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Tantra-often associated with Kundalini Yoga-is a fundamental dimension of Hinduism, emphasizing the cultivation of "divine power" (shakti) as a path to infinite bliss. Tantra has been widely misunderstood in the West, however, where its practices are often confused with eroticism and licentious morality. Tantra: The Path of Ecstasy dispels many common misconceptions, providing an accessible introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of this extraordinary spiritual tradition. The Tantric teachings are geared toward the attainment of enlightenment as well as spiritual power and are present not only in Hinduism but also Jainism and Vajrayana Buddhism. In this book, Georg Feuerstein offers readers a clear understanding of authentic Tantra, as well as appropriate guidance for spiritual practice and the attainment of higher consciousness.

Build an integrated, deeply personal practice to cultivate transformation, self-trust, and awakening with insights and techniques from beloved teacher Sarah Powers.More than just physical poses on a mat, yoga can be a profound path of self-realization. Lit from Within encourages readers to pursue yoga in its fullness, examining conscious and unconscious habits, connecting to our inner landscapes, and freeing us to relate to ourselves and our world with a sacred outlook. Sarah Powers helps readers relate to five levels of our human experience--physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and interpersonal. Each section offers an opportunity for self-inquiry and practices to fuel our growth, including yin yoga, meditation, emotional intelligence exercises like creating connection with an inner critic, and interpersonal dynamics drawn from the Internal Family Systems approach. Learning to recognize, reflect on, and at times re-direct these different levels of experience adds a vital dimension to the practice. The book draws on Sarah''s many years of practice and teaching, influenced by the rich tapestries of yin yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, and psychology.In these challenging times, Lit from Within offers a path to health, wholeness, and connection--from the inside out.

Unlock your hidden potential with this practical and approachable introduction to self-directed inquiry--the main meditative practice of the Diamond Approach.Much like the ocean, each of us has inner depths: an entire world beneath the surface of everyday living pulsing with beauty, life, and mystery. The secret depths of our inner worlds are the very things that we spend our lives searching for: love, support, belonging, meaning, joy, and freedom. Through a contemplative practice known as diamond inquiry, you can begin to directly explore your conscious experience just like a diver exploring a reef. You'll discover wondrous treasures and terrifying sights alike, as well as infinite expanses, and limitless potential and freedom.Diamond inquiry combines the depth of meditation with the power of understanding and psychological insight. Guided by your own curiosity, you use a variety of questions to explore your present-moment experience as it unfolds, deepens, and transforms. This method was developed by A. H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach, though the practice is ideal for anyone who wants to explore their inner world. Dominic C. Liber introduces this powerful tool along with step-by-step exercises to develop your understanding. Through this simple yet profound practice, in time every situation will become a doorway to realizing and actualizing deep insight and transformation.

Becoming a mother is radical, powerful, shocking, redemptive, and ripe for insights. This journal is a tangible place to collect thoughts and images during the postpartum period, to help explore, work with, and record the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of each new mother's personal journey.This beautiful keepsake journal is a perfect place to be honest about the highs and lows of becoming a mother. As new mothers navigate the challenges, changes, emotional intensity, and personal growth possibilities of the postpartum period, The Fourth Trimester Journal is an invitation to anchor into the present moment and to spark inspiration and insight. It offers a structured way to record thoughts, feelings, and impressions, while also offering encouragement, grounding exercises, and warm, relatable advice to help support postpartum healing.With powerful artwork by Joanna Johnson and insights, prompts, and grounding meditations from Kimberly Ann Johnson, a certified Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, and bestselling author of the Fourth Trimester, this journal is a trustworthy companion as new mothers forge and walk the path of the mundane to the sacred all at the same time.

