Aligned, Relaxed, Resilient: The Physical Foundations of Mindfulness - Softcover

Johnson, Will

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1570625182 ISBN 13: 9781570625183

Publisher: Shambhala, 2000

Synopsis

The emphasis on the mind in meditation can be somewhat misleading: If we pay attention only to mental processes and overlook the experience of the body, we can remain stuck in our heads and not be able to break free of the involuntary thinking that we find so claustrophobic and toxic. This short, practical guide helps us embrace the fact of our embodiment—the experience of the sensations, movements, and gestures of the body—and to realize that mindfulness is the natural state of awareness of a body that has learned how to experience its feeling presence. Johnson takes us through the three primary principles of the posture of meditation: alignment, relaxation, and resilience. He devotes a large part of each chapter to specific practices to help the reader experience different aspects of physical presence. This book is of interest to meditators of all traditions—Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Jews, and others—as well as therapists, bodyworkers, and anyone interested in body-centered psychology and other natural modes of healing.

About this title

About the Author

Will Johnson is a certified bodyworker and director of the Institute for Embodiment Training in his hometown of Cobble Hill, British Columbia.

Reviews

Johnson, director of the Institute for Embodiment Training in Cobble Hill, British Columbia, believes that the body should not be overlooked in meditation. As he points out, the Buddhist principle called mindfulnessAsensing the body's presenceAis known as "the royal road to enlightenment." The themes expressed here are largely continuations and reconstructions of those in Johnson's other book on the physical realm of meditation, The Posture of Meditation: A Practical Manual for Meditators of All Traditions. Focusing on bodily sensations and aligning the body so that it is not in opposition to gravity are stressed through numerous metaphors. Just reading Johnson's grounded and rhythmically poetic prose will put one in a meditative state. Suitable for beginning meditators or advanced meditators with somatic orientations, this book is recommended for large public libraries.ALeAnna DeAngelo, Springfield, MS
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1570625182
• ISBN 13: 9781570625183
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160