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The American Meditation Institute's Self-Care Program for a Happy, Healthy, Joyful Life The Heart and Science of Yoga® (2nd Edition - Revised and Expanded) is both the record of a personal journey and a transformational teaching. You'll find easy-to-learn meditations, prayers, teaching stories from the world's great spiritual traditions, breathing practices, a user's guide for the mind, techniques for accessing intuitive wisdom, an introduction to ancient Ayurvedic health principles and a holistic program of easy, gentle exercise. Whether you are a beginner or a long-time student, Leonard provides loving support and valuable insights to advance your understanding, deepen your practice and nurture your Self-transformation. The Heart and Science of Yoga® is the perfect companion and guide on the greatest adventure you will ever have -- your personal journey to a happy, healthy and joyful life.
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The Key to Unlock Limitless Wisdom and Creativity and Solve All of Life's Challenges by Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) Your Conscience is a clear, concise, and logical introduction to how your mind works. This short, powerful book is the perfect entry point for readers who want to live a more fulfilling and healthy life. Using everyday language, Your Conscience illuminates the truth that the wisdom and creativity we seek is already within us. We just need the right tools to access it. Your Conscience presents a simple explanation of The Four Functions of the Mind: senses, ego, unconscious, and the Conscience. Readers are taught how, and why, to coordinate these four functions to live the joyful life we all long for. By employing this practical knowledge, readers can realize immediate benefits through simple, empowering experiments offered at the end of the book. These include food choices, focusing attention, easy breathing exercises, preparing for sleep, telling the truth, and strengthening relationships: experiments that teach beginners how to rely on the Conscience for every decision, in every relationship. Wisdom, creativity, love, joy, and good health will inevitably follow. This timely book describes our Conscience as the key to unlock our own brilliant insight. No one is excluded from the fulfillment of this promise. We only need the guidance of a loving teacher. Leonard Perlmutter is that teacher, and he has offered each of us a very practical gift through Your Conscience.
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To understand death, a person must try to understand the purpose of life and the relationship between life and death. The two are partners, each providing a context for the other. Death is not a period, but merely a pause on a long journey. When life and death are accepted as having real meaning and purpose, and death is understood and accepted as part of the human journey, then the fear of death disappears and life can be lived fully. This book is about the relationship between life and death, and the 'how and why' of organizing one's life in a way that leads to expansion and growth, and that is helpful in preparing for the transition we call death.
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The Bhagavad Gita is the fountainhead of Eastern psychology, and this new, authoritative translation and commentary is designed to draw out the psychological concepts of this immortal text and make them accesible to all students. The author focuses on the relevance of these principles to today's world and explains their practical application in daily life. The author shows how each of the eighteen chapters of the Bhagavad Gita constitutes a separate lesson in truth and life. Each chapter describes a different aspect of the process of Self-realization, and the practices themselves progress toward the goal of life.
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Easwaran takes one of India's classic wisdom texts, the Katha Upanishad, and explains how it embraces all the key ideas of Indian spirituality within the context of a powerful mythic quest - the story of a young hero who ventures into the land of death in search of immortality. Illustrating the insights of the Katha through analogies and everyday examples, Easwaran shows how these ancient teachings help us gain a deeper understanding of our world and ourselves today.
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Getting caught in unwanted thoughts and emotions can feel like an inevitable part of life. But Eknath Easwaran, a world-famous spiritual teacher who taught meditation for nearly 40 years, shows a way to break free. Just as a fitness routine can result in a strong, supple body, spiritual disciplines can shape a secure personality and a resilient, loving mind. Best of all, these opportunities to grow stronger spiritually arise not only during meditation but throughout the day. Whether working with difficult colleagues, going out to eat, or responding to a child’s needs, readers learn how to try out different, wiser choices. With humor and empathy, Easwaran places timeless teachings from the Buddha and other mystics into contemporary scenes — watching a juggler on the street, taking a tennis lesson, going to the theater. Training the mind is life’s biggest adventure, and Conquest of Mind shows how this practice brings deepening relationships, increasing vitality, and a greater sense of purpose.
