The Power of Attention: Awaken to Love and Its Unlimited Potential with Meditation

by Sarah McLean

What has your attention right now? Did you know that your freely given attention is the most powerful expression of love? When you’re in command of your attention, you are attuned to the field of love underlying the energy of the universe. Unfortunately, we live in a culture of competing interests and distractions. Unless we regain control of how and to whom we direct this powerful currency, our connection with the people and causes we care most deeply about will continue to suffer.In this book, acclaimed meditation teacher Sarah McLean will show you how to direct your attention toward those aspects of yourself and your life that you most want to flourish, expand, and thrive. Each chapter offers modern practical ways of applying the timeless practices of meditation and mindfulness so that you become more intimately connected to yourself, honor your feelings and desires, and express your unique talents and gifts in the world.As you become practiced in the art of training your attention, and connecting with the source of it, you reclaim the power to purposefully live your life, frame by frame, as each new moment unfolds. You will no longer experience life as something that is happening to you; instead, you will know that life is happening for you.

Genres: Nonfiction

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2014

About the author

Sarah McLean is a contemporary meditation expert and author of Soul-Centered: Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks with Meditation (Hay House, 2012). Sarah teaches meditation classes and facilitates self-discovery retreats worldwide. She's worked with some of today's great mind-body experts, including Deepak Chopra, Byron Katie, Debbie Ford, and Gary Zukav. She's lived and studied in a Zen Buddhist monastery, meditated in ashrams and temples throughout India and the Far East, spent time in Afghan refugee camps, bicycled the Silk Route from Pakistan to China, trekked the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, and taught English to Tibetan Buddhist Nuns in Dharamsala. Her clients include: Proctor & Gamble, Perry Ellis International, Banner Health Care Hi-Health Vitamin Stores, Solis Womens Health Care, The Young Presidents Organization, Miraval Resort, Red Mountain Spa, Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants, and Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Sarah is the founding director of the Sedona Meditation Training Company, and The McLean Meditation Institute, educational companies offering meditation training, self-discovery retreats and teacher training certification programs that have transformed thousands of lives. For more information, visit www.mcleanmeditation.com.

Reviews

[Toyin Spades · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Sarah writes about building attention muscles through the training of meditation and mindfulness. She focuses on intentional attention and how to cultivate it to ensure engagement and empowerment.

She provides different practices to train one’s attention and encourages the reader to notice the effect their attention has on others.

One description that resonated with me is how many of us are more comfortable doing than being.

She explores the Buddhist mode of meditation and hones in on the Mantra meditation practice. Then she describes how to meditate even if you’ve never done it before.

My favourite chapter is chapter 4 - Awakening to love. She talks about “being love” as love awakens us to the fullness of who we are. She tells the story of her life in this chapter and how she thought love eluded her (i.e. she was unlovable) but was able to experience the feeling of being in love by learning to lover herself.

Rating: 3.5/5

Favourite Quote: “Having compassion for yourself is essential. It allows you to be present to your stressful thoughts and painful feelings without repressing them, blaming others for them, or hating yourself for having them. It helps you to navigate the ups and downs of love and loss, of ageing and sickness. It strengthens your relationship with your interior real,, and with it, your resilience.”

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded up to 4 simply because I do believe this book is worth a read, and many can benefit from it. The power of meditation and living mindfully, and all its benefits are explained in this book. I particularly loved the scientific studies and evidence that were included. What I didn't care for was the constant name dropping. We get it. You met Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama, the Hugging Saint (I can never remember her name, let alone say it) and gurus galore. I just felt it wasn't necessary, or maybe that's my own jealousy talking. I should probably meditate on that....Overall, a great read and I highly recommend it.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

[Kathleen Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read if you're seeking a gateway to meditation practices.

[John Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I think this book can be helpful and some of the advise can genuinely help people, it's loaded with claims without any resemblance of a source, statements like "scientists have proved this." without any proof whatsoever, and pseudo scientific "studies" that can be easily debunked. Sometimes the author even drops a mention of a study to make her point, but when I tried finding the study and the names associated with it I came up with nothing. I'm sure the author means well and again- some of the techniques described are helpful, but not for the reason she states they are. Read this book with caution and attention, and you'll learn some great exercises, but don't take it at face value.

[Monique Euqinom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tolerable at best. A great beginners guide to meditation though lacking some basic understanding of meditation styles.

[Nay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, pretty good. Lots I already knew but I liked the way the author describes things

[Susi Mcwilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a meditation teacher I loved this book. Perfect book for anyone looking to explore meditation. Great stories woven through along with tangible practices