Meditation For Fidgety Skeptics

Dan Harris shares more thoughts about meditation and its benefits in this second book in his 10% Happier series. This time he teams up with Jeff Warren, a master meditator, and Carlye Adler, a writer, and the result is a clever and thoughtful look at meditation, especially for those of us who tend to think meditation might be too much work.

I took furious notes as I read this book. Some of my favorites:

There are hindrances in meditation (and life):
Boredom/sleepiness
Desire (to do something, anything)
Aversion (fear, dislike anger)
Worry, anxiety, restlessness
Doubt

To deal with the hindrances, look at them as they appear. Name them. Examine them. Lean into what arises, without judgment.

I also loved the idea of Free-Range Meditation, the idea of using little minutes here and there to meditate.

The whole book is like having a personal meditation trainer, encouraging you, sharing troubles, sharing tips, helping you over the hard parts.