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Chosen for their universal spiritual appeal, literary merit, and recognized wisdom, these selections are perfect subjects for meditation and daily inspirational reading. Drawing from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Native American sacred literature, this expanded third edition serves as a useful reference and guide to world mysticism. Included are Easwaran's criteria for choosing personally transformative passages, tips on memorization, and suggestions for further reading.
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This warmly encouraging collection of daily readings offers immediate inspiration for readers seeking a more spiritually grounded lifestyle. Each reading is based on a quotation from one of the world’s great philosophers, poets, saints, and sages. Augustine and Einstein, Emily Dickinson and Jalaladdin Rumi, Biblical verses, Buddhist sutras, Hasidic proverbs, and Hindu Upanishads can all be found here. Each quote is accompanied by a commentary from Easwaran, explaining how the wisdom of the ages can help us here and now. Some days offer gentle reminders to slow down and be mindful. Other days give advice for changing an unwanted habit, mending a relationship, staying strong in hard times, or striving toward the peaks of spirituality described in all religions. This is a book to read in the morning to start the day right, or at night to prepare for peaceful rest. Each day, each year, brings fresh insights and inspiration.
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Out of stockA daily guide for navigating life’s challenges, 365 Prescriptions for the Soul offers bite-sized insights with Dr. Siegel’s unique blend of heart-touching humor and wisdom. Each entry introduces a topic accompanied by an inspirational quote and a “Solution of the Day.” Designed to fit into a busy schedule, the meditations are also easy to understand. They can help create a sense of well-being by pointing the way to more peaceful, loving, and conscious living. As Siegel summarizes: “What heals the soul, heals the mind and body as well.”
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Out of stockSwami Rama covers the entire philosophy of life in these lectures. It teaches the individual how to understand one word and that is called freedom—freedom from all bondages, from all ignorance. That state which is free from stress, strain, bondage and ignorance is called the state of enlightenment and that can be considered to be the state of perfection.
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Out of stockDr. Theodore Baroody shows how excess acids in the small intestines can negatively affect that vital organ. It will give readers a clear understanding of how alkalizing our body tissues can boost overall health and the health of specific areas of our body. Eating alkaline forming foods is a solution to the problem of excess tissue acids, but drinking alkaline water produced by any of our quality Alkaline water ionizers is a more simple and effective way flushing out acid waste from our body.
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Anatomy of Hatha Yoga—revised and updated with full color illustrations and photos—is the most comprehensive and authoritative work available correlating the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. It is a must-have for anyone who is serious about studying or teaching yoga, and an invaluable resource for anyone in a field relating to physical conditioning. The author holds a PhD in Anatomy and was a sought-after professor, teacher and yoga practitioner for over thirty years.
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At the Feet of a Himalayan Master unfolds the secrets of personal sadhana and direct contact with a great guru that are rare to find in any published literature, and with contemporary and western disciples facing the modern world and all of its limitations. The book helps us understand the many facets and real nature of genuine spiritual practice in the Himalayan tradition and how it can transform the mind and heart.
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One of the world’s most acclaimed spiritual classics. As the life story of Paramahansa Yogananda- who is often referred to as the Father of Yoga in the West- the book has touched the hearts and minds of millions around the globe. Translated into many languages, it has served as an ambassador for India’s ancient science of yoga, introducing countless readers to the methods for attaining God-realization that are India’s unique and lasting contribution to the world civilization.
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Ayurveda and the Mind is perhaps the first book published in the West that explores specifically the psychological aspect of this great system. The book explores how to heal our minds on all levels from the subconscious to the superconscious, along with the role of diet, impressions, mantra, meditation, yoga and many other methods to create wholeness. Dr. Frawley has once again demonstrated his unique talent of digesting ancient Vedic knowledge and feeding us this understanding which nourishes our body, mind and soul.
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Ayurveda Secrets of Healing is the most complete offering of the original cleansing and rejuvenative therapies of Pancha Karma, first taught and practiced by the ancient Vedic seers. In this definitive work, Maya Tiwari is the first author to reveal this sophisticated and timeless healing process in a way which is both comprehensive and readily adaptable to modern western culture. This book .." will be of immense value to health professionals as well as those who are interested in healing themselves," says Dr. Deepak Chopra, M.D.