A revised and expanded edition of the definitive guide to the Diamond Approach, the modern contemplative practice that integrates psychology and spirituality and emphasizes the importance of self-inquiry. The Diamond Approach has been developed and taught over the last forty-five years by Hameed Ali, who is known chiefly by his pen name, A. H. Almaas. This book, the first to offer a full overview of the Diamond Approach, is now revised and expanded with a new foreword by Almaas, a new preface by the author, and a new chapter that explores the most recent developments in Almaas's teaching and practice methods. Author John Davis offers a rich, compelling introduction to the unique spiritual tradition that philosopher Ken Wilber recommends as "the most balanced of the widely available spiritual psychologies/therapies." Influenced by ancient traditions such as Sufism and Buddhism as well as by modern psychology, the Diamond Approach is particularly well-suited to twenty-first century seekers who embrace both spirituality and science. Beginning with an account of his own work with the Diamond Approach, Davis proceeds to outline the tradition's central practice of Inquiry, a form of open-ended exploration of present-moment experience akin to mindfulness practice. From there, he launches readers into an exploration of metaphysical concepts such as soul, space, Essence, self-realization, and the dimensions of Being. Complex yet concise, profound yet accessible, The Diamond Approach offers readers bold new perspectives on reality and human potential.

This book is a translation of the second part of a commentary on the Treasury of Precious Qualities, the most celebrated work of Jigme Lingpa (1730–1798), one of the most important figures in the Nyingma lineage. In a slender volume of elegant verse, this root text (new in this revised edition) presents the entire Buddhist path according to the Nyingma school. Because it is so concise and makes use of elaborate poetic language, the commentary is indispensable.

Eminent yoga teachers Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor explore essential lessons from The Bhagavad Gita to reveal a practical guide for living in today''s complex world.The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most influential and widely recognized ancient texts in Indian epic literature. Through the telling of the story and traditional philosophical teachings, the text provides deep insight into how to meet life''s inevitable challenges while remaining open, clear, and compassionate. It offers modern day wisdom seekers a framework for understanding our essence--who we are and our core beliefs--revealing the fact that healthy relationships to others and the world are essential to living a full, compassionate, balanced life. Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, both deeply respected yogic teachers, offer a practical, immediately relevant interpretation that emphasizes self-reflection and waking up in our modern world.Following the traditional sequence of teachings in The Bhagavad Gita, from its opening scene in which Arjuna finds himself hesitating in the middle of the battlefield of dharma and action through the various paths he might choose in the process of awakening, Freeman and Taylor interweave insight into how these classic teachings are relevant for modern readers struggling with what it means to live responsibly in the twenty-first century. With quotes, citations, and a full translation of the original text, they look at the overall arc of the The Bhagavad Gita''s teachings and how that relates to the turmoil that arises, not only for Arjuna, but for any of us in the face of crises of conscience, spirit, and form. Exploring the essential themes such as love, wisdom, and karma, and by offering embodiment exercises to apply the teachings, When Love Comes to Light guides readers in the step-by-step process of waking up their intelligence and finding a path toward compassionate action.

A collection of essential instructions on the practice of Dzogchen, or The Great Perfection, from one of the great early 20th century Buddhist masters.Shechen Gyaltsap (1871-1926) was widely recognized as one of the greatest meditation masters and most compassionate bodhisattvas in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. He lived a life of complete devotion and commitment to monastic discipline and study, and became the root teacher of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who said of Shechen Gyaltsap's teachings that they were "worth more than all the gold in the entire world."This collection, intended for the advanced Buddhist practitioner who has received initiation from a qualified master, provides the essential instructions of Dzogchen, or Great Perfection, practice. Written with a clear simplicity that belies their profundity, the teachings give practical and pointed advice on how students should meditate and behave in ordinary life. The work begins with an extensive reflection on the problem of self-clinging and the analytical meditation designed to uproot it, and proceeds to more specific instructions for the mind practice itself.

A respected teacher presents the core and essential wisdom of Tibet and shows us the possibilities of "enlightenment in this present life" through the meditative practice of Pure Awareness. Perhaps the most precious teaching Tibet has to offer the modern world is the practice of meditation. Reginald Ray presents the essence of this tradition through the somatic practice of Pure Awareness—a unique kind of meditation that is thoroughly grounded in the body and in ordinary experience. This fundamentally transformative practice offers the possibility of enlightenment in this present life and invites us into the immensely powerful journey that Tibetan tantric spirituality has to offer. Includes a link to a free download of audio meditations.

Eat your way to increased energy, balanced emotions, and an overall state of calm and relaxation. In Ayurvedic medicine there are said to be three main energies that affect our mind: • sattva, the state of contentment and calm; • rajas, the state of reactivity and excitability; and • tamas, the dull, slow, and stagnant state of mind.The good news is that there are direct ways of bringing these states into balance through what we eat. The recipes in this book are simple, seasonal, and delicious, while bringing the traditional foods of Ayurveda into the modern kitchen.Everyday Ayurveda Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind uncovers the true potential of food to heal not only our bodies, but our minds too.

