Now let’s get this clear. I am not a spiritual person. I’m rarely still and I tend to feel those who advocate any kind of meditation are a bit ‘hippy dippy’. However, in the last year I have been taking a mixed Pilates and yoga class and at the end of the class we spend a few minutes relaxing, focusing on our bodies and ‘letting go’. This has been a revelation and so I was delighted to have the opportunity to review Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation by Shai Tubali. My enormous thanks to the author for having it sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation will be published in paperback the UK on 2nd April 2023 and is already available in audio and ebook here.

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation

Harness the power of meditation for a happier, healthier life. Appropriate for practitioners of all skill levels, this new addition to Llewellyn’s Complete Book Series features thirty-five fundamental meditation techniques from traditions around the world. It presents each with its historical background, cultural context, potential benefits, and clear instructions for practicing at home.Shai Tubali teaches well-known methods, like classical Zen meditation, and more obscure ones, such as Sufi Whirling. You will learn to align your mind and body, open your heart to love and compassion, use the hidden powers of sound, and more. This comprehensive and easy-to-understand guide introduces the magic of meditation in a way that is experiential, practical, and deeply researched, empowering you to journey farther into the world of meditation than ever before.

My Review of Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation

A guide to meditation.

If I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting a great deal from Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation. I thought I’d dip in and out, find a few interesting facts and ideas, enjoy the book and set it aside. As soon as I read the introduction and Shai Tubali’s perceptive comments about those who simply don’t give meditation full consideration I realised this isn’t a book to be rushed but that it might be one I needed in my life. It has taken me some weeks to read as I found it quite intense and packed with information so that I had to think carefully about the contents. 

The subtitle to Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation is ‘A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Techniques for Calming Your Mind and Spirit’ and that could not be more accurate. The book is divided into ten chapters, the first three of which are more general and provide insight into more generic meditative practices that feel accessible, well explained and useful. There’s a pragmatism in the presentation as Shai Tubali is realistic about what an individual can achieve and is encouraging in helping the reader to build up their meditation skills rather than expecting them to be immersed immediately. 

In the second part of Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation different forms of meditation linked to chakras are given, with a wide range of aspects that include the historical background and purposes as well as techniques and rationale. Whilst some meditations appealed more to me than others, I found this section of the book fascinating. I think Shai Tubali has authored a handbook that will guide and enhance the lives of those open to meditation, but at the same time he has produced an absolutely intriguing text for those who are simply curious or, as I was initially, sceptical. The use of footnotes and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the book add to the sense of authenticity and authority. 

I found Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation challenging. There’s a depth of information. I found some ideas and practices appealed more than others. There’s reference to religions and I am always mistrustful of religious organisations of any kind. I had to set aside my prejudices and cynicism in order to appreciate fully the contents. But to some extent, that’s the point. Whilst I may not incorporate seven chakra based meditations across my week with unerring regularity, Shai Tubali has taught me to be calmer, more thoughtful and more aware. I understand the need to be more open and reflective. I’ve a long way to go, but Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation has started me on the journey.

Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation will not appeal to everyone, but I think this book will be a life changer for some and I highly recommend reading it for yourself. At the very least it is completely fascinating, brilliantly researched and accessibly written with compassion and authority. Why not take a look?

About Shai Tubali

Shai Tubali is a leading authority in the field of self-development and self-empowerment. In his writings and teachings, he skillfully combines psychology, philosophy, Yogic traditions and Eastern thought and practices, into powerful processes of inner transformation.

Shai has written 23 books, which have appeared internationally for the past two decades in five languages and have been published by major publishers. His most prominent writings have been awarded in the United States and in Israel and others have become best-sellers, inspiring many thousands on their inner journeys of mental, emotional and spiritual transformation.

A trained Yogi, with 20 years of studies in the field of Eastern thought and Yogic traditions, Shai Tubali has become one of Europe’s experts in the field of subtle bodies and, more specifically, the ancient chakra system. Based on his own direct and ongoing revelation of cosmic consciousness since the age of 23, he has guided thousands in Israel and Europe towards deeper experiences of the hidden potentials of their hearts and minds. With time, Shai has created a significant list of methods that mix meditation, therapy, and self-empowerment into highly effective, integral processes. His most established methods – the “Expansion Method”, “Power Psychology”, and “Chakra Psychology” – have been applied by psychologists and psychotherapists throughout Europe.

Since 2012, Shai Tubali lives in Berlin where he runs the Human Greatness Center. At his center, he leads yearly schools and holds seminars, training, and talks, all broadcast online drawing participants from all over the world.

Born in Israel in 1976, Shai became very early in his life an active journalist and columnist in Israel’s major newspapers and one of its leading radio stations. His writing career started at the age of 19, where he became nationally recognized as a novelist.

Currently, he is conducting his PHD in philosophy in the field of mysticism, self-transformation, and Western philosophy at the University of Leeds, UK.

For further information, visit Shai’s website or find him on Twitter @STubali, Facebook and Instagram.