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For the first time a book is available which clearly explains the principles and practical applications of Ayurveda, the oldest healing system in the world. This beautifully illustrated text thoroughly explains history & philosophy, basic principles, diagnostic techniques, treatment, diet, medicinal usage of kitchen herbs & spices, first aid, food aid, food antidotes and much more.
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Ayurvedic Healing presents the Ayurvedic treatment of common diseases, covering over eighty different ailments from the common cold to cancer. It provides a full range of treatment methods including diet, herbs, oils, gems, mantra and meditation. The book also shows the appropriate life-style practices and daily health considerations for your unique mind-body type both as an aid to disease treatment and for disease prevention. This extraordinary book is a complete manual of Ayurvedic health care that offers the wisdom of this ancient system of mind-body medicine to the modern reader relative to our special health concerns today. The present edition is a revised and expanded version of the original 1989 edition, covering additional diseases and adding new treatments.
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Vivid literature, lofty philosophy -- the Bhagavad Gita distills the finest in India's vast and varied culture On the morning of battle, facing Armageddon, prince Arjuna loses his nerve and refuses to fight. Krishna knows better: "Your very nature will drive you to fight. Your only choice is what to fight against." His advice gives an inspiring model of the man or woman of action -- the person who aims at goodness in a world of conflict and change. In this translation, the Gita stands out as a book of choices -- direct, practical, universal. The introduction sketches the background of the poem and gives clear, contemporary explanations of the basic ideas of Indian philosophy: karma, reincarnation, yoga, freedom. Separate chapter introductions outline the drama as it unfolds.In the Bhagavad Gita, Prince Arjuna asks direct, uncompromising questions of his spiritual guide on the eve of a great battle.In this best-selling and expanded edition of the most famous --and popular -- of Indian scriptures, Eknath Easwaran contextualizes the book culturally and historically and explains the key concepts of Hindu religious thought and the technical vocabulary of yoga. Chapter introductions, notes, and a glossary help readers understand the book's message. Most importantly, this translation uses simple, clear language to impart the poetry, universality, and timelessness of the Gita's teachings.
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This book gives a glimpse and creates a provocative atmosphere for the intelligent and learned so that they will begin studying their inclination to follow a particular path, and so that they don't waste time and energy in the prevailing confusion of our times, but choose a definite path for themselves. The younger generation today is longing to seek something new and fresh, but it is torn by the conflicts created by guilt and fear. With these views in mind and to serve the needs of the aspirants and free-thinkers, I present this book.
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Sixteen lively essays illuminate different aspects of the spiritual journey. The introduction presents the author as a “travel agent” on a journey to the spiritual world within us. The essays are metaphorical travel brochures, invitations to take the plunge into self-discovery through the adventure of meditation. Edited from his extemporaneous talks, this inspiring collection of essays gives the flavor of hearing this great spiritual teacher and storyteller in person. Easwaran successfully combines his Eastern and Western wisdom, which includes a thorough knowledge of English literature, into an eight-point program usable by followers of all religious traditions.
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Swami Nijananda's Commentary on Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence Volume I, by Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, is the first volume of lectures to be published. Many of his students felt these lectures were of value to them long after the lecture series ended. This volume explains and illuminates the essential message of Christianity. "In every circumstance, without exception," says Swami Nijananda, surrender to the Lord is the crucial thing...It is your task to harmonize yourself with what the Lord has ordained and not the other way around." This book provides the guidance to orient oneself spiritually in any situation the world presents, however tragic.
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This second volume of Swami Nijananda's Commentary on Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence, is a reflection on the writings of Blessed Claude de la Colombiere, S.J.. This volume continues the discussion of the belief that "nothing happens to us in life unless God wills it so." Swami Nijananda leads an illustrious discussion of a process that turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
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This is a practical book for people living in the world. The word "practical" implies that the teaching can be practiced in the world, in the midst of family, career and social obligations. No prior preparation is required for reading this book, and after reading this book, no further teaching is required. If one were to sincerely practice the teachings presented by Sri Swami Rama in this book, one will surely achieve the goal of self realization, a state described by Swamiji as the summum bonum of life, a state of bliss, a state of perfection.
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This book takes us along on a search for the feminine face of God. We travel with Linda Johnsen for a fascinating investigation of the great women saints of India who manifest the divine in their lives. Together with her we comb the scriptures, meet the holy ones, and are led, step by step, to sit in awe at the feet of six remarkable, contemporary women.
