This is a very detailed guide to meditation for beginners. It's a bit of a slow read, but if you enjoy knowing all the different nuances meditation, this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Essentials for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

I really want to meditate. But, like so many people, I cannot calm myself down. So I need to learn to meditate in baby steps. And give myself the grace to do so. I looked for "Meditation for Dummies" but came across this title instead. A book labeled as a "beginners guide" sounded better to me than dummy so I added it to my TBR. That was 2.5 years ago, I'm just now getting to it. I had to be in the right kind of mood and mindset, which is the point of meditation right? Or not. As with anything in life if I waited to be in the right mood, mindset, heart space, income bracket, etc then I would be waiting forever and never start anything. I probably should have tried meditating during the dumpster fire called 2020 but I didn't so maybe I will in 2021. Reading this book was step one. I said it would have to be baby steps.

I found Harbula easy to read and, because of his many years of experience, super informative about *all* things meditation. He gave great background and then he followed it up with great, practical application and recommendations. I also really like his go-with-the-flow attitude toward it, there's no rigidity and as a Type A person I appreciate another opportunity to practice loosening up. He described many different methods/styles/ways to meditate and I have actually done one of them in a yoga class - the body scan. I really like the body scan (fine, partially because I'm laying down...) so want to explore that more but also feel like, in the spirit of grace and being flexible, trying some of the other styles where I'm sitting up with good posture. We'll see. :)

I really enjoyed this title and I'm glad to have read it and may even read it again, or at least read chapter 4 in which Harbula describes the numerous ways one can meditate.

This is definitely a great book for bloggers, reviewers and also just readers. I also think it's a helpful tool for the authors to get the word out especially debut authors jumping into the book world with their first book. I love seeing the books coming out and even hyping up debut books that I find intriguing and interesting to help promote the authors and their books.

This read was engaging and quickly grabbed my attention from the first chapter. I completely recommend it and hope that other readers find the same joy in it that I found.

Patrick J. Harbula walks you through Meditation explaining the basic history as well as the different types of meditation. Harbula gives you basic methods to get started and helps you find which of the myriad types of medication types to start with to allow each person to actually making their journey.
For me, the best part was the connection of medication to many, many religions. This was the what I needed to help me; I had wanted to use medication to help me with my Christian faith and this will have done do.
This is a great book for beginners as well people wanting to learn more about the practice.

What I liked about this book was the fact that, in simple terms, meditation was explained, with lots of supplemental information for the novice. In the past, I have tried to use meditation, but have had little success, though I have looked at web sites and at numerous articles and books that concern meditation. I probably did not fully understand what it is and how to do/use it in my life. This book provides the background of meditation, getting started in it as well supporting practice. It also provides a great guide to resources the reader can tap into: web sites, training sites and centers, apps., etc. This will probably e one of the most useful parts of the book, as someone who is just beginning. It is refreshing to find a book that explains something that can be complex as meditation, in simple, understandable terms. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Need editorial review or other readers to give author feedback before publishing.. It is missing core content. Expected more "how to" feedback.

If you have always wanted to learn Meditation but thought it would be too troublesome to learn, give this book by Rev. Patrick Harbula, a try. “Meditation: The Simple and Practical Way to Begin Meditating” is exactly as the title describes, simple and practical. Begin using meditation techniques in five to ten minute sessions, eventually building up more time as time allows. There is now hard evidence that backs up the benefits of meditation to ease pain, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure. At the same time, you will learn the history behind Eastern and Western types of meditation. Author Patrick Harbula has been a meditation trainer and life coach for over 30 years.

Honest and in-depth advice for reaching your full potential. This advice is presented in easy to follow language that can be broken up and applied in pieces at a time.

Overall a good starting guide for meditation. The book has five chapters, and the first two are long and read slowly on the detailed history and benefits of meditation. The third chapter is about getting started, things to have and how to mentally and physically approach meditation. The fourth chapter goes more into meditation techniques, offering multiple samples of different types. The fifth chapter is about other spiritual practices that can complement a meditation practice. The book also includes a resource list. Once the book got into how to meditate, I felt it was worthwhile.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I truly found this book most helpful. Instead of just diving in with how to meditate, this book goes into the history of meditation, the many and various benefits and all the different types. I have meditated in the past and this book has brought me back to enjoying the practice.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a bit slow to read. But I think it’s great read for someone just beginning with meditation.

I didn't finish the book, it was a very slow beginning and I couldn't push through. The character development I know was important, but there were too many threads so early in the story. The plot moved very slowly and couldn't hold my attention.

I found this book to be highly scholarly on the history of meditation. I had thought it might assist in my efforts to meditate. There were samples of meditations.
What I will take from this book is that meditation (regular) provides a conscious mindfulness and with more practice people can "reset" using breath or a mantra.
Not a manual, instruction of how to meditate. It is a very cerebral read.

This is a good book for beginners or those needing a refresher. The author explains various types of meditation and tips for getting started and setting up your own practice. It's a nonjudgmental book and I like that the author's goal is for you to find what works best for you on your journey of finding inner peace. The book is easy to read and informative with a lot of practical tips to put your practice in place. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Meditation is a good educational book on meditation and the theories behind it. It includes Western and Eastern. A good book for those starting out.