The Joy of True Meditation

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“What is meditation? Pure fascination with this moment, exactly as it is”.

Jeff Foster, a survivor of suicidal depression and now a popular spiritual teacher, invites us to discover the “life-saving” inner sanctuary of true meditation. He re-envisions meditation as a vast non-dual field of Presence, accessible to all of us in each and every moment of our lives; an effortless place where we can be our authentic selves—imperfections, doubts, fears, exhaustion and all. Meditation does not involve zoning out, numbing ourselves to the pain of living or trying to become spiritually enlightened. It means diving into “the sacred mess of this present moment” with curiosity and child-like wonder, drenching our deepest wounds with a loving Awareness, bringing light to the darkness. In true meditation, we come to discover: We are perfect, exactly as we are.

The Joy of True Meditation gathers together nearly 50 of Jeff Foster’s soothing, touching, provocative and encouraging essays and poetic reflections on life, love, our true nature, and the courageous journey towards wild self-acceptance. Plus, in an extended Introduction, Jeff opens up fully for the first time about his battle with chronic shame and depression. He shares movingly how a complete mental and spiritual breakdown eventually led him to the discovery of the present moment, his true home. He explains how true meditation literally saved his life.

This book’s themes include:

• The joy of slowing down and the miracle of the Now-breath
• The sacred shift from “healing ourselves” to “holding ourselves”
• How we can stop looking for The One, and find it within
• The myth of the silent mind and the lie of ego-transcendence
• The holiness hidden in our exhaustion, depression, loneliness and trauma
• The immense beauty of our vulnerability, sensitivity and self-doubt
• Why painful feelings are never mistakes or blocks to awakening
• Knowing our true nature as the non-dual light of Awareness itself
• This messy, ordinary human heart as a portal to the Divine

“Hidden in each of this book’s vignettes is a constant reminder of the fierceness and totality of the moment as an invitation to presence, to breath, back home. Jeff’s invitations are manifold and pay homage to the pulsing, alive heart, and to the vital, inspired breath. By being who he is: a poet, lover, and madman in the best sense of the word, Jeff offers words of encouragement whispered into our tired ears and minds, meant for our dazzled, wild hearts to receive.”