Spirituality and Religion

Self-Help

Meditation Without the BS

An Honest Guide for People Who’ve Tried and Quit Three Times AlreadyBy Vincent OkOnjO

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Length9h 53m

About this audiobook

Many people begin meditation with good intentions only to abandon the practice weeks later. They download an app, follow a popular course, or try a highly recommended technique, yet somehow it never becomes a lasting habit. In *Honest Meditation Guide for Beginners Who Tried and Quit*, contemplative scholar Vincent Okonjo challenges the idea that some people simply are not suited for meditation. Instead, he argues that most failures result from poor fit, unrealistic expectations, inadequate guidance, or choosing the wrong practice for a particular stage of life. Drawing on more than twenty years of teaching contemplative traditions, Okonjo offers a clear and accessible exploration of the major meditation approaches practiced around the world. Rather than promoting a single method, he introduces readers to focused attention, open awareness, analytical meditation, devotional practices, loving-kindness meditation, and several traditions drawn from Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Sufi teachings. The book helps readers identify which approaches may align best with their personalities, goals, and life circumstances. It also addresses common reasons people abandon meditation, including boredom, frustration, unrealistic expectations, poor instruction, and uncomfortable emotional experiences that arise during practice. Unlike many popular meditation books, Okonjo provides a balanced discussion of scientific research, acknowledging both the benefits and limitations of current evidence. He avoids exaggerated claims and instead presents meditation as a long-term practice that develops gradually over months and years. Readers will also learn how to evaluate teachers, avoid unhealthy communities, recognize situations where meditation may not be appropriate, and build a sustainable daily practice without becoming dependent on apps, streaks, or rigid routines. This book is designed for people who have already tried meditation and felt disappointed by the results. By offering a broader understanding of contemplative traditions and a more realistic approach to practice, it provides a thoughtful and encouraging path toward developing a meditation habit that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Psychological Journey

Audiobook details

GenreSpirituality and Religion, Self-Help

Length9 hrs 53 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

LanguageEnglish

1Introduction

2Introduction: Why You’re Reading This Book Again

3Chapter 1: Why You Quit the Last Three Times

4Chapter 2: The Bad Teachers and Bad Books That Wasted Your Time

5Chapter 3: The Meditation Styles and Which Fits Which Person

Show all chapters

6Chapter 4: Buddhist-Derived Mindfulness — Vipassana and Theravada

7Chapter 5: Zen and the Koan Tradition

8Chapter 6: Tibetan Analytical Meditation

9Chapter 7: Secular Meditation — Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

10Chapter 8: Transcendental Meditation — The Honest Take

11Chapter 9: Christian Contemplative Prayer

12Chapter 10: Sufi Practices

13Chapter 11: Hindu Mantras and the Popular Adaptations

14Chapter 12: Metta — LovingKindness Practice

15Chapter 13: Open Awareness

16Chapter 14: Focused Attention — The Foundational Skill

17Chapter 15: Body Practices — Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, Walking

18Chapter 16: Building a Daily Practice

19Chapter 17: Building a Weekly and Monthly Practice

20Chapter 18: Retreats — When, Where, How, and How to Survive Them

21Chapter 19: How to Find a Teacher Without Getting Culted

22Chapter 20: When Not to Meditate

23Chapter 21: The First Year

24Chapter 22: The Tenth Year and the Long Practice

25Chapter 23: Meditating Through Grief, Illness, and Dying

26Chapter 24: Practice and the Rest of Your Life

27Chapter 25: A Realistic Picture of What This Can and Cannot Do

28Appendix A: A Reading List for the Contemplative Life

29Appendix B: A Glossary of Terms

30Appendix C: Sample Weekly Schedules

31Appendix D: Troubleshooting Common Difficulties

32Appendix E: A Final Note from the Author

33Appendix F: A Skeptic’s Guide to the Science

34Appendix G: For Those Who Have Been Hurt

35Appendix H: Closing Thoughts on the Field

36Appendix I: Specific Practice Instructions

37Appendix J: Frequently Asked Questions

38Appendix K: Meditation for Specific Life Situations

39Appendix L: A Letter to the Reader Who Has Finished

40Appendix M: A Year of Daily Prompts

41Appendix N: Notes on the Major Teachers Worth Knowing

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