Turn food from foe to friend with this bestselling guide to developing healthy eating habits through mindfulness-from a Zen teacher Food. It should be one of life's great pleasures, yet many of us have such a conflicted relationship with it that we miss out on that most basic of satisfactions. But it is possible-and not really all that difficult-to reclaim the joy of eating, according to Dr. Jan Bays. Mindfulness is the key. Her approach involves bringing one's full attention to the process of eating-to all the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings that arise during a meal. She shows you how to: · Tune into your body's own wisdom about what, when, and how much to eat · Eat less while feeling fully satisfied · Identify your habits and patterns with food · Develop a more compassionate attitude toward your struggles with eating · Discover what you're really hungry for Whether you are overweight, suffer from an eating disorder, or just want to get more out of life, this book offers a simple tool that can transform your relationship with food into one of ease and delight. This new edition, updated throughout, contains a new chapter on how to provide children with a foundation in mindful eating that will serve them well all the rest of their lives. It also includes a link to a 75-minute on-line audio program of mindful eating exercises led by the author.

Whimsical, beautiful embroidery motifs created by an avid gardener-stitch roses, bees, or whole garden scenes.Kazuko Aoki has a unique talent for translating the beauty of the garden with needle and thread. By offering forty motifs, Aoki invites us to explore her gardens through embroidery. The forty motifs explore the roses and wildflowers that appear season to season, as well as the bees and butterflies that enjoy their nectar. The designs here are exquisite, detailed, and artfullly rendered. Beyond the motifs themselves, Aoki also presents projects that feature the embroidery: brooches, notebook covers, pin cushions, and pouches. For those new to embroidery, detailed how-to illustrations are included.

A whimsical field guide to embroidered flowers. Working through a full growing season, from spring to autumn, the sixty-three flower varieties presented here offer a full garden of cherished blooms. From pansies and lilies-of-the-valley to poppies, zinnias, and campanulas, the flowers presented here feature buds, blooms, and roots in stunning detail and charming color combinations. As an avid gardener and seasoned embroiderer, Kazuko Aoki presents a beautiful blending of her twin passions through designs that are clearly rendered with an appreciation for intricacies and a delight in the subject. With artistic photographs, clear step-by-step instructions, and detailed diagrams, Embroidered Garden Flowers is a treasure trove that can be enjoyed by novice and experienced sewers alike.

A user's guide to intermediate-level practice of Ashtanga Yoga, from the dynamic yoga teacher Kino MacGregorIn her first book, Kino MacGregor introduced readers to Ashtanga Yoga, a popular and athletic type of yoga developed by her mentor, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Now, she returns with this informative follow-up to present and explain the Second-or Intermediate-Series to practitioners who wish to take their practice to the next level. MacGregor provides step-by-step instructions and covers the key aspects of the practice, including: · The basics of Ashtanga Yoga philosophy· Essential background information on the Intermediate Series· How to know when you are ready to take on this next stage of practice· The purification aspects of the practice· The pranayama techniques associated with the practice· And more With over 250 photographs, this solid and engaging entrée into intermediate-level practice is a wonderful resource for both practitioners and teachers.

A classic collection of writings on the meditation practice and theory of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, by the celebrated fourteenth-century scholar and adept Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa). This classic collection of texts on the meditation practice and theory of Dzogchen presents the Great Perfection through the writings of its supreme authority, the fourteenth-century Tibetan scholar and visionary Longchen Rabjam. The pinnacle of Vajrayana practice in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Dzogchen embodies a system of training that awakens the intrinsic nature of the mind to reveal its original essence, utterly perfect and free from all duality-buddha nature, or buddhahood itself.In The Practice of Dzogchen, Tulku Thondup translates essential passages from Longchen Rabjam's voluminous writings to illuminate and clarify this teaching. He also draws on the works of later masters of the tradition, placing Dzogchen in context both in relation to other schools of Buddhism and in relation to the nine-vehicle outline of the Buddhist path described in the Nyingma tradition. This expanded edition includes Counsel for Liberation, Longchenpa's poetic exhortation to readers to quickly enter the path of liberation, the first step toward the summit of Dzogchen practice.

