A Million Thoughts: Learn All About Meditation from a Himalayan Mystic Paperback – November 16, 2016

I have never found a more practical book on meditation. It touches all aspects of meditation and gives your practical advice on how to practice meditation. No jargon just plain simple practical methods

My heart-felt gratitude to Guruji Om Swami, who seems to have entered my life at the right time. His every word struck a chord in me. I am ever so thankful to Him. His advice through out is very practical, simple and direct. I consider myself to be fortunate to have read him, no matter, how late in my life. Many many thanks and my humble “Pranams” to Him!!!!

First one to buy it! :)Will come back to write a detailed review. Woohoo....(12/11/2016) My review-1- Swamiji, your books are definitely very informative and I believe that you can charge a little more for them than you are currently doing.2- There are a few typos in this book. Please have them corrected.3- If you had put few photographs of some handwritten notes on your experiences in this book it would have been wonderful. Please consider putting something like in this in your future books.4- You mentioned that you practiced all the different types of meditation techniques mentioned in the book, a note to the reader on what to expect from each type, what you yourself have experienced would have been of great inspiration to the reader.5- Perhaps you could also put a disclaimer about the results. You mentioned that someone meditating for 6 hours a day for 6 months is an intense meditator and will have intense results, and so on and so forth. I have meditated for the first 6 months for 5 hours a day and the second 6 months for 6 1/2 hours per day (2nd phase ending on 23rd Dec). In the third phase, I plan to increase to 8 hours per day. I have not seen any results. I am going to continue this way for few more years but I jut would like to mention that results are not guaranteed despite immense effort because of either past karmas or any of the many other reasons.Before I am told that meditation alone is not enough, I would like to mention that I fast every Monday, maintain verbal silence every Sunday,Feed animals daily morning and evening, donate to various organizations every month, donate blood every 3 months, and have sponsored the planting of over 160 trees, visit the temple once every week, have reduced my sleep and food quota in the first phase, reduced further in the second phase and will reduce even further in the third phase. I have been doing these things all my life but have done it more regularly and with great diligence for the past 1 year.In the next one year, If I see any results, any glimpses of life beyond this body and mind, I will come back here and post a brief paragraph confirming the same. Thank you.

Meditation is not a new subject. Books on this art are available a dozen a dime. So what’s so special about this book? Well, imagine you are reading a book on how to get to the summit of Mount Everest. And it’s penned by an ace climber who overcame several unsuccessful attempts to get to the pinnacle over the course of a couple of decades. Such a climber would know the ins and outs of the summit like the back of his hand: the pitfalls (physical and mental), what works what doesn’t, different routes to the peak etc. And this is exactly what Om Swami and his book A Million Thoughts offer.The beauty of the book is how it’s able to cover a whole gamut of topics, caters to the entire range of aspirants (from a novice to an adept meditator), and at the same time somehow miraculously is able to firmly captivate the readers through its entirety. The author accomplishes this by adopting a seemingly paradoxical combination of brevity and comprehensiveness in his writing style. It’s evident that each element of the subject matter has been carefully chosen and arranged with thorough deliberation. The initial chapters lay down the necessary framework (and the lucrative incentives) that facilitates the subsequent deep dive into the actual practice.The author’s genuine interest in encouraging aspirants to reap the benefits of this art comes across unmistakably in every chapter of the book. It’s as if he’s flabbergasted as to why readers wouldn’t use this tool and thus is sincerely reaching out to them, urging them to make use of meditation to bring about a change in the quality of their lives. He does so with finesse and earnestness. For instance he does not mince his words when it comes to reminding readers of how arduous the journey can be for serious aspirants. At the same time he is able to offer alternatives to people who are just about dabbling with meditation (or have other full-time commitments/priorities).All in all, the simplicity with which the practical elements of meditation is communicated is a testament to not only the author’s complete grasp of the subject but also to his writing prowess that makes esoteric concepts appear relatable. A must-have book for anyone interested in meditation - will save you years of incorrect practice that may cause irreparable damage.

I've read maybe 4 or 5 of this author's books. This one, along with his book on Mantra practice, is helpful. Nothing really new here, but the way he lays out the material is solid.