Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
A 10% Happier How-to Book
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3.7 • 84 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF 10% HAPPIER
Too busy to meditate? Can’t turn off your brain? Curious about mindfulness but more comfortable in the gym? This book is for you.
You’ll also get access to guided audio meditations on the 10% Happier app, to jumpstart your practice from day one.
What exactly is meditation? ABC News anchor Dan Harris used to think that meditation was for people who collect crystals, play Ultimate Frisbee, and use the word “namaste” without irony. After he had a panic attack on live television, he went on a strange and circuitous journey that ultimately led him to become one of meditation’s most vocal public proponents.
Harris found that meditation made him more focused and less yanked around by his emotions. According to his wife, it also made him less annoying. Science suggests that the practice can lower your blood pressure, mitigate depression and anxiety, and literally rewire key parts of the brain. So what’s holding you back?
In Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, Harris and Jeff Warren, a masterful teacher and “Meditation MacGyver,” embark on a gonzo cross-country quest to tackle the myths, misconceptions, and self-deceptions that keep people from meditating. It is filled with game-changing and deeply practical meditation instructions—all of which are also available (for free) on the 10% Happier app. This book is a trip worth taking.
Praise for Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
“If you’re intrigued by meditation but don’t know how to begin—or you’ve benefited from meditation in the past but need help to get started again—Dan Harris has written the book for you. Well researched, practical, and crammed with expert advice, it’s also an irreverent, hilarious page-turner.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
“The ABC News anchor, a ‘defender of worrying’ who once had an anxiety attack on air, offers a hilarious and stirring account of his two-steps-forward-one-step-back campaign to sort ‘useless rumination’ from ‘constructive anguish’ via mindfulness, along with invaluable suggestions for following in his footsteps.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Even if—no, especially if—the idea of meditation makes you cringe, you should read Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. After suffering an on-air panic attack, Good Morning America anchor Dan Harris discovered meditation as a powerful tool to decrease anxiety. In this hilarious memoir, he documents the ups and downs of a chaotic cross-country bus trip to promote the benefits of mindfulness—and also provides a useful, step-by-step introduction to the practice. Each chapter breaks down a favorite excuse of the meditation-resistant, like “I don’t have time” (even one-minute meditations have noticeable effects), “I’ll lose my edge” (Harris visits a police department, where he teaches mindfulness to SWAT officers), or “People will think I’m weird” (being weird is fun!). Harris’ wise-guy humor and aversion to crystals-and-essential-oils woo-woo will put even the biggest skeptics at ease. In the right frame of mind, you can turn anything—even watching a reality TV show—into a meditation exercise.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Both authors of this practical guide to meditation have experience with public speaking, and it pays off in the excellent audio edition of their book. Harris, an anchor on ABC's Nightline, sounds clear and affable as he reads his sections, which consist of anecdotes from his time traveling the country and extolling the benefits of meditation to parents, cops, and former prison inmates. Warren, a meditation teacher from Toronto, intervenes intermittently to lead a series of guided meditations designed to address common obstacles such as a lack of time that prevent people from pursuing a regular practice. Warren sounds fittingly tranquil and reassuring as he leads listeners through quick and easy exercises. At various points, the authors refer to previous sections, which are difficult to navigate to in the audio edition, but the added benefit of learning the meditations in the audio format with Warren softly imploring "breathe in, breathe out" more than mitigates this problem. Listeners looking for an easy introduction to meditation will be more than satisfied with this audiobook. A Spiegel & Grau hardcover.
Customer Reviews
Grateful for Dan Harris
I am so grateful for Dan Harris and his desire to share his experiences. Reading his books have given me real hope that life can be better, with clear, simple instructions for how to get there.
Such a Joy to Read, Laughed Through the Whole Thing
This book is a total hoot. I loved Jeff and Dan (and their bromance) long before I read this book, but I have a whole new appreciation for it now. I did the course in the 10% Happier app that corresponds to this book, but I’m definitely doing it again now that I know more of the story. I love how, even in writing, their banter comes through.