Alexander Technique Books

This book clarified key concepts like Inhibition and Direction in a way that no other book (and to some degree, my Alexander teacher) ever could.

In addition, there's a lot of practical advice on applying AT to sports, music and other performing arts, and daily life. It's already helped my guitar playing.

Buy it - you won't be sorry.

I have had back issues since I was 17 (now I know it was due to one short leg)and when I was about 30 I tried Alexander Technique. Now 30 yrs later I finally have in this book an explanation why this helped and a revelation about how far reaching this technique can be in confronting normal and abnormal body usage. Beautifully written with a deep understanding of much that Neuroscience has learned in the last few years.

Alexander Technique is often difficult to understand without a teacher and many lessons. Missy Vineyard takes the reader a step closer by correlating current research with Alexander's discoveries about how to make optimum use of ourselves. She suggests ways of organizing what we are thinking with what our bodies are doing in order to achieve radically better results.

I was introduced to the Alexander technique by a friend about 15 years ago following a car injury in which I suffered a herniated disc, severe pain in the arm and significant loss of muscle strength. I contemplated surgery which most of the doctors were recommending but decided to opt for less intrusive approaches including physical therapy and lessons in the Alexander technique.

Over the last 15 years I have had numerous lessons and profited immensely from the wisdom of two highly talented instructors. I have also read about a dozen books. This one is the most practical and clearly written one. The author communicates effectively by using lots of real life examples and suggests exercises which, while time consuming, are extremely useful. Like other teachers she makes it clear that the technique is not a substitute for medical advice. But my own experience suggests that it can complement such advice along with other approaches including meditation, tai chi, yoga and others. In that sense the basic tools--inhibition, direction, lengthening of back and neck--can form the core of a holistic approach that can include many of these other approaches. There is nothing in the technique that conflicts with any of these. Indeed most of the ideas, once explained by a good teacher seem to be just applied common sense. The trick, of course, is in disciplining yourself to practice and training the mind to affect the body before it gets stiff and makes you uncomfortable.

This book is the perfect handbook to help anyone who has some basic knowledge of the Technique become much more effective in using it. Ideally, it should be accompanied by occasional lessons from a skilled instructor

As a student of the Alexander technique, I highly recommend this new book on the subject. There are many excellent, detailed illustrations that make this book user friendly and a stand out among books on this topic. Also, there are plenty of self-experiments suggested throughout the book that make it a fine book for beginning students as well as a great review for experienced students.

It gives me great pleasure to recommend Voice and the Alexander Technique, written by the highly regarded educator and certified Alexander teacher, Jane Ruby Heirich, to teachers and students of speech, singing and Alexander Technique.

The book's nine chapters are preceded by an introduction, which is one of several times in which she cautions that the "guidance of an Alexander teacher's hands" would be the ideal way for one without previous Alexander training to use this book, while she acknowledges that not all communities have a certified teacher. The first four chapters cover the basics of habit, a short history of F.M. Alexander and what his Technique is and what it is not, a vocal technique primer, and some common postural and vocal problems. The next four chapters apply principles of Alexander Technique via "Games and Explorations". The final chapter is a two page summary of the book. Four appendices follow: an explanation of IPA International Phonetic Alphabet), an additional Alexander exercise called hands on the back of a chair, contact information for teachers and books, and a generous glossary of musical and Alexandrian terms.

"To Do" sections in each chapter explore ways to address vocal and use problems. Use (as defined in the aforementioned glossary) is "the term Alexander used to mean how a person organizes him/herself in daily activities. He often spoke and wrote about the use of the Self in activity, meaning how one responds to a stimulus or does everything he does." The vocal (sung) "To Do" exercises, included on the CD which accompanies the book, are discussed and then played on a piano in several keys.

