The perfect time of year to read this as I think about self-improvement. Total Meditation fits in perfectly with my New Year, New You mindset and I'm a big fan of the author. Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this book with me. I will continue to dip into it in the coming years - and throughout this new year!

A deep exploration and change of perspective of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual practice of mediation. Wake up to new levels of awareness and create a new image of what your life is meant to be.

I’ll basically read anything Deepak Chopra writes and still working my way through this but as someone who loves meditation even if I go through phases, highly recommend.

I had been looking for a way to better handle my stress when I found this book. I was pleasantly surprised and greatly relieved to discover that this book had really good instruction and information that helped me. I now have the tools that I need to handle my stress. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is stressed out.

I've tried meditation many times, and it wasn't until this book that it finally clicked. I read this in a true time of need for myself and I could not be more grateful for this book.

I liked this book but didn't feel that it broke any new ground. At times it felt like the book was rushed. I did enjoy the section with the mantras.

Thank you for this ARC. This is the first Deepak Chopra book I have read for a very long time and I am so glad he is back on my shelf. This book was great for getting me back into my meditation practice and keeping me gently on course. A valuable book for new and not so new meditators and written in an easy to understand way.
Highly recommended.

Deepak doesn't provide anything new or noteworthy in this work.
It's all things we've heard before from him.

I started a mediation club in my high school and this book has helped guide me to help others as well as his classes he randomly sends via email. The students really enjoy it and with everything going on in life, this is helpful for them to learn how to destress.

This is a great book on meditation, great for beginners and advanced meditators. Be It offers many lessons and techniques on how to incorporate meditation into your life. This book has a lot of great information and is definitely a book to read over and over. I loved it. I highly recommend it.

I had this book as an ARC for a while but started it about two weeks ago.
I couldn't have read it at a more opportune time as the practice and techniques of meditation came in super handy for the way things were going for me lately, having a lot of stress and anxiety in my life of late.
A very informative and easy book to follow and a definite keeper as a reference.
Mr. Chopra wrote a clear, concise and easy for all to follow way to find peaceful and relaxing of the mind and soul through meditation.
Thank you to Netgally, Harmony books and the Author, Deepak Chopra for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much for this book. I read it a couple of times and enjoyed the information provided. There are those who might think that a book on meditation is a bit of a weighty read, but it was great information and it was entertaining too.

Total meditation came at a much needed time in my life. This book was amazing and extremely helpful to me. It is beautifully written and you feel very calm during the course of reading it. I highly recommend to anyone who needs help in learning to meditate and wanting to live a life of peacefulness.

Great book! I have always been interested in meditation but just
could not get the jest of it. I had heard of Deepak Chopra M.D. but
I have never read his books until now.
Don't miss out on this one, it is so helpful.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, the writer, and the publisher for
giving me the chance to read and review this good book!

Deepak Chopra focuses on waking up through meditation. Chopra says we don’t realize how critically important awareness is.

“To be aware is to notice something you didn’t notice before: You become aware that the room is getting too warm, so you turn down the thermostat. . . . Nothing can be changed in your life unless you first become aware of it.”

But what is awareness?

“Awareness is the most basic experience possible. [It] is more basic than sights, sounds, tastes, textures, or smells. Our senses fill the mind with content, but awareness needs no content. Simply being here is the ground state of awareness. . . . You have a sense of self that exists no matter what is happening or not happening. That sense of self is awareness.”

How do we become aware?

On a purely physical level, our bodies already know. They stay aware of their functions. The heart pumps our blood; the lungs breathe the air; the stomach digests our food. And our brains? While they are always working, we don’t always stay mindful.

But to become mindful, we need to become aware. We clear our minds by coming back to the present moment, where every cell in our body already lives.

Chopra suggests we use these tools to recover our minds:

Self-inquiry
Reflection
Contemplation
Concentration
Prayer
Quiet Mind
Controlled Breathing

While staying aware might not sound enticing on the surface (who wants to be aware of everything?), consciousness is vital to our healing. It unites our heart and mind. It brings life to memory, recognition, learning, and creativity.

When we remain aware, we can live better. Chopra says peaceful behaviors look like this:

You actively seek a solution from people who can genuinely help.
You don’t act on impulse but wait until you are centered.
You take responsibility for your feelings without lashing out or blaming someone else.
You trust that a solution is always possible.
You don’t become the cause of stress.
You respect others as your equal.

By living awake, we get unstuck from the “toxic merry-go-round” that we often live in.

While I don’t agree with everything that Chopra writes, I do agree with his basic premise:

“The best way to live right now is to live as if you are awake.”

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.

The ideas of Total Meditation by Deepak Chopra are not new. The author's introduction itself begins with the statement that the practice of meditation dates back thousands of years. So, what does a new book introduce in this genre? It is at times a repackaging or reimagining of the ideas. It is at times that I, as a reader, need a reminder of the ideas. It is this that gives book in this genre their merit.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/12/total-meditation-practices-in-living.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

I’ve read several books by Deepak’s Chopra, and this one does not disappoint. It’s different from many books about HOW to meditate; this book encourages the reader (meditator) to take the next step toward mindful living,. What I found intriguing is that meditation takes time, effort and dedication, and this book encourages going deeper into our own thoughts and actions; exploring the whys of why we are as we are and where our lives evolve from. It is not a book to pick up and read in one sitting, but it is a book to contemplate and savor, Some parts will reach out and touch our thoughts; others may be not what we are looking for at this moment. It’s a book to read, then to reread again and again. Each day will bring a different mindset and a different type of connecting moment.

This is a great book to read in 2021. We spent so much time in fearful and dark places in 2020 that reading this is like a breath of fresh air. If enough people read it, maybe our "herd immunity" will repel negativity as well as viruses.

This is a great book, definitely helps with mediation, stress, you name it. Not a typical book I usually read but I have enjoyed it!

I bookmarked so many sections for things to refer back to again and again. Chopra offers accessible insights on how to find and maintain inner calm. Even if you don’t already meditate and don’t even want to try, this book will be helpful because it’s less about meditation and more about being present and mindful in general. One of my favorite quotes: You don’t have to fight it – just stop listening.– Deepak Chopra, in Total Meditation