I usually don't let bestseller lists dictate my reading picks but The Joy of Living is different. It also came recommended from a wide variety of readers who have one thing in common : not enjoying reading self-help books. And The Joy of Living is precisely that. It is anything but a self help book.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is one of the new generation of Buddhist masters who have been trained mostly outside of Tibet and thus have insights into modern city life and all the pressures that come with it. It helps he is young, inquisitive and has a sense of humour. Yongey Mingyur has embarked on a quest to bridge the two seemingly polar worlds of meditation and neuroscience. Through being the subject himself of various scientific experiments and working closely with medical centres, Yongey Mingyur has sought to reinforce a fact we already know as a vague truth : a calm relaxed mind changes the neuronal patterns in our brains and positively impacts our health thereby making us more compassionate, mindful and less susceptible to physical diseases.
The first part of the book can get a bit boring with the details on different parts of the brain, their functions etc but if you meditate, it is useful to know which part of your brain is getting impacted and how. Part two of the book is its best and most practical part. It deals with meditation techniques in a simple succinct way. Most of us who have attempted meditation find it a hard habit to make and get frustrated by the whole practice thinking we're 'not doing it right'. This is where The Joy of Living fills a critical gap. Yongey Mingyur has outlined numerous ways of meditation based on each person's preferences. He advises people to meditate on form, taste, sound, sensation, whatever works for you. Especially helpful is the part on how to attain the seven point posture of Vairochana (aligning the body in a balanced way that allows the mind to remain relaxed and alert at the same time). Perhaps the most refreshing advice in the book regarding meditation is 'less is more'. Yongey Mingyur advises people new to meditation to start off with shorter sessions of two minutes, take a break, meditate another two minutes, take a break, and so on. With regular practice, you'll be able to meditate for longer periods.
A simple but powerful read, the book is written in an easy free flowing style with doses of wit and humour strewn about. It may oversimplify a few points, but that is a minor flaw in this otherwise enjoyable book. Highly recommend everyone out there with hectic schedules to spare some time to smell the roses (and read the book).
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is one of the new generation of Buddhist masters who have been trained mostly outside of Tibet and thus have insights into modern city life and all the pressures that come with it. It helps he is young, inquisitive and has a sense of humour. Yongey Mingyur has embarked on a quest to bridge the two seemingly polar worlds of meditation and neuroscience. Through being the subject himself of various scientific experiments and working closely with medical centres, Yongey Mingyur has sought to reinforce a fact we already know as a vague truth : a calm relaxed mind changes the neuronal patterns in our brains and positively impacts our health thereby making us more compassionate, mindful and less susceptible to physical diseases.
The first part of the book can get a bit boring with the details on different parts of the brain, their functions etc but if you meditate, it is useful to know which part of your brain is getting impacted and how. Part two of the book is its best and most practical part. It deals with meditation techniques in a simple succinct way. Most of us who have attempted meditation find it a hard habit to make and get frustrated by the whole practice thinking we're 'not doing it right'. This is where The Joy of Living fills a critical gap. Yongey Mingyur has outlined numerous ways of meditation based on each person's preferences. He advises people to meditate on form, taste, sound, sensation, whatever works for you. Especially helpful is the part on how to attain the seven point posture of Vairochana (aligning the body in a balanced way that allows the mind to remain relaxed and alert at the same time). Perhaps the most refreshing advice in the book regarding meditation is 'less is more'. Yongey Mingyur advises people new to meditation to start off with shorter sessions of two minutes, take a break, meditate another two minutes, take a break, and so on. With regular practice, you'll be able to meditate for longer periods.
A simple but powerful read, the book is written in an easy free flowing style with doses of wit and humour strewn about. It may oversimplify a few points, but that is a minor flaw in this otherwise enjoyable book. Highly recommend everyone out there with hectic schedules to spare some time to smell the roses (and read the book).
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