Concentration and Meditation

This book mostly deals with concentration meditation (Focused Attention Meditation), but within this area, it deals with most of the commonly encountered types of such meditations in the Hindu fold. It especially deals with saguNa and nirguNa meditations, which is very useful indeed.Swami Sivananda's enthusiasm for meditation is very infectious! He not only gives you instructions on how to meditate, at what times, how often, etc., but he also *makes* you want to meditate. Swami Sivananda spares no effort in making you understand the importance of meditation in one's spiritual sAdhana. I almost could see Swami Sivananda sitting in front of me imploring me to just put down the book and start meditating right away. He also has a useful and extensive list of obstacles (at the physical, mental, and advanced levels) you might encounter during your meditative career. These are all very useful things to know and keep in mind.One thing that slightly put me off about this book was that Swami Sivananda is all too willing to give credence to stories of siddhis that might arise from meditation. Maybe it's just me, but this dampens my enthusiasm for the material a bit, and also, I am afraid, dents his credibility just a little. I wish he had highlighted the psychological and spiritual advantages of meditation, which are immediate and easy to verify. These are good enough reasons to want to meditate.But that slight irritant notwithstanding, I wholly encourage you to buy this book. As Swami Sivananda might say, Nil desperandum! Never despair! Mediate, meditate, mediate!

This is a great book for the one who wants and Indian style of meditation. Meditation which we can confirm working in us. Many a times I found that swami sivananda is saying something which is not practical for us. For ex. He ask to meditate in Himalayas or places on the banks of river ganga. Another ex. Would be, He ask us to follow brahmacharya..etc. But the reader should keep in mind that this book was written during the 1st half of 20th CE and would be exceptable during that time. Well it's a short book and one can follow his path to learn meditation and is a great book overall. I would recommend this book to someone who wants an Indian style of meditation.

This book is like a guide to everybody who want to start spiritual yogic path.as I am following his yoga tradition this book is very helpful to me

Every student should read this book once.

The kind i wanted.. Happy

Great

Very good book how to do concentrationmeditation.

Excellent book

On of the best books about meditation indeed and not too hard for a beginner. Has a lot of info on obstracles, progress (visions such as light etc), what to eat, times to meditate etc. I think this is the best meditation book together with "Meditation & Its Practices: A Definitive Guide to Techniques and Traditions of Meditation in Yoga and Vedanta" (ISBN 978-1594731051). You will not regret that you bought this book and it is by a master on meditation full of love and insight :-) A ++++++++

ok

It's very simples I expect a much complex and deeper book. But it's very easy to read, learn and understand.

Very instructive.

Helpful words of advice from a master of meditation. Wonderful insights, amazing overview and a beautiful perspective. I thank India for producing such truly spiritual, embodied souls who are beacon lights on the path back to the all Light.