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An English-language book originally published in 1986. It contains Easwaran's translation of the Dhammapada, a Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. The book also contains a substantial overall introduction of about 70 pages,[2] as well as introductory notes to each of the Dhammapada's 26 chapters.
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Out of stockA Duet of One is a translation and interpretation of the most touchingly beautiful of all the Advaitic texts. It provides us with an illuminating and in-depth look at the nature of duality and dualism. In this book Ramesh reveals himself as a spiritual Master for the modern age. His insightful commentary unlocks the beauty and the mystery in this ancient text. He points us to the Understanding that is the true nature of us all.
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In this collection of first-person accounts, doctor and author Siegel (Love, Medicine, and Miracles) brings together almost three dozen cancer patients (or close relations of) to share their stories and the lessons they've learned. Many entries tackle the moment of diagnosis (the first, from survivor Angela Passidomo Trafford, opens with the line, "How many times do I have to have cancer?!"), while others pick up at the moment the diagnosis first hits home; still others focus on the end, like Ann Martin Bowler, whose sick brother passed days after a reinvigorating near-death experience. Lynn Zeller contributes a list of the "eight practices" she discovered through cancer that have led to a "wonderfully expanded experience of life" (including a focus on gratitude, mindfulness, and the idea that the universe "is in a conspiracy for my good"); Edwina Ford focuses on her afflicted husband's admiration, and efforts on behalf, of Lance Armstrong's post-surgery Tour de France comeback. For each piece, Siegel provides a reflection and a moral ("Life's difficulties are what teach us to grow") that clarify and encourage. Anyone struggling with cancer will find many relatable voices and, in Siegel, a compassionate expert commentator.
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In The Warrior Sage, Dr. Phil Nuernberger carefully examines the conventional theories, revered dogmas, and cultural formats regarding the human potential that are held in high regard by scientists, religionists, the business realm, and the public. Leaving no major paradigm unexamined, he illustrates the inadequacy of our cultural biases that have held society in its throes and provoked the social conditions that face us today. Then he offers a new idea.
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Out of stock"Stress is not a necessary part of life", says Dr. Phil Nuernberger. Stress arises when we let fear and self-doubt control our thoughts and actions. He then shows us how to take charge of the powers of our mind, addresses the roots of our fears, and offers real, workable solutions to the epidemic of stress in the world today.
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This splendid, updated version of an earlier collection offers 22 essays, written mostly by women and by a few men from diverse religious traditions and professional specialities, that explore connections between spirituality and a wide variety of other topics: self-image, health, nature, psychology, freedom, sex, relationships, marriage, motherhood, food, creativity, art, scriptures, prophecy, prayer, renunciation, and suffering. The essays, updated by the authors and including eight that are brand new, are exploratory, thought-provoking, and inspiring.
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Out of stockThe Sermon on the Mount represents the essence of both Christ's teachings and the teachings of Vedanta. Christ said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The kingdom of God is within. Be ye perfect.... Theologians are apt to explain away these teachings, but we believe Christ meant exactly what he said. Read in this book how Vedanta goes to the heart of Christ's teachings.
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Out of stockIt's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, "the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death." Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment.
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A decade ago, Deepak Chopra, M.D., wrote Perfect Health, the first practical guide to harnessing the healing power of the mind, which became a national bestseller. The book described how breakthroughs in physics and medicine were underscoring the validity of a 5,000-year-old medical system from ancient India known as Ayurveda ("the knowledge of life span" in Sanskrit). Perfect Health went on to describe how to apply the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to everyday life. In celebration of this classic work we have created this new edition, revised and updated to include the latest medical research. Although we experience our bodies as solid, they are in fact more like fires that are constantly being consumed and renewed. We grow new stomach linings every five days, for instance. Our skin is new every five weeks. Each year, fully 98 percent of the total number of atoms in our bodies is replaced. Ayurveda gives us the tools to intervene at this quantum level, where we are being created anew each day. Ayurveda tells us that freedom from sickness depends on contacting our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body. Perfect Health provides a complete step-by-step program of mind body medicine tailored to individual needs. A quiz identifies the reader's mind body type: thin, restless Vata; enterprising, efficient Pitta; tranquil, steady Kapha; or any combination of these three. This body type becomes the basis for a specific Ayurvedic program of diet, stress reduction, neuromuscular integration, exercise, and daily routines. The result is a total plan, tailor-made for each individual, to reestablish the body's essential balance with nature; to strengthen the mind body connection; and to use the power of quantum healing to transcend the ordinary limitations of disease and aging--in short, for achieving Perfect Health.