Voice teachers may quibble with some of the information found in the vocal primer section (Chapter 3), but most will appreciate her multi-sided approach to the art of vocal pedagogy, combining complex mechanistic and anatomical description, while also offering solutions to problems via imagery and movement. In a later chapter she states, " I will not pretend to define what is meant by all voice teachers when they uses these three terms - support, breath support or project." And to avoid Alexandrian semantic squabbles, she often gives several names for one "Alexandrian" term, for example: Alexander Lie-Down, Semi-Supine and Constructive Rest Position. I enjoyed her definition of "up". "Up" at its simplest means the direction in which the head is releasing away from the other end of the spine, the tailbone." And her discussion of the whispered ah as taught by Alexander (Pages 85-91) resulted in several rewarding practice sessions for me and therefore my students.

The book is tall and heavy which presents an Alexandrian challenge (I propped it up on two pillows), but it is this bulkiness which allows the excellent, clear illustrations by Jaye Schlesinger and other sidebars to appear on the pertinent page. These gray shaded sidebars, sprinkled throughout the book, detail stories about students of the author which are relevant to the chapter.

According to Ms. Heirich, the first factor in the process of changing a habit is that the individual must desire to change and the second is that "we must begin where we are". Reading this book is a wonderful place for either the novice or the professional to do just that. Katherine Keyes, certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, voice teacher, singer. VoicePrints-Sept.2005

I think this book is wonderful. I am a vocalist/performer and I teach voice. I have already ordered a copy for my student to read because the information is given in such a clear and easy to understand manner. So many voice books get convoluded when it comes to anatomy and technique but this book really trys to stay pretty straight forward. You can take or leave the visual imagery. It works for some people and not for others but don't let that stop you from adding this to your collection. I know that I will be using this book as my main teaching/practicing reference for a long time

Meticulous cross-indexing alone whets an appetite for this book - invaluable for any teacher of AT or Voice. Attention to detail throughout makes it an interactive workbook that invites use. A CD with musical examples and chart for non music-readers are included.
Heirich, well-known Alexander teacher, taught a voice technique class in Michigan for over 30 years, and learned that not everyone responds to the same approach. She uses whatever it takes to get her message through. I particularly like "Singing to a candle" to clarify the difference between blowing a stream of air and creating a sound wave.
The first half discusses habit, Alexander and his technique, and includes a voice primer describing skills that promote effortless effort, vitality, resonance and intelligibility throughout the vocal range. It also gives examples of postural and vocal problems including the effects of knee-locking, TMJ tension and rib cage corseting.
The interlude connects AT and voice work and includes a beautiful illustration of the "nodding place". It also invites the reader to use the later chapters (which address postural and vocal problems) to have an experience rather than just read about it, and cautions that this takes awareness of existing habits. Naturally, guidance from an Alexander teacher would be helpful here, but the following games and explorations are described with such clarity that a conscientious and motivated reader could discover a lot without a teacher - preferably with a sympathetic friend. Heirich mentions the essential feedback of an observing listener.
By getting out of our own way we can free the voice and learn the resultant sensations so we can choose and enjoy them. Heirich says the voice is one of the most habitual of our daily tools, and inarguably one of our most valuable. With thought and practice, we can change and mold it into something healthy, flexible, beautiful, and alive.

This book and the included CD provides an excellent way to discover the full potential of your voice. Nothing short of awesome!

Voice and the Alexander Technique: Active Explorations for Speaking and Singing (w/CD), by Jane Heirich, Mornum Time Press

Many books have been written about the art and the science of singing. Most of them follow the medical model, that is, they deal with the actual physiology of making vocal sound. And there is no shortage of written material about the Alexander Technique-the remarkable method of aligning the body for maximum physical efficiency in any endeavor, be it singing, playing tennis, washing dishes or whatever-formulated by the Tasmanian Shakespearean actor F. M. Alexander in the late-19th century. But Jane Ruby Heirich's book, Voice and the Alexander Technique, is, as far as I know, the first to delineate the specific benefits of the Alexander Technique for those who are concerned with the quality and healthfulness of vocal sound in either spoken or sung form.
Heirich knows her business; she dispenses her excellent information with the expertise of sequence and timing that only comes from having coached hundreds of subjects in these techniques for many years. She intersperses her factual material with exercises, which she refers to as "to dos," and almost every page has a box in the margin with an anecdote pertaining to the problem at hand or a technique used for its remedy. There are many well-executed and useful illustrations, and the material, even though sophisticated and scientific in nature, is presented in the clear, easy-to-understand English similar to a do-it-yourself self-help manual. Furthermore, there is a glossary of terms, appendices with all manner of other useful information and a CD with recordings of vocal exercises recommended in the book is included.
I have only one complaint about this publication: it is hardbound, over-sized and rather expensive. So, many students who should have access to this information, will pass it up for economic reasons. Let's hope for a quicker-to-read, smaller and cheaper reprinting in paperback. Reviewed by Benton Hess, Webster, New York.

