Episode 20: Meditation Series #4 - Setting Clear Intentions for Deeper Focus
If you're feeling frustrated and lost during your meditation sessions, struggling to find focus and purpose, then you are not alone! Despite your efforts to quiet the mind and find solace, you may find yourself getting caught up in a sea of thoughts and distractions. Instead of experiencing the clarity and peace you desire, you may feel even more overwhelmed and disconnected.
The resources mentioned in this episode are:
Visit Dave DuBois' website, radicalbalance.net, to learn more about him and his work as a meditation teacher, psychedelic guide, and integration coach.
Guided Meditations
Recommended Books on Meditation
The Relaxed Mind: A Seven-Step Method for Deepening Meditation Practice by Dza Kilung Rinpoche
I love how detailed, hands-on, and clear this book is. This is my favorite “manual” for beginning meditation practice. It’s accessible for beginners and practical.
https://www.abebooks.com/9781611802825/Relaxed-Mind-Seven-Step-Method-Deepening-1611802822/plp
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
In this beautiful and lucid guide, Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercises as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness--being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peace.
https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/the-miracle-of-mindfulness/book/
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
This book is an inspiring introduction to Zen and meditation practice and has been beloved by meditators, new and old, for decades. It doesn’t have comprehensive, step-by-step meditation instructions but is more anecdotal and continually reframes and adjusts the beginner's subtle misconceptions about the path of meditation.
https://www.abebooks.com/9780834800793/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Talks-0834800799/plp
Clarifying the Natural State by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
This is such an excellent book, but not a “self-starter.” You will need a meditation guide or teacher to get the most out of this 400-year-old text. That said, it is a powerful and straightforward guide for teachers and students exploring the path of meditation.
https://www.abebooks.com/9789627341451/Clarifying-Natural-State-Principal-Guidance-9627341452/plp
Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard J Davidson
If you benefit from knowing the science behind meditation, this is the book for you. It’s not going to give you meditation instruction, but it gives an amazing and thoroughly researched presentation of how meditation works and changes the brain. It is very clear in establishing that not all meditation practices have the same outcomes.
https://www.abebooks.com/9780399184383/Altered-Traits-Science-Reveals-Meditation-0399184384/plp
Episode Credits: Music by Magiksolo and Lesfm from Pixabay
