Book Review – Learn to Meditate

By dougnau on Mar 31, 2009 in Book Reviews, Consciousness, Personal Growth, Spiritual Coaching

Background

Learn to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment written in 1999 by David Fontana, PhD is designed to be a self study book to teach novices the essentials of meditation, while at the same time offering those experienced in the field of meditation suggestions and tips to improve their practice.

Book Review & Commentary

Learn to Meditate is a beautifully illustrated, interesting and easy to read book. Its 151 pages include over 130 full color illustrations making the journey through this book more than your typical read – its a memorable experience. As someone that is an ‘inexperienced’ meditator myself (ie: I do not practice any form of meditation regularly at this time), I found the book to be a delightful introduction to the concepts, history, and methodologies most people use. The book is designed in such a fashion as to suggest that there are many different forms of meditation, and that one should find the form that best aligns with their preferences. In accord with this philosophy, numerous examples and methodologies for meditation are provided throughout the text.

I appreciated that this book offers some history and insight into the different traditions of meditation. Not only does it explain the ‘how to’s’ but brief historical segments are provided as well to put them into a better context. If you’re looking for a book with a storyline, this book is not written as such. In fact its chapters average a few pages, they are interwoven with exercises to practice, and its closer to a reference guide or do it yourself book than a novel. That being said, I did read this book straight through and for a book that is a collection of practices and philosophies, it flows beautifully.

For me, an inexperienced meditator, this book provided a really nice foundation from which to build on. The big question – has this inspired me to meditate? Well, time will tell. I can say that its definitely peaked my interest and I am sure many of the readers of my blog will encourage me to make this a regular practice.

I found the discussion of the experience one has when they meditate of particular interest. It makes me ask the question ‘Why would I do this?’. The book offers a number of potential benefits and experiences one may have, and the most interesting result is the basic answer it provides that results may vary. The experience will be personal and specific to you. Clearly its a method of personal growth and a way to gain self awareness that can be unparalleled by few. The book also discusses how meditation is a journey that no one masters – its continuous through life. If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I write often about the experience of being in the moment. Meditation is the ultimate test of one’s capacity to be present and this book does a great job explaining the how to’s of the practice.

Who is this book for?

Are you looking to start meditating and are not sure how to begin? Are you interested in knowing more about how to meditate and what the history of meditation is? Are you looking for simple exercises that guide your approach towards meditation. Do you enjoy books that are illustrated and are meant to be more so a reference than a novel?

If you are answering yes to these questions then this book is a fantastic option. Its written simply such that anyone can understand it. If you are an advanced meditator, I think you’d enjoy the book as well, but it might not offer any new information that moves you forward in your journey. Since I can’t speak from the perspective of an advanced meditator, that judgment call is difficult for me to make. For us beginners, this book is a great option