Reprinted from American Music Teacher, Volume 55, No. 1, August/September 2005, with permission of Music Teachers National Association.

The measure of a good book is that you can read it more than once and find new things each time - and that's how it's been for me. I am still reeling as I take in the enormity of the idea that it is more how we think in relation to activity than what we think that determines the quality of our performance. And the book describes so many constructive ways for changing our thinking in relation to performance. Of course it won't be for everyone, as there are no quick-fixes offered. Instead it's a day at a time, step by step, leave your old-self behind approach.

This book has really helped me understand what the Alexander Technique is all about. I now feel able to read books by the great man himself and actually understand what he is going on about. Before, they made little sense at all, and I was fumbling around in the dark.

Taylor's writing is clear, simple and informative, and I have enjoyed working through the various chapters week by week. This has been a great addition to lessons.

Thank-you.

A brilliant book! The narrative is innovative and encouraging, bringing Alexander's work into the present day. As a teacher of the Alexander Technique, I found this book a very helpful and enjoyable read and would thoroughly recommend it

I liked this book. I had thought the Alexander technique was all about posture, when in fact it's all about performance - the way that we do what we do. There are some great stories in this book which I have enjoyed reading again and again.

The author clearly knows his stuff and how to write. Having read many books about change and the Alexander Technique this has to go down as one my favourites. I recommend it to anyone looking to change deep-seated patterns of behaviour that are undermining their performance in any field.

Taylor succeeds in giving you a handle on some complex ideas. Deals with tricky but key concepts in an accessible but not simplistic way. Particularly liked the chapters on reasoning and working to principle. There are no physical exercizes to do, but there are activities which are helpful towards your understanding.

The only truly accessible but not-oversimplified book on AT I've found.

An AT teacher from Cardiff.

I highly recommend this book for men and women wanting to get a better understanding of the "little voice" inside. I gave several copies as Christmas Presents this past year, and my friends loved it. Clear, concise and to the point.

The title of this review is the first chapter of a reading adventure...an adventure that can inspire you to live with greater clarity and aliveness. I buy a lot of books. I read a bit here and a bit there in each book. I see another book that looks great...the cycle repeats itself. I'm looking for something. I want to read them all. I'm too busy. I picked up this book, began to read and didn't stop until I reached the end. I couldn't believe I read the whole book in one sitting, even though it has 52 delicious bite-size portions. I continue to use it as an oracle. It's filled with metaphors that reveal new meaning with each new attention. Reality Works doesn't give a prescription. It somehow serves as a catalyst to call forth the experience that I'm looking for in all books. I don't have time to write reviews and you probably don't have time to read them, so stop here. Buy Reality Works and read it. You'll love it.

I have to confess to being a bit of a self-help (books, tapes, systems, seminars, etc.) junkie. Over the years, this trait has (hopefully) given me some perspective on the genre and some ability to separate the same tired old cliches from the fresh and original. Reality Works falls soundly in the latter category. At a compact 119 pages, every page is packed with sharp insights expressed in a clear and concise manner. I would especially recommend this book to anyone in the middle of, or on the verge of a significant life transformation (e.g. changing careers, starting/ending a relationship, relocating...). Chandra Alexander is a strong advocate of listening to your inner voice and having the courage to follow it, especially at times when you may be tempted to remain in a comfortable rut rather than venture into uncharted regions. Of course, in an important sense every day is a kind of transformation, so the advice given here is always relevant. The title of one chapter is a good example of the book's wisdom -- "The space between the old way not working and the new way not yet found is where consciousness expands --stay in the gap!" (yes, all this is really the chapter title). In other words, don't be afraid of being in a place where you aren't certain of everything. Reality Works is filled with such gems. I've read it once and am already looking forward to going through it again.

