.
I notice some people mentioned trouble falling asleep in other reviewers, this is a normal part of the struggle of learning to meditate. Focusing on upright posture, narrowing the attention in tighter to the object of concentration or openning the eyes briefly with a soft gaze can help at the beginning stages of practice. For people who still have trouble, 10-15 seconds of rapid breathing through the nose as described in pranayama yoga practices of Dr. Andrew Weil's tapes on breathing could also help.
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