Three Gates to Meditation Practices


Book Description

A spiritual memoir by the author of God Is a Verb. "This book is a treasure map, but not like any you have seen before. Most people believe that the object of a treasure hunt is to find a chest of gold. The mystical approach, however, is that the search itself is the treasure.... Here is an invitation to begin an exploration of the treasure fields of your own mind...the most exciting and rewarding adventure you will ever take." —from the Introduction Here is an insider’s look at a spectrum of mystical traditions—by someone who is remarkably fluent in the language of each. Three Gates to Meditation Practicechronicles more than fifteen years in the spiritual journey of "post-denominational" Rabbi David A. Cooper and his wife Shoshana—years that led the Coopers everywhere from a secluded mountain hut in New Mexico to the Sinai desert, from chanting Sufi dhikr and meditation with Buddhist masters to studying Kabbalah and esoteric Judaism in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Coopers’ story is an intimate account of what intensive spiritual practice is like, with an ultimate message that is supremely inspiring: The spiritual path is completely within our reach, whoever we are, whatever we do, as long as we are willing to try.




Get Some Headspace


Book Description

'If you're thinking about trying mindfulness, this is the perfect introduction....I'm grateful to Andy for helping me on this journey.' BILL GATES 'It's kind of genius' EMMA WATSON Feeling stressed about Christmas/Brexit/everthing? Try this... Demystifying meditation for the modern world: an accessible and practical route to improved health, happiness and well being, in as little as 10 minutes. Andy Puddicombe, founder of the celebrated Headspace, is on a mission: to get people to take 10 minutes out of their day to sit in the now. Here he shares his simple to learn, but highly effective techniques of meditation. * Rest an anxious, busy mind * Find greater ease when faced with difficult emotions, thoughts, circumstances * Improve focus and concentration * Sleep better * Achieve new levels of calm and fulfilment. The benefits of mindfulness and meditation are well documented and here Andy brings this ancient practice into the modern world, tailor made for the most time starved among us. First published as Get Some Headspace, this reissue shows you how just 10 minutes of mediation per day can bring about life changing results.




Buddha's Book of Meditation


Book Description

A journey from “brainfulness” to mindfulness, from self-control to self-regulation, and from indifference to compassion Mindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular form of an ancient and powerful technique for reducing stress, elevating one’s mental state, and improving the practitioner’s overall quality of life. Award-winning author and mindfulness meditation teacher Joseph Emet now takes you down a step-by-step path to integrate this potent form of meditation into your daily life. Offering tips, techniques, and practices from mindfulness meditation—coupled with stories from the author’s life as a teacher—Buddha's Book of Meditation guides you to a life teeming with the benefits of regular meditation practice. This volume also includes original music by the author that the reader can access through the web—calming the mind and enhancing the meditation experience. .




The Handbook of Jewish Meditation Practices


Book Description

To nourish your spiritual self you need “rest” from your hectic life. This book shows you how to do it. “Renew the soul and your perspective of daily life will completely change. It is simply a matter of taking time, slowing down, shifting mundane consciousness into realms of higher insight and giving yourself the gift of reflection and contemplation.” —from the Introduction While broad interest in Jewish meditation is a relatively new phenomenon, meditative practices have been deeply rooted in Judaism for thousands of years. Here, Rabbi David A. Cooper shows newcomers and experienced meditators alike how Jewish meditation can be an integral part of daily life, and can refresh us in our day-to-day encounters with ourselves, other people, and in ritual, prayer, Torah study, and our celebration of the Sabbath and other holy days.




Twenty-Five Doors to Meditation


Book Description

An indispensable reference for individuals searching for the meditation technique that is best for them. Twenty-Five Doors to Meditation is the first guide to provide extensive, comprehensive, and detailed information about a variety of meditation methods. Together, William Bodri and Lee Shu-Mei make sense of the seemingly conflicting information that exists today regarding the path to spiritual enlightenment. Each meditation technique is fully described as is the interrelationship between the different paths to enlightenment. The authors show how Buddhist techniques can be explained through Taoist principles, Christian techniques through Hindu principles, and so on. Each meditation technique is designed to help you attain samadhi, the crux of spiritual development. The authors explore the scientific basis behind each technique, developmental stages of accomplishment, and each path’s effectiveness for entering samadhi. Especially useful is an extensive list of recommended references for the further study of individual techniques.