This is a book for people who want clear, gem-like insights into the art of personal transformation. I enjoyed the concise writing style and the direct appeal to the reader's innate sense of wholeness.

The author speaks to the psychological as well as the spiritual aspects of wholeness and the need to approach life with attention to the mulit-leveled nature of every individual. It is one of those books that you can open anywhere and find something that brings wisdom to your present situation.

The title of this review is the first chapter of a reading adventure. An adventure that can inspire you to live with greater clarity and aliveness. I buy a lot of books. I read a bit here and a bit there in each book. I see another book that looks great...the cycle repeats itself. I'm looking for something. I want to read them all. I'm too busy. I picked up this book, began to read and didn't stop until I reached the end. I couldn't believe I read the whole book in one sitting, even though it has 52 delicious bite-size portions. I continue to use it as an oracle. It's filled with metaphors that reveal new meaning with each new attention. Reality Works doesn't give a prescription. It somehow serves as a catalyst to call forth the experience that I'm looking for in all books. Buy it and read it!

Graham Alexander is a professional leadership coach who allows us to be indirectly coached by him through a series of ten powerful and thought-provoking questions. Questions such as "Who are you and who do others say you are?" and "What can only you do?".
Each chapter is an opportunity for you to examine a part of yourself or your influence.

Each chapter includes Million Dollar Questions, Wakeup Calls, and Action Items sprinkled through the pages at strategic points. These are gathered together at the end in the form of an Executive Summary.

This book is a powerful tool to support you in taking yourself and your leadership to a higher level.

One of the best hands-on leadership books I have read. Excellent tips and practices. Great stories. Very practical with items that can be implemented immediately. Very thought provoking.

Tales From The Top is a must read for every leader! This book not only helps you to achieve your best in business but as well teaches you how to achieve your personal best in life. I appreciate how Graham asks the appropriate questions to not only help you excel in business, but also how to thrive in your personal life. Many books on the market today help you to excel in one or the other, not in both. I appreciate the balance Graham challenges every leader to achieve.

The author is a proponent of the following organizational
customs/philosophies:
- get fear out into the open where it can be confronted and
dealt with constructively
- say what you think
- face facts dispassionately rather than running away from them
- confront negativity head-on
- be passionate about your business
- seek new missions to reinvigorate staff
- select the undone things on your "to do" list
- itemize reasons for failure or reasons why there are no results
- discuss the unmentionables dispassionately
- do not waste precious talent

The work is invaluable because it confronts reasons why
people and/or organizations face intractable bottlenecks.
Dispassionate honesty flushes out why an organization does not
work so that constructive strategies can be put forth to
improve the throughput of decision-making .

No one teaches you to be a CEO, but this book offers a rare peek behind the scenes in other corner offices. The book gives real-world examples of issues faced by some of the world's top executives, and walks you through how Alexander coached them to solutions that substantially increased their effectiveness. He brings a refreshingly human approach to leadership issues. I hear his fee is $1,000 an hour, so this book seems like a pretty affordable way to get his help!

This book is excellent. Carrington's talks are easy to understand and a pleasure to read. The book is beautiful to look at and a pleasure to hold. I highly recommend this book to anyone familiar with the technique and especially for Alexander Technique teachers.

Carrington is amusing. But only read this after at least 15 lessons from an AmSAT or STAT certified teacher.

This is a thought-provoking book full of insights, every page a gem. This is not an introduction to the Alexander Technique, but for those with some experience and for the rare individual with no Alexander Technique background.

