A little disappointed.
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I bought this CD with high hopes, having read other reviews. I decided to review it myself to give a counterpoint to the other, more positive, reviews.
I had hoped that this CD would focus more on pain prevention - unless I missed something, it only seems to mention pain in passing, e.g 'make sure you are comfortable, take your breathing to the pain', etc. I had hoped for something solid which would help me respond better to my pain, which is particularly severe at night.
Having said that, I did fall asleep and slept very well (rare for me!) the first time I used the CD, and I felt very relaxed the next day: Vidyamala's voice is very soothing.
However, the next night I tried Sona's meditation - I found it irritating as he sounded bored by the whole thing: it sounded very much like he was reading from a script and not really paying attention. I also found the silences in his meditation distracting - they were too long, and I would just relax into the silence when his voice would interupt it. I didn't fall asleep and, when I eventually did nod off, I woke again after a couple of hours with an intense headache. I won't listen to Sona's meditation again, though I would use Vidyamala's.
I am disappointed that this CD didn't match my expectations and would not personally recommend it. Whilst I did sleep, thanks to the first meditation, I feel that £10 is a lot of money for one 37 minute meditation, of which probably one-third is silence.
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Practical, imaginative and effective
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Highly recommended. I have used it regularly for about two years and know that it has had a good effect on me. It is presented in a very clear, accessible, jargon-free manner. The two presenters, Vidyamala and Sona, (female and male respectively) have many years of meditation practice and teaching behind them and this clearly shows. Both present the meditations in a manner which manages to be both imaginative and down-to-earth, and which reflects their deep experience of Buddhist practice over many years. They work for an outfit called Breathworks (based in Manchester, UK) which offers courses in living well and in pain management. Both of these themes find their way into the way they present these meditations.
On this disc, each of the presenters leads through a practice called the Mindfulness of Breathing. This consists of a series of four stages designed to take one deeper into an awareness of one's breathing and experience. Those with a knowledge of Buddhism will recognise the practice as a traditional, tried and tested meditation. The version presented here is both practical and fresh, and includes helpful guidance on dealing with physical and emotional pain and discomfort.
I would recommend it strongly to both beginners and experienced meditators. (I have had a regular meditation practice for 16 years and have found it very helpful).
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Review by "Pain Matters" June 06 by Michael Bentley
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These are wonderful CDs, presenting guided meditations to help manage chronic pain. Both facilitators are Buddhists but this is not explicitly apparent and there are no religious overtones, though the CDs might be described as spiritual in a loose sense of the word. Anyone familiar with the book "Full Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn, will feel completely at home here.
Each CD has two long meditations, one led by Vidyamala and the other by Sona. Each meditation is prefaced by an introduction to help the listener settle into a comfortable posture and calm state of mind and is spoken beautifully and calmly, with plenty of space around the different phrases. In fact there is a wonderful spaciousness about all the CDs and I haven't yet heard either of them complete in one sitting because I need to lie down to do so and end up falling asleep! So instead I listen to them one meditation at a time, depending whether I feel in the mood for Vidyamala's female voice or for Sona's male one. There's not much to choose because both are marvellous facilitators and Vidyamala also has long personal experience of chronic pain which she writes movingly about on the Breathworks website. The specialness of these CDs is enhanced also by the words themselves, with lovely phrases that stay in the mind afterwards: "Body like a mountain...heart like the ocean...mind like the sky." However, they are very practical in their encouragement to be aware of one's thoughts and of the ability of the body and the mind to reduce pain and do its own healing. More than anything, they encourage a sense of acceptance in the listener, a non-judgemental and inclusive attitude to whatever feelings are present. This can certainly be difficult when the pain is strong but when acceptance of the present moment is possible, it is a liberating experience because all sense of struggle and fighting the pain ceases. Even for someone like me who used to feel resistant to meditation, this is a beautiful effort that brings rewards. I'm looking forward to future CDs from Breathworks and can recommend these three very highly.
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Life changing
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I use this audiobook at least once a week and find it tangibly improves the quality of my experience for at least a day afterwards. The voices are soothing and sensitive and gently prompt you to return your concentration to the breath each time your mind wanders. Mindfulness is proven to help people manage painful conditions and I'm sure there are many people who could really benefit from this product.
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Satisfied customer!
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As a teacher of meditation, I can say this CD is suitable for complete beginners; but as a longtime meditator I also found it an excellent companion to my practice: refreshing, calming and very clear.
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