Book description: This is a study of concentration meditation practices for intermediate and beginning meditators. As soon as the eyes close, the meditator is faced with a flurry of thoughts and a multitude of obstacles. The beginning meditator will find many solutions to common problems with sitting posture, breathing, dealing with thoughts and relaxation. For intermediate meditators, the meditation process removes colorations covering the mind; uncontrolled thoughts, unfinished business, concepts, and attachments. When the aim of meditation is transforming the mind, it becomes a more serious business requiring much skill and patience. The foundation for serious meditation is the ancient practice of concentration: cultivating one-pointed attention on a meditation object, the process common to Raja Yoga and Buddhist Shamatha. Based on 40 years of wide experience, study (280 citations), and gathering pointers from many adepts, this is practical study on handling distractions, nostril balance, understanding brain hemisphere functions, establishing one-pointed mind, turning mind inward, deep relaxation, non-attachment and lifestyle, using mantras, and awareness. It's helpful to have a map describing the stages of meditation; to know where you are going, how you are getting there, and when you are going off course. This is an experiential book; a close look at what meditator actually does during sitting with minimal attention given to philosophy. It is not a religious or even a spiritual book, but provides concise, straightforward help on the how-to-do without burying the essential points in a muddle of words. The 66 photos, taken over a 15–year period in India and Nepal where the contemplative lifestyle is visible, help to make it a personal reality for the reader.
Reviews:
“Congratulations on your fine book! I have given it
a read and can recommend it highly... Your book looks excellent!” — Charles
Taliaferro, Department of Philosophy, (Chair, 2013-2019), St. Olaf College
"A
practical debut introduction to meditation for beginning and intermediate
students... The book includes extensive guides to posture, breathing, and
concentration; in the latter case, the author specifically deals with dhāranā,
an oft-misunderstood concept of internal focus... Key concepts, such as
dhāranā, mantras, and meditation objects, are introduced early and then
revisited, which effectively stresses their importance. The book has short,
easily accessible chapters, and robust end matter featuring notes, citations, a
glossary, and bibliography, which makes the text easy to revisit.
Black-and-white photos of other teachers and practitioners add a visual flavor
of India and Nepal to the lessons. A helpful resource for overcoming meditation
obstacles." — Kirkus Reviews
Olson
packs plenty of fodder for the intermediate meditator into this detailed,
expansive guide to the practical and esoteric aspects of sitting meditation,
which draws somewhat haphazardly on both Buddhist Shamatha and Raja yoga
traditions... Olson successfully bridges the gap between too-basic suggestions
for beginners and less grounded, more opaque advanced guidance. When he offers
hands-on advice, he distills complex ideas to concrete steps well, as in his
discussions of the benefits of a kneeling posture and the use of mantras, his
sample breathing exercises, and his analysis of the metaphor of treating
passing thoughts as birds flying into the room... Takeaway: Experienced meditators struggling with plateaus or
looking for a comprehensive, detailed consideration of process will savor this
hefty guide to building a meditation practice. —Publisher’s Weekly/BookLife
"The Meditation Process" is a valuable addition to
the literature previously available about the practice of meditation. It is not
meant to be an introduction for the complete "newbie," but rather a
helpful resource for those already introduced to the practice who may have
practical questions or who desire a refresher or validation about things they
may (or may not) have previously learned. The author has considerable
experience himself, and has been exposed to multiple traditions. He draws
primarily from two traditions (Raja Yoga and Buddhist Shamatha) which are
compatible with each other and which can also inform the basic principles and
methods underlying most of the world's meditative traditions. Drawing on
literature and personal instruction from eminently authoritative sources, the
author presents practical advice in a clear and readable form. This is a volume
deserves a place on the shelf and in the hands of any serious meditator. —Steve
Benson