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In classic of patient empowerment, Peace, Love & Healing offered the revolutionary message that we have an innate ability to heal ourselves. Now proven by numerous scientific studies, the connection between our minds and our bodies has been increasingly accepted as fact throughout the mainstream medical community. In a new introduction, Dr. Bernie Siegel highlights current research on the relationships among consciousness, psychosocial factors, attitude and immune function.
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The Rig Veda is not only one of the oldest sacred scriptures of the world, but also one of the most misunderstood. Past scholarship has dismissed the hymns of the Rig Veda as being expressions of a primitive animistic mentality that only rarely rose to true spiritual and philosophical heights. David Frawley's book demonstrates that this judgmental view is ill-founded. His fine renderings of select Vedic hymns bear witness to the fact that their composers were sages and seers--powerful poets who knew the art of symbolic and metaphoric communication. The Vedic hymns give us a unique glimpse not into a primitive mentality but a mentality and culture that revolved around the highest spirtual values and visions. This is an important and riveting book, ushering in a new and sounder tradition of Vedic interpretation and scholarship.
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Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses is an excellent introduction to the essence of Hindu Tantrism. The author discusses all the major concepts and offers valuable corrections for many existing misconceptions. He also introduces the reader to the core Tantric practices of meditation and mantra recitation, focusing on the ten Wisdom Goddesses" states Georg Feuerstein.
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Out of stockJohnsen offers guidance on meditation revealing the intense mental absorption required. Shows the reader the enlightenment to be found through meditation.
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Out of stockThis very readable, yet scholarly book, takes us to the temples, jungles, and cities of India to reveal a continuous stream of Goddess spiritualitythat is unbroken for most of human history. "The Living Goddess" also offers a vision of what our own Goddess heritage in the West must have been, revealing how much we lost when humans turned away from the Divine Female.
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Kirtan has recently arrived in the West, carried by brilliant singers and musicians, creating a new musical movement that turned yogic chanting into a cultural phenomenon. This book interviews eight of America s top Kirtan singers, Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Bhagavan Das, Snatam Kaur, Ragani, Jai Uttal, Dave Stringer, Wah.
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Out of stockThe present volume provides a learned commentary on the second chapter of the Yoga-Sutra. From a traditional perspective, it is as original, broad, bold, and awe inspiring a commentary as Vijnanabhikshu's 16th century Yoga-Varttika. The second chapter of the Yoga-sutra contains the core of Patanjali's philosophical and metapsychological framework, and it also defines both the components of kriya-yoga and the first five components of the eight limbed Ashtanga-Yoga.
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Out of stockA newly revised an expanded version of a popular an unique work, this extraordinarily valuable introduction discussion of the philosophy of hath yoga is indispensable to any student of yoga. This clear and easy to follow exposition views hatha within the framework of raja yoga, the yoga of eight complements, as promulgated by Pantanjali, the author of Yoga Sutras, the most authoritative text on the science of yoga. Hatha should not be merely a system of physical exercise: this work emphasizes the paramount role that the mind plays in hatha yoga, and demonstrates how to elevate the practices of hatha to an inner spiritual experience. This study outlines how the practice of hatha yoga can serve as a means to understand the subtler essences of mind and prana and to prepare for meditation and the awakening of the kundalini force.
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Out of stockThis scholarly, insightful work integrates history and philosophical wisdom to span the gap between life and death. The inspiring examples cited from various cultural traditions draw us away from preoccupation with our own mortality and toward a deeper enjoyment of the life process itself. For those who are touched by the realism of death, this books bids us to look for the purpose in its lesson.
