Ki-Asana Zen


Book Description

Few feelings are more debilitating than fear. It may seem that fear comes from the outside, but it is always brought under control from within. Ki-Asana Zen is a practice dedicated to the restoration of resiliency and spontaneity to the mind. The resilient mind springs back from adversity. The spontaneous mind does not harbor fear because it does not cling to thought patterns of any kind. Such a mind taps into instinctive wisdom, called prajna paramita, in Sanskrit. When we have achieved this gift, we will know what to do when faced with a problem, even one which comes swiftly. Ki-Asana Zen is a meditation technique that is balanced, relatively easy but internally sound. It bridges the gap between east and west by embracing both its sun and moon nature . . . Ki (intensification) . . . Asana (posture). The power of it is not in what you see, but in the responses generated by what you do. With Ki-Asana you don't meditate . . . IT meditates. This powerful but simple technique will teach you how to deal with any problem that comes your way.




The Body, Self-Cultivation, and Ki-Energy


Book Description

This book is an inquiry into ki-energy, its role within Eastern mind-body theory, and its implications for our contemporary Western understanding of the body. Yuasa examines the concept of ki-energy as it has been used in such areas as acupuncture, Buddhist and Taoist meditation, and the martial arts. To explain the achievement of mind-body oneness in these traditions he offers an innovative schematization of the lived body. His approach is interdisciplinary and cross-cultural, offering insights into Western philosophy, religion, medical science, depth psychology, parapsychology, theater, and physical education. To substantiate the relationship that ki-energy forms between the human body and its environment, Yuasa introduces contemporary scientific research on ki-energy in China and Japan, as well as evidence from acupuncture medicine and from the experience of meditators and martial arts practitioners. This evidence requires not only a rethinking of the living human body and of the mind-body and mind-matter relation, but also calls into question the adequacy of the existing scientific paradigm. Yuasa calls for an epistemological critique of modern science and explores the issue of the relation of teleology to science.




The Natural Way of Zen Shiatsu


Book Description

A comprehensive union of shiatsu massage with macrobiotic nutritional philosophy, this practical guide to Oriental ideas of health and healing includes an exercise program, diagnostic techniques, an illustrated guide to shiatsu massage, and clear explanations of the concepts of ki energy and yin and yang. 23 diagrams. 404 photos.




2,100 Asanas


Book Description

This fully-illustrated New York Times bestseller categorizes an astonishing 2,100 yoga poses through photographs and descriptions for optimal benefit including adaptations for all levels of expertise and ages. A thoughtful, inspiring, meticulously-crafted guide to the practice of yoga, 2,100 Asanas will explore hundreds of familiar poses along with modified versions designed to bring more healthful options to yogis of all experience and ability. Organized into eight sections for the major types of poses -- standing, seated, core, quadruped, inversions, prone, supine and backbends -- and each section gently progresses from easy to more challenging. Each pose is accompanied by the name of the pose in English and Sanskrit, the Drishti point (eye gaze), the chakras affected and primary benefits.




Reports from the Zen Wars


Book Description

Four decades ago—aged twenty—the author experienced what he calls a "negative satori," a fundamental and irrefutable realization not of enlightenment, but of himself as a predicament only enlightenment could resolve. This, shaped by the hammer blows of a singular American professor, Richard DeMartino, brought him to Zen, and to Japan. Yet over time, of far greater import than his bungling efforts were the wonderful occupants of the Zen world he encountered: Toyoshima–san, the meditation Prometheus whose superhuman efforts astounded and inspired all while he remained impaled on the cliff's edge; the Thief, chief monastery monk who stole the world from whoever he encountered and whose yawns and the brushing of his teeth shot sparks of Absolute Meaning; Hisamatsu, the great lay Zen Master who at age 16 overheard a doctor tell his mother he'd be dead in six months, only to awaken ten years later and become the most delighted man in Japan; Bunko, the monk kind to others but ferocious with himself, whose daily state of Oneness in meditation left him dissatisfied because despite all exertion he could not crush it to pieces and break beyond it. These are among the sitters for the portraits in Reports From the Zen Wars, Steve Antinoff's attempt to bear witness to what for him has been The Greatest Show on Earth, price of admission one lotus position.




Zen-yoga


Book Description

This fascinating and profound book of ancient, Eastern esoteric wisdom backed by the latest discoveries and experiments of modern science treats of the health of soul by showing the relationship between soul and brain.This book is a cybernetic exploration of mind`s inner space leading to expanded cosmoelectronic consciousness. Having shown the differences between Eastern and Western thought-processes, Saher explains how the sages of the East have aquired that source of wisdom and bliss which our misguided youth seeks vainly in hallucinogenic drugs.




Yoga Girl


Book Description

A New York Times bestseller from the yoga instructor who inspires more than one million followers on Instagram every day. Whether she’s practicing handstands on her stand-up paddleboard or teaching Downward-Facing Dog to the masses, Rachel Brathen—Instagram’s @Yoga_Girl—has made it her mission to share inspirational messages with people from all corners of the world. In Yoga Girl, Brathen takes readers beyond her Instagram feed and shares her journey like never before—from her self-destructive teenage years in her hometown in Sweden to her adventures in the jungles of Costa Rica, and finally to the beautiful and bohemian life she’s built through yoga and meditation in Aruba today. Featuring spectacular photos of Brathen practicing yoga with breathtaking tropical backdrops, along with step-by-step yoga sequences and simple recipes for a healthy, happy, and fearless lifestyle—Yoga Girl is like an armchair vacation to a Caribbean spa.




Hatha Yoga Pradipika


Book Description

Hatha Yoga Pradipika is among the most influential surviving texts on hatha yoga. The text describes asanas, purifying practices, shatkarma, mudras, finger and hand positions, bandhas, locks, and pranayama, breath exercises. The book explains the purpose of Hatha Yoga, the awakening of subtle energy kundalini, advancement to Raja Yoga, and the experience of deep meditative absorption known as samadhi.




The Power of Ashtanga Yoga


Book Description

A foremost Ashtanga Yoga teacher tells you “everything you ever wanted to know from a yogi” in this guide for beginners and experienced practitioners alike (Huffington Post) Go inside the philosophy, history, and practices of a popular and athletic type of yoga—with step-by-step instructions and gems of wisdom for starting your own journey to self-realization Ashtanga Yoga has become extremely popular in recent years. Here, Kino MacGregor—a disciple of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the great modern guru who developed Ashtanga Yoga—gives a comprehensive view of the practice, demonstrating how Ashtanga is fundamentally a path of spiritual transformation and personal development. MacGregor delves into the history and tradition of Ashtanga Yoga and reveals how its philosophy manifests in contemporary lifestyle and dietary choices. She also explains the essential connection of breath, posture, and gaze that is the core of the practice. Her clear, step-by-step instruction of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series—including standing, seated, backbending, twisting, hip-opening, and closing postures—is a wonderful initiation for those who are new to the practice, and it will motivate experienced yogis toward perfection of the form. Throughout, MacGregor shares her own personal yoga journey and her devotion to yoga as a path of self-realization in a way that will inspire all practitioners.




The Secret of Freedom


Book Description

Zafir, a black sixteen-year-old, undertakes a journey of spiritual discovery, relying on the wisdom of the Ancient Book to guide him in passing beyond the oppressive Others and bringing enlightenment back home with him.