6/17/2023 0 Comments Cast randhouseAs he makes clear on literally the first page, he once suffered a debilitating panic attack live on ABC’s Good Morning America during a time period when he was engaging in some “recreational” stimulating activities…namely cocaine and E to combat an undiagnosed mild depression. Indeed, Harris has rather interesting “cred” for an author of a book on meditation. Harris and Warren, while being a little woo-woo (particularly Warren, not really Harris), made meditation seem like a totally normal thing that, well, normal people do. 10% Happier isn’t just about selling you the benefits of meditation (several time Harris insists this is not the purpose of the book, though of course they come up) but rather about bringing meditation down to something that seems less hard and never-achievable, and more like something anyone can do at any time. I appreciated the background and the “why” of each of the meditation options. If, like me, you think meditation sounds like a good thing you should try tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow), this is a book you may want to pick up. Heavy on the Normal, Light on the Woo-Woo So, I’m not buying it today, but I’m not ruling it out.) (Full Disclosure: I’m not at a place where I’m pulling that $100 trigger however, there are legitimate studies that show that imposing a “cost” on something can make it more likely that we use it-we’ve invested $100 into the practice and so we’re more likely to practice than if it were totally free. The book is obviously significantly cheaper, but without the benefit of the guided audio. The app, it should be noted, does cost $100 a year ($8.33 a month) and comes with a seven-day free trial. If you’re sold on meditation and just want samples to guide you through meditations of different kinds and lengths, you can probably skip the book and go to the app. This app then begs the question of why the book is necessary. There’s a 10% Happier app where all of the guided meditations that appear in the book can be found-however, there is a cost here. Harris and Warren realize that reading and meditating probably doesn’t go hand-in-hand for many people and the idea of memorizing the “rules” of a meditation ahead of time so I can do it “right” later probably isn’t the point. For me the vignettes were less guides to meditate, than an introduction to how that particular practice or focus would work in a meditation so I was familiar when I came back to it. I also don’t know that I understand how it’s possible to meditate while simultaneously reading something. Most of the time while reading, I wasn’t in a place-physically or mentally-to stop, drop, and meditate when a vignette came up. For those feeling like they just need rest, not something in their head, there are practices for restful meditation and self-compassion meditation.Īs I read, admittedly I skimmed the vignettes. There then appears a meditation vignette on exactly this practice. For example, when addressing the common stumbling block of not having time to really sit and meditate, one of the ways Harris and Warren come at this is by introducing the idea of moving meditations-meditations on the sense and feel of every-day activities, bringing mindfulness to the feel of a toothbrush on gums or water hitting skin in the shower. Interspersed within this narrative are meditation vignettes that, as the book progressed, were surprisingly well-matched for the text. Strictly speaking, 10% Happier isn’t really a How-To Book on meditation, but rather, it’s an engaging mash-up of memoir of a meditation road-trip with nonfiction explanations of how to address common roadblocks to meditation and demystifying the practice. I was also at a point in my own yoga practice where meditation sounded like a next step-the power yoga I do a CorePower is constantly pushing me physically meditation would be the mental push that came next. I was going to be starting yoga teacher training shortly and anything that might give me ideas for theming a class or making a mind-body connection sounded appealing. All opinions are my own.Īdmittedly, in February when I received this book, I wasn’t searching for a book on meditation-I was scrolling through available books on NetGalley and 10% Happier caught my eye. I’m grateful to Spiegel & Grau for their generosity and am happy to post this honest review. I received a digital ARC of this book from Spiegel & Grau (part of Random House) on NetGalley.
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