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For the first time the science of mantra is made understandable for the modern Western reader. The most common misconceptions regarding meditation and the use of mantra are explained clearly and often humorously. This comprehensive book covers the science of mantra from all angles, including linguistics, history, psychology, science, philosophy, and religion
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Among the oldest of India's spiritual texts, the Upanishads are records of intensive question-and-answer sessions given by illumined sages to their students. Widely featured in philosophy courses, the Upanishads have puzzled and inspired wisdom seekers from Yeats to Schopenhauer. Eknath Easwaran makes this challenging text more accessible by selecting the passages most relevant to readers seeking timeless truths today. His best-selling, accessible, highly readable translation and lively foreword place the teachings in a contemporary context for students and general readers alike.
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Out of stockIn each piece, Eknath Easwaran selects one of India's traditional thousand names of God and shows its universal significance: that these are not only names of God, but also aspects of the spark of divinity within us.
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As we learn to rejoice in “Lord God, thou holy lover of my soul,” we begin to glimpse the transformative power of divine love in our lives. In this anecdotal, warm, and intensely practical commentary on Thomas a Kempis’s Imitation of Christ, Easwaran examines this enduring Christian passage line by line to show us what love is and how to overcome obstacles to loving more fully.
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Using exhilarating quotes from numerous Christian mystics, Easwaran focuses on the idea of "original goodness," the spark of divinity that is every individual's birthright, regardless of personal assets or liabilities. The spiritual resources everyone needs love, compassion, meaning, hope, freedom from fear are already there, ready to be uncovered. Original Goodness includes instructions on how to meditate, and how to apply the power and insights of meditation to everyday life. Original Goodness is part of a three-volume series, Classics of Christian Inspiration, which collects the best writing of Eknath Easwaran on well-loved and inspiring passages and mystics in the Christian tradition.
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In Wisdom of the Ancient Sages, Swami Rama shares with the modern world the powerful and inspiring teachings of one of the worlds greatest spiritual texts: the Mundaka Upanishad. This beautiful translation and commentary affirms human nature as peaceful, creative, and transcendent. Its message will assist anyone who seeks to walk the path of personal andspiritual development.
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This concise collection of Swami Rama's teachings serves as a practical guide for the spiritual seeker. Spiritual practice leads the seeker towards inner experiences of divinity that further one towards attaining the goal of life. Swami Rama, yogi, scientist, philosopher and humanitarian, was deeply steeped in the spiritual traditions of the Himalayan sages. He was a free thinker, guided by direct experience and inner wisdom. His teachings are universal and nonsectarian, providing a bridge between the East and the West.
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Siegel, a New Haven surgeon, believes that the power of healing stems from the human mind and will, that his scalpel only buys time against cancer, and that self love and determination are more important than choice of therapy. His philosophy has caused radical changes in his practice. Siegel recounts many arresting anecdotes: joyous stories of patients who survived against all odds, sad chronicles of those who seemingly gave up and assented to their own deaths. The author's credentials make this one of the more plausible books on the mind-body connection.
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This inspiring book will be helpful to anyone who is seeking to understand the dynamic interplay between loving relationships and the path of spirituality. In clear, candid language, Swami Rama presents his vision of the potential that marriage and family life have to help us open our heart, expand our personality, and contribute to our spiritual unfoldment.
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Rediscover the long-forgotten spiritual masters of Egypt and Europe. Johnsen, a leading author on Eastern spirituality, reveals how some of the most famous Greek thinkers – including Plato, Pythagoras, and Plutarch – understood the importance of harmony between mind and body, and practiced ancient yogic techniques, including meditation and vegetarianism. This book brings to light long-neglected historical accounts by the ancient Greeks themselves describing their pilgrimages to India and their encounters with enlightened masters of the East.
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In this extraordinary account of his spiritual adventures, the author presents his encounters with Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore, a lady sage who never slept, and many other Himalayan masters. The author spent eleven months in a cave monastery and traveled to study in Tibet with his grandmaster. He author honors this spiritual teacher as a stream and a channel of wisdom. He modeled selflessness, fearlessness, faith, and determination as prerequisites for enlightenment. Swami Rama also writes about his experiences on the path of renunciation, which he calls "a razor's edge." He ponders the rich meanings of humility, conquering fear, trusting in divine protection, developing the powers of the mind, and casting off the body in death. One of the best examples of Swami Rama's humanity is conveyed in a brief chapter where he humorously tells of being mistaken as a ghost while meditating in a cemetery.