This little gem of a book contains selected pieces by a man who has been thinking about the work he is discussing (The F.M. Alexander Technique) for over sixty years. He has also been consistently practicing and testing this thinking in his teaching and living over the same period. Two qualities of behavior most exemplified in these selected talks are persistence and kindness. The importance of both qualities in the work of human beings attempting to change for the better is investigated and discussed. Mr. Carrington's ability to "think aloud" coherently,spontaneously, and humorously is simultaneously enjoyable and educational.

This is my very favourite Alexander Technique book--I refer back to it over and over again! Thinking Aloud captures Walter Carrington's intelligent charm. Walter's many years of teaching the Technique & personal relationship with the late F.M. Alexander have given him a wealth of information and experience which he shares in own wonderfully unique style.

Although heavy on about 8 chapters about the throat muscles, tounge and spinal muscles that effect the voice (it is a book that is somewhat geared towards dancers, singers and actors after all and their voice is a major part of their life) the book covers the rest of the body nicely. Since this is from lectures it comes very easy to understand and full of knowledge which gave me a great idea as to how the body works together as a whole.

In "Anatomy of the Moving Body," Theodore Dimon, Jr. approaches his subject from a unique and focused perspective. By presenting anatomy in terms of function and evolutionary development and limiting his exploration to the neuromuscular system, Dimon has produced a book that is both user-friendly and fascinating. He manages the neat trick of lending clarity to this majestic subject while avoiding the pitfall of oversimplification. Of special interest in this regard is the light beam he shines into the murky shadows of intimidating anatomical terminology, showing the reader that there's nothing there to fear.

The subtitle of the book is "A Basic Course For Movement Educators. This provides the book with an organizing principle, but fails to convey the book's potentially broad appeal. It could be read with pleasure by all homo sapiens who wish to gain an enhanced understanding and appreciation of their evolutionary inheritance.

Help! This book made me into the class "know it all". I'm in school starting my second career and I need to know anatomy. I was suppose to learn it for my first career but it never stuck. After reading Dr. Dimon's book I'm finding I know more than I thought I could know and it has been so easy. I'm begining to understand the intelligence of our design and the names of all the bones and muscles just flow out or me, (and I haven't even made an effort to memorized them).

Dr. Dimon has written a clear and concise book demystifying anatomy--I especially enjoyed learning the meanings of the Latin terms. A must for anyone interested in how we are designed for moving.

This was easy and clear reading with excellent illustrations.

I have the good fortune to know Vivien and cannot be more proud of her book. She writes well and has a fascinating story that shows courage and a strong will that is infectious. It's a story to be read for inspiration and knowledge if you're wanting to find your path. Vivien is one to lead you to it. Just read the words on the pages and follow your inner mind.

From the opening of Everyday Magic, Vivien Schapera struggles with apparent as well as inexplicable pain. That which Vivien has difficulty discovering is that which she will be inspired to teach and to motivate the reader to learn.

There are no villains in Vivien's autobiography, despite the tragedy which besets her family and what that came to stand in her homeland of South Africa. While others might have been immobilized, Vivien's experiences set her in motion.

Vivien's momentum shifts from low gear into high, in an attempt to align her inner world with her outer being. Her discovery of the Alexander Technique is one of many journeys that Vivien follows. Amidst her doubts, she remains eager, and through this eagerness. the reader accesses her knowledge as well.

The author's style is confident and succinct, punctuated with humor about Americans ironing their underwear and the insight that she pursued and brought together such diverse disciplines as the Alexander Technique, martial arts and crystals, to heal within herself, to provide healing for others within one simple structure.

Vivien acknowledges that only loss can come from unfinished business. There is no unfinished business in Vivien's novel or her life, only signs of more to come.

As I read Everyday Magic I was drawn into the familiarity of the story, the overall feeling of yes that is the way life works. The extraordinary perserverance and patience Vivien approaches her life with is both comforting and supportive. Vivien reveals the use of proper force at the proper object in the proper direction. In other words the use and perception of Magick in everyday life. For those walking the path of life this could be a very helpful account of one persons confrontation with the complexities of of living and a sign post on how to do it.

