Meditation with Intention: Quick & Easy Ways to Create Lasting Peace

by Anusha Wijeyakumar MA

Achieve More Focus, Balance, and Peace in Minutes With just five minutes of meditation a day, you can dial down that constant inner chatter and turn up the volume of your true positive essence. Join meditation expert Anusha Wijeyakumar, MA, as she shares the transformative meditation program that she developed for California's world-famous Hoag Hospital. You will discover several five-minute meditations designed for heart opening, chakra balancing, trusting your inner truth, and more. Along with tips for powerful intention-setting and accessible pranayama-breathwork exercises, these meditations will help you create more joy and peace in your life while learning to control negative internal narratives. Raised in the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) on her way to becoming a clinician and teacher, Anusha expertly helps you integrate ancient Eastern wisdom into your modern Western lifestyle for a deeper sense of purpose, self-acceptance, and self-love.

Genres: Meditation, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 8, 2021

Reviews

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an accessible book with some helpful insights, but for the most part I found it to be a little too general and broad to be very helpful to me at this point in my life. I was interested in reading this because Wijeyakumar is a wellness consultant who has done work specifically with people living with metastatic breast cancer, and I've seen her speak at a virtual conference. I also have read some of her work on decolonizing yoga and found it to be really valuable. This book is part self-help book, part memoir, with a small amount of information on Hindu dogma and practices mixed in here and there. I found Wijeyakumar's writing on Hinduism -- both in general and her experience of it -- to be the most compelling part of the book. The rest had a writing style that was maybe a little too conversational, with a lot of repetition and cliche and an over-reliance on self help lingo. The first few chapters in particular could have used some editing to tighten up the flow and correct some typos and poorly written sentences. Still, the format is appealing -- short chapters focused on an intention with a prompt for a five minute meditation exercise at the end -- and if you don't have a lot of experience with meditation, this may be a good place to start.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will be a good read for those new to (and intimidated by) meditation, but interested to find a meditation practice that works for them. This is meant to be an inspirational read, and simple to read for this demographic. This book is accessible in terms of the author's nonjudgmental approach.

I quite enjoyed her saying that we all have five minutes to meditate. Many students find it hard to focus on their needs but we all have five minutes to do what we want. I also liked the exercises at the end of each chapter which is based on an intention ex. Intention One I change my mindset to change my life.

However, for those that know a little bit about meditation or even have heard of mindfulness in passing, this may give the impression to touch the surface of things. I think this is due to the inspirational purpose of the book that doesn't necessarily always lend itself to nuance.

Personally, it would have added to the book for me to unpack some of the advice, as much of this advice could be considered focused on the individual at the expense of community, or not addressing systemic issues that may result in negative thought patterns. We do have autonomy and we can control our thoughts, and we can acknowledge social inequities, the different trauma that lives in our lineages. This is something that I wish was weaved in more here, but this is very much a book that does not talk about decolonizing yoga or meditation, or at least that I can recall now, in order to emphasize how meditation can be beneficial to improve our lives in positive ways.

As a side note, I was also reading this while I reading Why I Am Not A Buddhist, a philosopher's criticism against modern Buddhism, mindfulness etc. so this most likely coloured some of my reading.

Overall, I recommend this for people new to but curious about meditation. And if you are to read a simple but truthful and easy book about meditation, choose a BI&PoC author.

[CR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive always had issues with meditation. Even when I was part of a group and we would do it together. I always felt like I wasn't going deep enough and I was only getting to the surface of meditation. This book has completely changed that. Meditating with intent is the way to go. I know that for most classes and books that I have read and joined its all about meditating to free your mind and to think of nothing. However, this book works with your chakras and more and it works wonderfully.

[Hannah J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on meditation that I've ever read! The practice exercises are very helpful, and I know it's a book that I'll want to reread multiple times as I continue my meditation and mindfulness practice.

[Pooja Mathur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally felt like this book spent much more time explaining why the strategies were important than talking about the strategies themselves. Because I picked up this book, you don't need to convince me to meditate, haha. I wish there was more time spent on how to meditate and what I could do when I get distracted, etc. outside of just saying "keep trying" or "don't give up".