Coiled like a snake at the base of the spine, kundalini is the spiritual force that lies dormant in every human being. Once awakened, often through meditation and yoga practices, it rises up the spine and finds expression in the form of spiritual knowledge, mystical vision, psychic powers, and ultimately, enlightenment. This is the classic first-person account of Gopi Krishna, an ordinary Indian householder who, at the age of thirty-four, after years of unsupervised meditation, suddenly experienced the awakening of kundalini during his morning practice. The story of this transformative experience, and the author's struggle to find balance amid a variety of powerful physiological and psychic side effects, forms the core of the book. His detailed descriptions of his dramatic inner experiences and symptoms such as mood swings, eating disorders, and agonizing sensations of heat-and of how, with the help of his wife, he finally stabilized at a higher level of consciousness-make this one of the most valuable classics of spiritual awakening available.

An experience of the fragility of conventional images of masculinity is something many modern men share. Psychoanalyst Guy Corneau traces this experience to an even deeper feeling men have of their fathers' silence or absence—sometimes literal, but especially emotional and spiritual. Why is this feeling so profound in the lives of the postwar "baby boom" generation—men who are now approaching middle age? Because, he says, this generation marks a critical phase in the loss of the masculine initiation rituals that in the past ensured a boy's passage into manhood. In his engaging examination of the many different ways this missing link manifests in men's lives, Corneau shows that, for men today, regaining the essential "second birth" into manhood lies in gaining the ability to be a father to themselves—not only as a means of healing psychological pain, but as a necessary step in the process of becoming whole.

"My heart wandered through the world constantly seeking after my cure, but the sweet and delicious water of life had to break through the granite of my heart." When the words of Rumi enter your heart, something softens, breaks, and is subtly reborn. That he wrote the words seven hundred years ago in a medieval Persian world that bears little resemblance to ours makes their uncanny resonance to us today just that much more remarkable. Here is a treasury of daily wisdom from this most beloved of all the Sufi masters-both his prose and his ecstatic poetry-that you can use to start every day for a year, or that you can dip into for inspiration any time you need to break through the granite of your heart.

The classic bread making bible, a favorite among renowned chefs and novice bakers alike, now updated for a new generation First published in 1970, this indispensable bread making guide is the perfect book for new bakers building their skills or for those looking to expand their repertoire. In this deluxe edition, the same gentle, clear instructions and wonderful recipes created by the then-head cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in CA are now presented in a new paperback format with an updated interior design. Edward Espe Brown's easy-to-follow instructions for a variety of yeasted breads, sourdough breads, quick breads, pastries, and desserts will teach you about the baking process and turn you into a bread making expert. "I consider The Tassajara Bread Book to have been a major influence not just on my cooking and baking, but on my attitude and philosophy about food in general."-Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook"This little book has long been a guide for those who want to bake but don't know where to begin."-Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone"I feel a special fondness for this book, which helped launch me on my way to baking bread."-Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything"Like thousands of cooks of my generation, I have in my kitchen an ancient volume of The Tassajara Bread Book, its cover gritty with flour, its spine cracked from use, its pages stained with molasses, and dog-eared with decades of perusal."-Steve Raichlen, author of The Barbeque Bible

If you put aside what you think you know about Jesus and approach the Gospels as though for the first time, something remarkable happens: Jesus emerges as a teacher of the transformation of consciousness. Cynthia Bourgeault is a masterful guide to Jesus's vision and to the traditional contemplative practices you can use to experience the heart of his teachings for yourself.

The keys to self-knowledge and deep contentment  are right here before us in this very moment—if we can simply learn to live with open awareness. In The Unfolding Now, A. H. Almaas presents a marvelously effective practice for developing the transformative quality of presence. Through a particular method of self-observation and contemplative exploration that he calls inquiry, we learn to live in the relaxed condition  of simply "being ourselves," without interference from feelings of inadequacy, drivenness toward goals, struggling to figure things out, and rejecting experiences we don''t want. Almaas explores the many obstacles  that keep us from being present—including defensiveness, ignorance, desire, aggression, and self-hatred—and shows us how to welcome with curiosity and compassion whatever we are experiencing.