The Posture of Meditation | Free Book
When it comes to meditation practices, the body is as important as the mind—a fact that may come as a surprise to the many people who regard meditation as a strictly mental activity. But, as Will Johnson shows, the physical aspect of the practice is far too often underemphasized. The alert-yet-relaxed sitting posture that is the common denominator of so many meditative techniques is a wonderful aid for clearing the mind and opening the heart, but it also works to activate the natural healing energies of both body and mind.
In this essential guidebook, Will Johnson shows how meditation, too often misunderstood as a mental practice, can be immeasurably enriched through an embodied approach. The Posture of Meditation features a range of simple practices based on the principles of alignment, relaxation, and resilience. This classic book—now with a new section detailing the transformative power of the path of somatic meditation—has helped thousands of people to begin their meditation practice, to refine it, and to experience depths they never thought possible.
In The Press
“When Will Johnson first offered The Posture of Meditation in
1996, meditation posture was widely seen as a relatively unimportant,
somewhat peripheral aspect of one’s practice. This book changed all
that, and, over the course of the next 25 years, Johnson convinced
more and more practitioners that without the three somatic
foundations—alignment, relaxation, and resilience—meditation can’t go
anywhere. With those three fundaments, it can and does go everywhere,
right up to realization. And it doesn’t matter what your meditative
tradition is. Johnson’s book has deeply influenced several generations
of meditators and meditation teachers. He has changed the
conversation. He has been a bright light in the darkness of the
disembodied—as he says, the ‘somatophobic’—spirituality of our times.
Hence, the reissuing of his groundbreaking work must be a source of
delight and joy for all who practice and teach meditation.”—Reggie
Ray, author of Somatic Descent and
The Awakening Body
“Finally, after years in the shadows, the somatic turn is
revolutionizing modern Buddhism. Will Johnson, with the gentleness and
clarity of a master meditator, leads us home to the body where the
wakefulness we have been seeking awaits.
The Posture of Meditation, a true classic, demonstrates how
body and breath are our true spiritual home, how the simplest of
practices ground, enliven, and free you. This path of somatic dharma
will not only transform your mindfulness practice—it may well change
your life.”—Willa Miller, author of Everyday Dharma
“Instantly enriching and insightful. Will offers a refreshing
exploration of the body’s central role in the path of transformation.
Filled with ‘a-ha’ moments, this book breathes new life into the core
concepts and philosophical underpinnings of meditation. Anyone
desiring deeper clarity in their practice and life would benefit from
reading this.”—Ralph De La Rosa, author of
The Monkey Is the Messenger and
Don’t Tell Me to Relax
“Will Johnson’s much-welcomed second edition to his classic book,
The Posture of Meditation, is a poetic and powerful declaration
of the centrality of bodily experience in our task of waking up. Going
thoroughly through and then beyond the important physicalities of
sitting practice, Johnson deftly shows us how sensation and movement
can be our primary delivery systems of resilience, quiescence, and
profound presence. He calls this somatic dharma, and it is
indeed a powerful teaching. He simply and clearly reveals the ways in
which our physical aliveness—our being with our ongoing shimmering
sensations and amoeba-like movements—carries us into awakened states
of mind. This in turn helps us to experience a ‘felt union with all.’
Once again, a classic is born.”—Christine Caldwell, author of
Bodyfulness and Getting Our Bodies Back
“Spiritual awakening is not an escape from the human body, but rather
a conscious surrender into the experience of being fully human. Will
Johnson understands the vital importance of humanity realizing its
true nature as living form, living embodiment.”—Robert K. Hall, MD,
cofounder of the Lomi Foundation
- Title: The Posture of Meditation | Free Book
- Author: Steven
- Created at : 2024-10-25 00:38:51
- Updated at : 2024-10-26 17:18:15
- Link: https://novels-ebooks.techidaily.com/209966774-9780834842915-the-posture-of-meditation/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.