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Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation

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Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation

By: Mark W. Muesse, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Mark W. Muesse
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About this listen

Meditation - the technique of mental focusing for enhanced awareness and self-mastery - offers deep and lasting benefits for mental functioning and emotional health, as well as for physical health and well-being.

This practice is closely related to "mindfulness," which Professor Muesse defines as "a deliberate way of paying attention to what is occurring within oneself as it is happening. It is the process of attentively observing your experience as it unfolds, without judgment or evaluation."

"Meditation," he adds, "refers to certain exercises that can be used to enlarge and refine mindfulness." Meditation cultivates mindfulness by training you to develop deep attention to the present moment, allowing the mind to become settled and centered. These 24 detailed lectures teach you the principles and techniques of sitting meditation, the related practice of walking meditation, and the highly beneficial use of meditative awareness in many important activities, including eating and driving. You will also learn how to use the skills of meditation in working with thoughts and emotional states, in deepening sensory awareness of the body, and in becoming deeply attentive to the operation of your mind.

You'll come away with a solid basis for your own meditation practice and for bringing meditation's remarkable and empowering benefits to every aspect of your life.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses Alternative & Complementary Medicine Meditation Personal Development Stress Management

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This book has been very enjoyable and has great insight and wisdom. It is well presented and holds benefits for anyone willing to understand. It is also presented in a way which leaves room for other views... And in my view there has been one person in history who has held similar wisdom His name is Solomon of the Hebrew Scriptures. Both men ( Buddha and Solomon ) wanted to gain wisdom, more than anything else, interestingly, both men have been son's of kings... Wisdom is wisdom is wisdom... Books of wisdom have been available for many centuries. This leaves a lot of room for thought ...Evolution does not seem to work, when it evolves round human nature--East or West This book makes an effort in tackling this problem , in my view.

East West Insights

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Actually mind changing. I feel and act different already. Recommend to everyone feeling eager to learn about the inner self.

At first I was skeptical. But really good and has changed my mind.

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If you could sum up Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation in three words, what would they be?

Potentially life changing

Who was your favorite character and why?

No characters as such this is course on mindfulness but I did enjoy when the professor talked about the Buddha.

What does Professor Mark W. Muesse bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

This professors delivery was excellent he was able to bring the topics to life and make it interesting and enjoyable as well as educational.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed it all and am looking forward to listing to it again soon

Any additional comments?

I have been trying to get into meditation and mindfulness meditation in particular but I don't think I had actually grasped what mindfulness really was and why it helps us and how to bring it into my life . These lectures addressed all that. Initially I wasn't sure I would like this but I am so glad I got it.

I loved this course

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What did you like most about Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation?

As I listened to the lecture series, restarted it a couple of times, and reviewed the lectures several times each, I have been able to apply several of his techniques to my own life and incorporate them ... they have been very beneficial.

I enjoyed his talks on The Buddha and on Buddhism, and he leaves me with an appetite for more understanding.

I like the way, after the introduction and basics he leads us through several directed meditations, building my confidence in my ability to continue this practice.

Have you listened to any of Professor Mark W. Muesse’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first of his lecture series that I have listened to.At first, I found Professor Muesse's voice and manner of delivery difficult to enjoy ... but after a short while the delivery became part of his character and did enjoy his lectures, and listening to him.

Great Guidance

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I found myself in a situation where I knew I had to change the way I reacted to the stresses and frustrations of a busy modern life. This course has helped me immensely. Coupled with the recommended reading it has given me a grasp of mindfulness practice that has already changed me. I was always sceptical of this type of thing but I cannot deny the power of such a simple practice.
Professor Muesse is inspirational and entertaining. He lectures with a sense of humour and humility which makes you want to try your best.
I revisit the lectures from time to time, they are more or less stand alone, and each one is relevant and valuable.

This has changed my life.

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I read the mixed reviews on this series before deciding to give it a go. I persisted with it until about half way and gave up on it. I can see that it will appeal to, and help many people and it does have much very useful discussion and instruction on mindfulness.
To me, the spoken delivery isn't great but is okay, the canned applause is unnecessary but okay. Assuming every listener is American is a common, curiously unmindful position but oh okay.
The interpretation of 'no self' was the last straw for me. So many teachers take this quite literally, 'hey, your self is an illusion, it doesn't exist'. Yes it is a process, no it is not a thing, no, it is not permanent, yes it fluctuates but as surely as our computers use software, all minds think and self and meditation may rewrite our notion of it but accepting it's continuing existence makes meditation easier. Denying it is disingenuous, dogmatic and misleading.

Not for me

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I know about mindfulness and meditation but this really hits it home. so glad I tried this and will def keep going back to it

amazing

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As someone wanting to start mindfulness meditation I found this to be a clear and informative guide. Prof Muesse is from the southern states of the USA; which seems to present a previous reviewer with some problems but for me wasn't an issue. His narration is clear and paced in a way that's well suited to meditation exercises. He provides interesting context on buddhism but also translates concepts such as karma in a way that's useful for those of us who aren't buddhists and don't believe in reincarnation. There are plenty of exercises to offer the beginner a range of options for meditating and since buying this lecture meditation has become part of my daily routine.

The "Great Lectures" series all involve a bit of kidology; we're supposed to think it's a live lecture but the applause sounds dubbed-in between chapters and one assumes they're recorded in a studio somewhere. That's irrelevant though. Where they come up trumps is in hiring great university lecturers with solid academic credentials in the field and letting them do their thing. I wasn't sure whether that would work in this instance because I was after a practical guide but this really hit the spot for me in delivering both practical exercises as well as interesting background material.

Practical, informative and charming

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If you could sum up Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation in three words, what would they be?

Good for Beginners

What did you like best about this story?

The information is well written and very informative, taking the listener into the world of meditation without any heavy religious overtones but enough reference to spirituality to make the exercise relevant. The guided exercises are very good and prove useful in demonstrating the concepts described.

What three words best describe Professor Mark W. Muesse’s performance?

Heartfelt but scripted

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Take a voyage into inner space

Any additional comments?

The book is good but the format can be an annoying distraction. The speaker "pretends" to be performing a lecture to a live audience BUT it is very soon apparent that there is no audience reaction to the humour or any other background noise and the applause at the start and finish of each "lecture" or section is canned and exactly the same on every occasion. It would be much easier to the ear if the "lectures" were referred to as Chapters or Sections (as with any other book, audible or otherwise) and the distracting applause was binned as a result. Sincerity and honesty are a large part of being mindful so why pretend? The desire to be novel in approach has spoiled what is otherwise a great source of information. Having said that, don't be put off. Take it for what it is, a great start into mindful meditation.

Great Information with a little Cheese!

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So much. Wow. I listend and must listen to each one a day. Complex and deep.

I need tp work ln it

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