If you're questioning if meditation is something you could/should try, then maybe this is a good book for you? If you know you want to meditate, but are struggling with it, then maybe there might be a better book out there? If you're in the latter bucket, and find a good resource, let me know too, please. Haha, I'd appreciate it.

[Michelle H. El Khoury · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, after experiencing the last year given the COVID pandemic, I would really love to know if anyone answered “no” to not being able to find 5 minutes a day to find quiet time with themselves. Not with your phone or TV or favorite video game but truly having time set aside to ponder on a true intention. And if there is difficulty finding an intention then do not fear, this book is for you. Anusha provides realistic yet simple ways in which we can think about how to meditate. And by the way, it does not have to be linked to a religious or spiritual aspect but if you choose to, it can be. I felt comforted and confirmed knowing that my practice of chanting rosary beads does not take away from my Catholic faith, meditation augments it! As a kids yoga teacher, this book has also helped me to incorporate easy mindfulness practices into my classes in a way that the children understand, respect, absorb and enable them to form their own practice. It feels so gratifying when they come to class asking “can we start class with the ‘quiet time’ book today?” I am so happy to have been introduced to Anusha and her teachings and look forward to all that she will continue to offer our world.

[Amelia Maness-Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications, for an arc of Meditation with Intention: Quick & Easy Ways to Create Lasting Peace in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. This book is written by Anusha Wijeyakumar, who has excellent credentials, and it’s clear she is deeply grounded in this knowledge. The book is organized so that even those brand new to meditation can pick up the book and begin a meditation practice. Anusha Wijeyakumar provides information on the benefits of meditation, beginning meditation, and position for meditating. She gives 5-minute meditations and intentions for chakra balancing, learning to trust your inner self, the all-important breath work, meditation for gratitude, journaling, and more. What’s terrific about her meditations is they are 5 minutes; even the busiest person has 5 minutes to spare. The meditations and breathwork in these exercises will pay off with a more peaceful life.

[Destiny Bridwell]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have been adding meditation into my life to bring me back to my center and it has done a lot for my mental health. That is one of the main reason I had decided to read this book. I spend a lot of my time worrying about things that I can't change. This book gave me techniques on breathing that only takes a few minutes a day to do. It has been added as part of the self-care routine and I am feeling better because of it. It is helping me working on the self-doubt and anxiety. It is something that I needed.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book full of wisdom.
I love this book. I’ve seen a couple other reviewers mention it’s only good for beginners, and I must disagree. We are never too “practiced” to not go back to the basics and keep things simple. That being said, although this book was easily digestible and is accessible to most people, wherever their spirituality is, I still felt it deeply profound and full of divine wisdom. I’ve been meditating for over 12 years and can still always learn a new approach or idea. Highly recommend for anyone looking to begin, deepen or decolonize their meditation practice.

[Emily Holt-Gosselin · Rating 3 out of 5]

fine but nothing revolutionary

Her instagram account is far more moving, meaningful, and intersectional. Very lovely book for someone interested in meditating but never has. Some parts felt very spiritually bypassing which is surprising considering how eloquently the author speaks against such avoidance in her instagram. Overall the book was mediocre and I hope Anusha writes more meditation/yoga books in the future that dive into more of the complex content she talks about online.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for newcomers to meditation and those looking for a refresher. Anusha writes in a really accessible and personable way, and her book is full of practical and useful tips on meditation.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meditation with Intention by Anusha Wijeyakumar

9780738762685


216 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Release Date: January 8, 2021

Nonfiction (Adult), Religion & Spirituality, Meditation

This is a short book on the power of intentions. The author also provides a list of exercises for each of the nine intentions. I started a daily meditation practice a few years ago. There are days when I miss here or there but I find myself so much more grounded after meditation. The author asks only that you give meditation a try for five minutes.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. If you are new to meditation, this is an excellent starter book. If you have been meditating for a while and would like to have a few short meditations handy for quick sessions, this would be a great reference.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful resource to change your life through a daily meditation practice. A fast read that is easy to follow for all, Anusha is a wellspring of information!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like talking to a friend. Very accessible with lots of practical tips for overcoming negative self-talk and limiting beliefs. I love the exercises at the end of each chapter. My meditation practice has been on the struggle bus since I’ve been dealing with grief and anxiety this year, but if Anusha says 5 minutes a day will make all the difference I think I can commit to that.