Viviens book is a wonderful account of her life to this point and her determination to explore and understand the "true" magic that we all have within ourselves. She has worked long and hard to understand this magic and teach others how to find their own magic within.
Her writing style is very quick and to the point when it needs to be. At other times it's very detailed and makes you feel as if you were right there with her. Her sense of memory is astounding. Conversations she's had with people throughout her life are remembered time and again as if she'd been taking notes all her life. Her book has no hard, complicated plot to follow.It is a book about the tragedies, hardships, and successes of a very gifted woman trying to learn and understand the forces that are around and within us all, and use it to help anyone willing to question and understand their own lives and find their own "Magic" within. If you are ready, Viviens book and teachings will definitely help and inspire you.

This is a wonderful book about life and faith. Vivien is a gifted writer and educator who shares her life story with us so eloquently and vulnerably. Through Vivien's life story, I curiously found my own...remembering my own desires, searchings, beliefs, and gifts. Vivien's book came at a perfect time in my life and it encouraged me to believe in myself again, and to follow my heart, knowing that I am guided and protected each step along the way.

As inspiring as Vivien's faithfulness and strength was, it was her innocence and the purity of her heart that compelled me the most. I felt a deep connection to her through her writing style, and through her honesty. As I approached the final chapters, I noticed I was reading at a slower pace than the earlier chapters, not wanting it to end. It was like saying good-bye to a long time friend.

I can't wait for her next book so we can have another visit together. I know you will feel the same way. You MUST get this book! You will love it!!

Apart from being an outstanding and entertaining read, this is a book which succeeds in all respects. The case studies are compelling and genuine, the insights are original and thought-provoking and the application of this wonderful book is as appropriate in life as in business. This book should be required reading for all who earn their living in the service sector. How frequently do we encounter "service" which strives to provide that which is expedient, rather than that which is required. The value-added, holistic vision of the author is both revolutionary and remarkable. A book of substance, rather than "feel good" platitude, yet one which leaves the reader feeling good. If you read no other business book this year, this book is the one!

A wonderful, enjoyable and informative read. The inspirational stories and poignant anecdotes, including those of the author, really bring the principles of servant leadership and counterintuitive reasoning to life.

The principles outlined in the book are simply "Drop Dead" effective. I especially found the chapter "You can't sell from an empty cart" to be most helpful in my own personal life. I now know why I have been missing the mark in my business and personal life, and I left my reading armed with a great plan to fix the problem. The story: "Lessons I Learned from my Best Friend" really touched my heart.

I purchased a copy of this book for each of the 50 employees in my division. We've been conducting weekly meetings based on the key principles. After implementing just one of the ideas we discovered, our divisional sales doubled-and in just three weeks! I just can't say enough good things about this wonderfully uplifting and informative work. Kudos, Mr. Berardi!

A wonderful, enjoyable and informative read. The inspirational stories and poignant anecdotes, including those of the author, really bring the principles of servant leadership and counterintuitive reasoning to life.

The principles outlined in the book are simply "Drop Dead" effective. I especially found the chapter "You can't sell from an empty cart" to be most helpful in my own personal life. I now know why I have been missing the mark in my business and personal life, and I left my reading armed with a great plan to fix the problem. The story: "Lessons I Learned from my Best Friend" really touched my heart.

I purchased a copy of this book for each of the 50 employees in my division. We've been conducting weekly meetings based on the key principles. After implementing just one of the ideas we discovered, our divisional sales doubled-and in just three weeks! I just can't say enough good things about this wonderfully uplifting and informative work. Kudos, Mr. Berardi!

This book was thoroughly inspiring for me. I could relate to so much of what was written. I was not even aspiring to achieve personal success, but after reading the book, I was inspired to reach deep down and re-evaluate exactly what I want out of my life. He has so many personal stories which are really touching, and very easy to relate to. He breaks down the traditional belief that the world is served by leaders and followers and says that it is the servant leader (the quiet, unassuming people) that most often emerge as some of the greatest leaders of our time. Throughout the book there are many references to Moe Howard from the Three Stooges and how his life showed classic signs of servant leadership. It was refreshing to read a book that could be so "light" at times - bringing humor to his stories. If you pick up nothing else this year, pick up a copy of this book and read it. You won't be able to put it down, and you will find yourself having a refreshed energy towards your life and your ultimate goals. Personal happiness can be achived, and Alexander J Berardi gives us some tools with which to find it.

