The Purple Guide to Learning Meditation in 10 Days

I've tried meditation apps before and always gave up by day three. This guide's first day was so concrete and honest that I actually finished the ten days. The bit about how your mind will wander like crazy and that's normal, not failure, was exactly what I needed to hear. The day-by-day format kept me honest. I'm now doing ten-minute solo sessions three times a week. If you're skeptical like I was, this is the real deal.

The guide is well-written and practical, but I found day four's technique section a bit wordy. I would have preferred more diagrams or bullet points. That said, the day-one chapter was refreshingly honest about how uncomfortable it feels to sit still at first. I finished the ten days, and I can now meditate for five minutes without panicking. It's fine, just not a miracle worker. Still decent if you want structure.

As a retired accountant, I've spent my life looking for structured approaches to things. This guide is exactly that - a numbered, realistic plan that doesn't try to sell me anything. The first day alone was worth it because it told me exactly what to expect (legs falling asleep, brain like a pinball machine) and still gave me a genuine feeling of accomplishment. By day seven I could feel a real difference in my focus. My wife is trying it next.

I appreciated that this guide doesn't pretend meditation will fix your life in ten days. The first day's chapter was the most reasonable 'just try this' advice I've ever read, especially the part about setting a timer and not aiming for anything special. I did feel a bit silly at first, but the step-by-step instructions helped. Four stars because I wish there was more guidance on what to do after day ten, but the tenth day's questions did help me decide on next steps.

Look, I'm a guy who wants to get things done. This guide's first day was fine - it tells you to sit for five minutes and breathe and expect to feel restless. Fair enough. It's honest about what you can't achieve in ten days, which I respect. However, I did find some of the language a little too nice. I'd have liked it more direct. I finished, I don't hate it, and I might do it again in a month. Not bad, but not life-changing for me personally.

The book is exactly what it says: a short plan for complete beginners. The first day chapter was useful because it warned me that my thoughts would be everywhere and that I should just notice that without judging - and I did, and it actually helped. I gave it three stars because it's a starter plan, so don't expect anything profound past day seven. But if you're still on the fence about meditation, it's a good push in a realistic direction.