Meditation: The Busy Person’s Guide to Cultivating Compassion and Positive Mind States

By: Douglas A. Gentile

Narrated by: Douglas A. Gentile

Are you curious about meditation but feel like you don’t have time to practice it? Have you tried meditating once or twice but worried that you weren’t “doing it right”?

The good news is that anyone can reap the rewards of meditation in as little as five minutes per day, and there’s no wrong way to do it. In this audio course, award-winning psychology professor and Zen monk Douglas Cheolsoeng Gentile helps you “learn by doing,” guiding you in meditation practices designed to make you happier and wiser. An expert on the intersection of Buddhist philosophy and Western psychological science, he helps you replace unhelpful habits with positive patterns of thoughts and emotions.

Dr. Gentile debunks common myths about meditation and explores meditation techniques that can help you break out of negative patterns and habits. Throughout the course, he walks you through practices focused on three integral concepts of meditation:

• Mindfulness. Explore dimensions of mindfulness such as breath, feeling, functions of thought, space of mind, and awareness.
• Compassion. Cultivate self-compassion and “loving-kindness” toward those around you.
• Familiarization and Cultivation. Learn a new approach to overcoming negativity through joy, spaciousness, the Buddhist practice of Tonglen, and other effective tools.

Whether you wish to understand the philosophy behind meditation, to integrate meditation into your daily schedule, or to be more open to your life and relationships, you will find Dr. Gentile’s lectures captivating and enriching.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

©2019 Now You Know Media (P)2019 Now You Know Media

Critic reviews

“Dr. Gentile is an exceptional scholar, teacher, and mentor.” (Ed Donnerstein, Dean Emeritus, University of Arizona)

"Dr. Gentile's presentation of meditation and Buddhist practices is kind, clear and useful. His academic and scientific background supports the transformative approach of these practices, without overcomplicating his presentation. Students new to meditation will find a good container for beginning a practice here." (Ethan Nichtern, author of The Road Home: A Contemporary Exploration of the Buddhist Path)

I Never Meditated Regularly; Now, I Do

We all tried to meditate; we can’t deny that. I tried to meditate many times. I listened to many audiobooks, downloaded many apps, watched many YouTube courses and videos, and read some books. However, it didn’t work.
I wanted to meditate for many reasons. I know it is one of the best things to clear your mind and live fully. But I did not find anything that would make me want to continue meditating on a regular basis.

I am a very busy person. I’m a freelancer and medical student; my life is full of stress whether I am at home, college, or hospital. In our modern world, most people work more than 8 hours per day and some of us work more than one job. Taking a rest is not an option if we want to achieve our goals. However, our bodies and minds will not obey us all the time. That is why this course is great.

I listened to this course in the metro, at the hospital, at college, and at home. Douglas made it as simple as possible. This man is a great mentor. He is my mentor now anyway. When he told the story of his divorce, I felt he is my friend.

The practices are simple, yet effective. Douglas explains everything in detail.
It is not just another audiobook about meditation; it is meditation.
Thank you, Douglas, it was a great experience and I will definitely keep doing the practices and listen to the course.

I Found This Helpful

One of the things I found interesting about the author is he has one foot in Western academia and the other in Zen Buddhism. This wearing of multiple hats allows Gentile to communicate meditation effectively, and to dispel a number of half-truths about this practice. For instance, he points out that even experienced meditators have thoughts arise while meditating, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many other nuggets of wisdom are in store here.

Very accessible, practical and uplifting

Having tried all sorts of meditation guides and not really getting anywhere, I was feeling pretty burnt out on the idea of meditation. This was new, though. First of all, I realized that one of the reasons I was always unsuccessful at meditation was that I stressed out so much about getting it right. As in exactly right. This author reassured me that there are many different ways to get it "right", and also that the idea is actually NOT to stop your brain from producing thoughts at all. This is such an accessible guide, and for me a real relief. Before I got the title, I researched the author a bit, and I found that he's not only a Zen Buddhist monk but also a professor of developmental psychology at Iowa State. I really like that he brings both "art" and science to this work. Highly recommend.

Finally got something out of meditation

Personally, I've tried meditating many times.

It didn't work. Not because I'm some dummy who's bad at it, but because it was explained to me in the wrong way. Meditation isn't about turning your brain to a blank page. In fact, quite the opposite. It's about finding a new page filled with meaning and learning how to appreciate it.

Gentile's method is fascinating. This book was great.

Excellent balance between practice and science

This is the most useful meditation series I've discovered. Gentile is both a leading psychologist and a meditation expert. He helps you understand why mindfulness and meditation work, their benefits and how to actually incorporate meditation into a busy life. With 3 kids and a busy job, finding time to meditate seemed impossible. Gentile understands the realities of life. I like that this is narrated by the actual author/professor. This is probably not the right series for someone who simply wants a soothing meditative experience; it's for those who want to learn the how's and why's of meditation. This is a great addition to Learn25's lineup.