As we rise in levels of responsibility in organizational life, we begin to hear the tern, "servant leadership." Essentially, it's giving of yourself to support others, rather than leading by dominating others. A number of books have been written on the topic, but this one is different. The title is deceiving; your first thought might be that it's a parody or pick-up on Harvey MacKay's "Never Give a Naked Man Your Shirt."

This book is about knowing yourself so you better understand others to serve them and the world. It's about getting off the merry-go-round of life and making a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Berardi has given us a book that is thought-provoking . . . and heart-provoking.

I found myself turning down so many page corners that I finally gave up. There are nuggets on practically every page. "All things are possible for those who find their own unique way of serving others." "You don't have to be perfect to live a purposeful life as a servant leader." "We have blocked so much from our lives, we find that we're not really living at all." "People don't necessarily know what it is they actually need because they're focused more on what they want."

The first of the four sections of the book explains servant leadership. Then readers gain a wonderful experience in part two, learning how to get themselves ready to truly serve others. Part III is The Practical Side of Identifying and Serving the Needs of Others. The last section of the book describes Miracles in the Making. A reading list and index enhance the value of this volume.

Never Offer Your Comb to a Bald Man is illuminated by stories from the author's life, from the experiences of perspectives of people he has known, and from stories of others who bring life to each of the author's points. Although, this book is hard to put down for enjoyable and thoughtful reading, it can also serve as a text for what a lot of business leaders need to learn. I imagine a number of people who have read this book have slowed down, reoriented their thinking, and gained a whole new perspective and level of productivity in their lives.

This is an excellent book. If you are interested in meditation I reccommend this book as a starting place. I already had a copy, but wanted to give a copy to a friend as a gift. The copy I received was in beautiful condition and arrived quickly.
Thanks

Through Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism, this book teaches, in accessible language, how to tap into the unconscious mind to better understand it through hands-on exercises.

Ideal for the beginner as well as the experienced meditator, 'Principles of Meditation' forges a shining link between contemporary life and ancient wisdom. Bringing together techniques from the world's great traditions--Yoga, Zen, Buddhism, and Taoism--this clearly written guide offers fascinating glimpses into their philosophies and approaches to meditation, then shows how you can incorporate these time honored practices into your everyday life. You'll discover soothing exercises to improve your concentration and visualization abilities, gentle meditations based on breathing and on imagery--skills you can use not merely to relax or relieve stress, but to alter your focus of attention in order to break bad habits, extend your perceptions to solve specific problems, even develop a 'mind first' approach to enhance your sports performance.

The Simpkins draw on their extensive background in studies of the mind and of the martial arts to present a thorough and comprehensive text on this cornerstone of Eastern philosophy, with the needs of the Western thinkier firmly met. The place of meditation as a preeminent element of Taoism, Buddhism, Zen and yoga is established in Part One; in succeeding chapters, the authors explore ways to harness the benefits of meditation as a tool to enhance concentration and quality of life, control habits, and improve sports performance. A variety of exercises are provided, with clear and easy-to-follow directions for making these principles part of your life.

An elegant and accessible introduction to meditation, perfect for easily intimidated beginners like myself. Principles of Meditation is simply but not simplistically written, and admirably undidactic. 'There are many paths to choose from,' notes the introduction, 'and our intent is not to proselytize any one but rather to look for the common factors of Eastern meditation, and draw out methods that can be applied to everyday life.' The book maps out four meditative traditions--Yoga, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism--and gives useful exercises intended to hone the beginning practitioner's tools of observation, relaxation, and visualization. The last chapter suggests ways to use meditation for pragmatic concerns such as habit control and problem solving. A perfect gift for a stressed-out friend.