Back in the gloomy mists of time, I had this idea for a series of short e-books that would distill the subject down to its essence, give you a basic grounding, and orient you enough that you could look for more information if you wanted it. Each book could be read over a lunch hour and would give you at least a handful of tips for you to test and see if they improved your life at all.
At the very least, your hour spent reading would mean that you no longer had to say “X? Oh, I don’t know anything about that. I wouldn’t know where to start!” You can now say, “Yeah, I’ve looked into that briefly. I don’t claim to be an expert, but here’s what I think about it.
Best case scenario, you’ve come up with one or more useful, implementable techniques, and your life is demonstrably improved.
Introducing….
Crash Course in Meditation, or,
the Healthful, Spiritual Exercise You Didn’t Know You Were Already Doing.
Meditation only takes ten minutes a day. You don’t need any special equipment to do it. So why doesn’t everyone do it? We all brush our teeth and take a shower, don’t we? Meditation doesn’t take any longer than that.
I’ve come to the conclusion that
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People don’t know how to “do” meditation, and if they don’t know, it’s just easier to ignore it altogether than do the research.
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Meditation is SO hyped that it’s become this totally foreign thing that only people like Madonna and Oprah do – like buying $200 picnic kits and get monthly spa facials. It doesn’t seem like something an ordinary person with kids and a job to juggle could do on a regular basis.
That’s why I wrote this Crash Course. You can be meditating, effectively, properly, in under an hour. Really and truly. And if you sacrifice an hour and it wasn’t worth it, I’ll give your your money back. It’s that simple.
So what’s included, exactly, in this Crash Course?
One 24-page e-book with 2 half-hour guided meditations. (And not cheesy ones either. Jeez. I had to record the damn things just to prove to people that guided meditations don’t have to be glurgtastic crap full of unicorns and rainbows)
And Here’s What People Are Saying:
Erin Clark:
I love it! It speaks to people about how to be responsible with their mental state without requiring any spiritual connection to anything at all – and yet, it doesn’t strip it of it’s layers of importance in order to be pragmatic – it was reassuring, too – it’s not a skill i have to learn that i’m likely to suck at, it’s a bunch of things i do naturally that are worth appreciating and bringing into focus. empowering. I would recommend it to people who don’t think of themselves as spiritual from a community or personality point of view but need a way of connecting with themselves just the same.
Joel D Canfield:
I have very specific ideas about spirituality so I felt a tiny bit of trepidation reading someone else’s ideas about meditation. What a delight to find something practical which includes just the right amount of warmth and humour, and doesn’t intrude in my own metaphysical space. I will read this more than once, because I want to create new habits based on what’s in the guide.
Noëlle Anthony:
This is brilliant. You never think of the little interstitial times, the little happinesses, or the productive moments as meditation – but they certainly are. Meditation never really worked for me – I’m AWFUL at emptying my mind and sitting still – but I’ve spent today trying to be mindful of your thoughts here, and I can actively feel myself becoming more settled and rested. (Which is saying a lot, considering I had to get up super-early this morning to take my son to the airport!)
Thank you so much for this. I’ll be reviewing it regularly, because this kind of breath of fresh air is exactly what I’ve needed.
Karen Johanessen:
I’m so totally jazzed about this little book! Finally, somebody’s written exactly the kind of “what’s it all about” story *I* need to get my head around Actually Doing meditation.
Shanna’s whole MO is “Find what works for you, and run with it” – you don’t have to follow in anybody else’s footsteps, as long as you get where you’re going.
This is an overview, a guide AND a map – all in one package. Use the parts that you need, and don’t sweat the other bits. Of course, her writing is delightfully UN-doctrinaire (as usual), and the two half-hour meditations let loose all kinds of Warm Glowy Good Feelings – in me, and about me! Try it, I think you’ll like it, too.
Here are the Details
Why: Because while meditation is hugely useful, it’s also hugely overhyped. Which pretty much defeats the purpose. I divide the wheat and the chaff. Hell, I even bake the bread for you.
Who: for people who don’t have a regular practice, who think it might be beneficial, but don’t know where to start OR people who’ve had some experience with meditation that soured them on it. I feel your pain. If you don’t like the e-book, I’ll refund your money.
How much: $38 with 50% of the proceeds going to Kiva, which is a charity that funds micro-loans to entrepreneurs around the globe. The coolest thing about Kiva (and why it’s my favorite charity ever) is that as those loans are repaid, they are re-lent again. This is totally the charity that keeps on giving.
