A Note from Mike

 

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Hello. My name is Mike Bougher. I was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 1998 at age 34. I am paralyzed from the neck down and unable to smile, breathe without a ventilator, or speak.
 

Yet I am happier, and more fulfilled than I have ever been.
 

This is primarily due to my daily meditation practice and the insights it has given me. I look forward to seeing the same inner peace that I enjoy, envelop you.
 

I hope you enjoy this Stress Reduction and Meditation Program.

 

The techniques will only point you in the right direction. You have to do the work. And keep doing it. This is why it’s called practice.
 

It is entirely possible to attain peace, clarity, and balance in the midst of what may now seem to be chaos and catastrophe. We will give you a set of tools (primarily meditation) that can transform your life into a calmer, more enjoyable experience, regardless of your life circumstances.
 

We will not ask you to accept any of the concepts presented in this course on blind faith. Instead, we invite you to experience them for yourself.
 

Please feel free to share any and all of this information with your loved ones and friends.

 

Your Friend,

Mike Bougher

 

P.S.
 

My Recommended Reading

The following books are selections I consider key on my spiritual path. I have used my local library to acquire the audio versions, read by the author, wherever possible. The list is in the order that the teachings unfolded for me.
 

• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
   
• Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
  
   
• Five Classic Meditations by Shinzen Young
  
   
• The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
  
   
• Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh
  
   
• Change Your Thoughts — Change Your Life by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
  
   
• A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
  
   
• 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
   

Although most of these authors come from a Buddhist or Taoist perspective, the practices and philosophies described are spiritually generic, and shouldn’t be in conflict with other religious beliefs.

If you do find something objectionable, feel free to disregard it. If you’re interested in our current scientific understanding of reality, I found The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene very helpful.