Meditation And Self Study

Even the better products of contemporary culture scarcely have even an indirect awareness of secondary and third-order reflections of the seminal ideation of the vanguard of the Fifth Sub-Race. To break this destructive cycle of degradation, it is necessary to go beyond the outward ephemera of contemporary culture by developing the power of meditation with a degree of continuity and skill that is paralleled by the development of a responsible detachment, rooted in the fact that one had discharged all one’s duties. Only when one fulfils all one’s familiar obligations in many spheres can one become truly detached – free to contemplate and free to go beyond the claims of the world – and also free to give full support to an arduous programme of systematic and continuous spiritual meditation. The true aim of this esoteric practice of self-transformation is to engender the priceless seed of bodhichitta, which in the bloom of enlightenment becomes the Self-Governed Sage. By meditating upon, by adoring, by even thinking of oneself in relation to the Self-Governed Sage – intensely, persistently and with unconditional will, heart and mind – one may gestate the embryonic Bodhisattva in oneself. So it is that in the Deity Yoga of Tibetan Buddhism, detailed rules for meditation and purification are given in relation to the meticulous consecration of the field, the mandala, the magnetic sphere and the central image upon which the rapturous meditation is based. All are integral parts of a systematic discipline which can only be helpful if used with the assured guidance of an accredited guru, with an authentic spiritual lineage (Guruparampara).

Kristin Neff, Ph.D., says that it’s time to “stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind.” Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind offers expert advice on how to limit self-criticism and offset its negative effects, enabling you to achieve your highest potential and a more contented, fulfilled life. More and more, psychologists are turning away from an emphasis on self-esteem and moving toward self-compassion in the treatment of their patients—and Dr. Neff’s extraordinary book offers exercises and action plans for dealing with every emotionally debilitating struggle, be it parenting, weight loss, or any of the numerous trials of everyday living.

The creator of 14,000 Things to Be Happy About and Instant Karma offers a comprehensive and accessible list of hundreds of meditation practices and techniques that can be done during the course of one's everyday life, drawing on such spiritual practices as Zen, yoga, Sufism, and insight meditation. Original.

This 12-week meditation course takes you through the rich dimensions of meditative and mindfulness practices. Over three months you will be guided from fundamental meditative practices through a number of practices that build on these fundamentals. As a beginner you will learn to meditate or as a more experienced meditator you will enrich your practice by expanding the approaches available to you. At the end of the meditation course, you will have established a steady meditation practice steeped in mindfulness and will have an excellent idea of which practice is right for you. This course is excellent for beginners or for experienced meditators interested in enriching their practice through learning new approaches to meditation. Mentoring is available for those that prefer guidance to a self-study course.

Distill the world's great spiritual teachings down to their most basic principles and one thread emerges to unite them all: kindness. In The Force of Kindness, Sharon Salzberg, one of the world's most respected Buddhist authors and meditation teachers, offers practical instruction on how to cultivate this essential trait within ourselves. Now available in paperback, this book-and-CD takes us on an exploration of what kindness truly means and the simple steps to realize its effects immediately. ''When we fan even the smallest ember of kindness,'' teaches Salzberg, ''we begin to overcome our own fears, doubts, and personal attachments-and tap an endless source of gentle strength available to us all.''

Drawing on cutting-edge research, friends and Harvard collaborators Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson expertly reveal what we can learn from a one-of-a-kind data pool that includes world-class meditators. They share for the first time remarkable findings that show how meditation - without drugs or high expense - can cultivate qualities such as selflessness, equanimity, love and compassion, and redesign our neural circuitry. Demonstrating two master thinkers at work, The Science of Meditation explains precisely how mind training benefits us. More than daily doses or sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious worldview. These two bestselling authors sweep away the misconceptions around these practices and show how smart practice can change our personal traits and even our genome for the better. Gripping in its storytelling and based on a lifetime of thought and action, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.

Step by step, learn powerful mindfulness-based techniques to feel happier and more alive. Do you struggle with stress or negativity? Learn how self-compassion can help you find greater health, peace, emotional stability, and joy. Cutting-edge research shows that self-compassion is not only a skill anyone can strengthen through practice but also one of the strongest predictors of mental health and wellness. The practices in this book have been specially formulated to target and fortify what neuroscientists call the “care circuit” of the brain. Devoting thirty minutes a day for just fourteen days to these simple practices can have life-changing results. Tim Desmond’s “Map to Self-Compassion” will engage your mind, heart, and spirit. It will improve your ability to motivate yourself with kindness; regulate and defuse intense emotions, anxiety, and depression; be resilient during life’s challenges; let go of self-criticism and destructive behavior; heal painful experiences; and be more present and compassionate with others. Experience the benefits firsthand! Features downloadable audio recordings for on-the-go practice.

In the past 20 years meditation has grown enormously in popularity across the world, practised both by the general public, as well as by an increasing number of psychologists within their daily clinical practice. Meditation is now used to treat a range of disorders, including, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, chronic pain, and addiction. In the past twenty years we have also learned much more about the underlying neural bases for meditation, and why it works. The Psychology of Meditation: Research and Practice explores the practice of meditation and mindfulness and presents accounts of the cognitive and emotional processes elicited during meditation practice. Written by researchers and practitioners with considerable experience in meditation practice and from different religious or philosophical perspectives, he book examines the evidence for the effects of meditation on emotional and physical well-being in therapeutic contexts and in applied settings. The areas covered include addictions, pain management, psychotherapy, physical health, neuroscience, and the application of meditation in school and workplace settings. Uniquely, the contributors also present accounts of their own personal experience of meditation practice including their history of practice, phenomenology, and the impact it has had on their lives. Drawing on evidence from both research and practice, this is a valuable synthesis of the ways in which meditation can profoundly enrich human experience.

"A Course in Meditation," the book, is an all-new design of the popular Internet-based course by Theodore (Ted) Phelps. It is a carefully designed set of instructions that enables self-motivated readers to learn an enjoyable, relaxing, health-supporting style of meditation in a few days and to learn it in a low-cost, culturally neutral format based in natural functions of the human body and mind. The seven-day course teaches how to meditate in a natural style (non-striving, based in natural functions of the mind and body) and how to get benefit from meditation by meditating in a daily practice. Sally Kempton, yoga meditation teacher, contributor to "Yoga Journal," and author of "The Heart of Meditation," calls the book a "classic manual for basic practice" extremely friendly and accessible and "true to the tradition." The second half of the book gives optional readings in practice. It also provides subtle, yet down-to-earth descriptions of naturalness and meditative theory, including the role of intention, the relationship of meditation to long-range growth, wisdom, and even enlightenment. These highly subtle topics are carefully presented in fresh terms accessible to ordinary human experience. Phelps, the designer of Natural Meditation teaching method, offers a rich source of new analysis of meditation, with helpful new definitions of "meditation," "meditative function," and "natural meditation," with an innovative and illustrated description of the journey through meditative stages leading to enlightenment.