The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime


Book Description

"The Six Gates to the Sublime" is a classic Buddhist meditation instruction manual explaining the six practices crucial to success in traditional Indian Buddhist breath-focused meditation (anapana) and calming-and-insight meditation (samatha-vipasyana). Correctly implemented, these six "gates" lead the meditator to realization of the fourth of the four truths (cessation), of which the "sublimity" referenced in the title is one of the four canonically-described practice aspects. This classic was written by the sixth-century monk and meditation master, Shramana Zhiyi (Chih-i), one of the most illustrious figures in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Master Zhiyi is famous for his role in the founding of the Tiantai teachings lineage and for his authorship of a quartet of meditation manuals of which this is one. The translator of this volume is the American monk, Bhikshu Dharmamitra, a translator of numerous classic works from the Indian and Chinese Buddhist traditions.




Meditations from the Mat


Book Description

365 daily reflections offering a way to integrate the mindfulness that yoga teaches into everyday life, from the acclaimed yoga teacher, Rolf Gates who offers "a healthy way to find peace and a sense of coming home, day by day” (USA Today). As more and more people in the West pursue yoga in its various forms, whether at traditional centers, in the high-powered atmosphere of sports clubs, or on their own, they begin to realize that far from being just another exercise routine, yoga is a discipline of the body and the mind. Whether used in the morning to set the tone for the day, during yoga exercise itself, or at the end of the day, during evening reflection, the daily reflections in Meditations from the Mat will support and enhance anyone’s yoga journey.




The Passionate Jesus


Book Description

A fresh and moving portrait of Jesus as a model for how to live more authentic, honest and meaningful lives by fully experiencing our emotions in the love of God. Many depictions of Jesus show him as a character who coolly and calmly floats above the grit and grime of human existence. He doesn¿t hurt, he doesn¿t fear, he doesn¿t laugh, and most tragically, he doesn¿t love very passionately. He seems not to feel at all. But a closer look at the Bible reveals something surprisingly different. In this eye-opening spiritual study, Peter Wallace examines Jesus¿s actions rather than just his teachings to uncover a passionate figure who was involved, present, connected, honest and direct with others. He was one who was ¿deeply moved,¿ as the writer of John¿s gospel put it¿one who knew and embodied the emotions he felt and expressed them in honest, clear and life-giving ways. Through Wallace¿s deeply personal insights and compelling stories and examples, you will be encouraged to model this passionate Jesus by building personal authenticity in every area of your own life, particularly in your self-acceptance and self-expression, your relationships with others and, above all, your relationship with God.




Conversation--The Sacred Art


Book Description

Cultivate the potential for deeper connection in every conversation. "To think of conversation as a sacred art challenges us to imagine all the conversations in which we participate, from the acquaintance we run into at Target to the dialogue for which we've spent weeks in preparation, as a potentially sacred conversation." --from the Introduction We often find ourselves distracted and overwhelmed by a constant stream of information and demand for connectivity. Now more than ever, we need to develop our capacity for greater presence in our daily lives and relationships. One of the best ways to do this is by improving the quality of our conversations. Dr. Diane M. Millis offers us inspirational stories, insights and spiritual practices from many faith traditions to increase our awareness of the deep, natural holiness waiting to be unlocked in our everyday encounters. This resource is a catalyst for anyone who would like to enrich seemingly ordinary conversations as well as for leaders in educational, ministry and corporate settings who want to: Increase their capacity to listen deeply Become more self-aware and attentive to others Learn how to move beyond conventional topics to exploring purpose, meaning and values in conversation.




The Imitation of Christ


Book Description

This spiritual classic focuses the contemporary God-seeker on developing a vital connection with God by inviting the spirit of Jesus into our lives. Helpful commentary clarifies the work's biblical and medieval roots and its continuing significance today.