Practical meditation for beginners: 10 days to a happier, calmer you

179 Pages·2018·24.463 MB·English

by  Decker, Benjamin W

Praise for
Practical Meditation for Beginners
“Ben's keen understanding of meditation and his deep
commitment to its practice has given rise to one of the best
meditation books I've ever seen. This is a must-read for
anyone who is truly interested in learning how to meditate
and for those who want to refresh their practice.”
Ora Nadrich, author of Says Who? and founder of
The Institute For Transformational Thinking
"This book will provide readers with both an excellent
road map to begin—or to deepen—their practice as well as
a primer on the philosophy, spirituality, and neuroscience
behind different meditations styles. It’s written with heart,
devotion and dedication, to make the ancient teachings
available to contemporary meditation students. A
wonderful read!"
Ronald Alexander Ph.D., author of Wise Mind, Open Mind and
Executive Director of The Open Mind Training Institute
"No one can give us a greater gift than to teach us how to
meditate. Many will one day remember Ben Decker as
having put their feet on a most joyous path."
Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love

PRACTICAL
MEDITATION
FOR
BEGINNERS
10 Days to a Happier,
Calmer You
Practical
Meditation
for
Beginners
10 Days to a Happier,
Calmer You
BENJAMIN W. DECKER
Copyright © 2018 by Benjamin W. Decker
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise,
except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without
the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should
be addressed to the Permissions Department, Althea Press, 6005 Shellmound Street, Suite 175,
Emeryville, CA 94608.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations
or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and
specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular
purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The
advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold
with the understanding that the Publisher is not engaged in rendering medical, legal or other
professional advice or services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent
professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the author shall be liable for
damages arising herefrom. The fact that an individual, organization or website is referred to in this
work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author
or the Publisher endorses the information the individual, organization or website may provide
or recommendations they/it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites
listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and
when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support,
please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], or
outside the United States at [phone].
Althea Press publishes its books in a variety of electronic and print formats. Some content that
appears in print may not be available in electronic books, and vice versa.
TRADEMARKS: Althea Press and the Althea Press logo are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Callisto Media Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be
used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Althea Press is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
Illustrations © Sam Ledoyen/Illozoo, 2018
ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-025-6 | eBook 978-1-64152-026-3
For Wyatt, Nolan, Charlie, Audrey,
Lincoln, Henry, and all my other
nieces and nephews on the way.

CONTENTS
Introduction x
How to Use This Book xii
DAY 1 Zazen Breath Awareness Meditation 1
DAY 2 Open Awareness Meditation 17
DAY 3 Mindful Observation 33
DAY 4 Mindful Eating 45
DAY 5 Observing Your Emotions 57
DAY 6 Walking Meditation 71
DAY 7 Body Scan Meditation 85
DAY 8 Mantra Meditation 99
DAY 9 Sitting with Difficult Emotions 113
DAY 10 Lovingkindness Meditation 127
Building Your New Practice 140
Glossary of Key Terms 146
References 151
Index 154