Meditation Books

At last! Help in simple language to introduce and instruct beginners in this lovely and healthful form of gentle exercise.Robert Parry understands how to take the confusing element out of tai chi and put it in the reach of anyone who is serious about the form. Step by step instructions are easily understood due to the author's simplfied illustrations and text. I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for an informative,comprehensive, easy to understand guide book for tai chi.

I am taking Tai Chi, but could not find a book that really helped me follow my form. This book does that and really helps me along outside of class. Other books that I tried were too hard to follow in terms of telling you your footpatterns along with hands and body movement.

This small manual has not many pretencies. Its goal is to teach the Yang short form and this is exactly what it does. The author's teaching method is smart and effective. Contrary to many other TaiChi manuals, it clearly explains how to distribute the weight among the feet and how to match the breathing to the movements. An excellent complement to TaiChi actual training.

At last! Help in simple language to introduce and instruct beginners in this lovely and healthful form of gentle exercise.Robert Parry understands how to take the confusing element out of tai chi and put it in the reach of anyone who is serious about the form. Step by step instructions are easily understood due to the author's simplfied illustrations and text. I recommend this book to everyone who is looking for an informative,comprehensive, easy to understand guide book for tai chi.

I liked this book. It inspires and educates at the same time. Great for a learning pagan and experienced one also.

This book is the fourth in a series on Witchcraft by Penczak. It follows a very similar layout to previous volumes. The first four chapters introductory reading, then thirteen lessons to be studied in a year and a day. The first lesson is basics, then one lesson for each sepherot (plus Da'ath), then ending with an initiation. The material on the Qabalah follows orthodox Golden Dawn teaching very closely. There us not much material on the 22 connecting paths nor on the Tarot. In fact it is remarkable how little information is conveyed in 500+ pages. Other writers cover much more in less space. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. For pagans unfamiliar with the Qabalah the conversational tone and lucid exposition is very helpful in learning what is, in my opinion, a dry and intellectual subject. All in all, I would say this book will be of interest mainly to those familiar with his three previous volumes. Ceremonial magicians will find it too elementary to be of much use. But for pagans who are curious about the Qabalah and how it could be incorporated it into their craft, it can be very useful.

The fourth volume in Christopher Penczak's series on witchcraft, TEMPLE OF HIGH WITCHCRAFT: CEREMONIES, SPHERES AND THE WITCHES' QABALAH introduces a focus on ceremonial magick, offering teachers which correspond to the element of air and guide users in basic concepts, history, and skills in a series of overviews, introductions and informal to formal lessons covering symbols, elementals, pathworking and much more. The conclusion is a ritual initiation using witchcraft traditions, making this a top 'must have' pick for any collection strong in Wiccan concepts and practices.

I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Penczak a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised at the time with the extensiveness of both his knowledge and his interests. The many books he has authored over the years clearly illustrate his diversity as an author and teacher, and also his own development as a magickian, witch and Priest. It often surprises friends of mine that I take an interest in Penczak's work as they tend to judge him on some of his earlier work, some of which I have to admit to have never read, what interests me the most about his work is that it is fluid and that it shows progressive thinking based on a wide range of experience.

Some purists might moan about the way the author draws in strands of Qabalah and ceremonial magick to expand on Wicca, but any that do miss the point, which is that Penczak correctly returns to the traditions which were roots of Wicca to expand on the skeleton and flesh out the bones of practice and ritual with material which flows from the same sources. Another of his strengths is that Penczak gives a wide range of practical exercises, giving the reader the opportunity to experience firsthand and thus gain more insight into the messages contained in his writing. This is further amplified by the CD: Temple of High Witchcraft by Penczak, Christopher, with its 4 CDs containing 16 meditations and pathworkings on the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life, the four elemental realms, the inner temple and rising on the planes. And of course it is always easier to listen to such meditations on a CD than read them from a book when you are working by yourself.

This has been an invaluable tool in my weight loss. I love (and have been following the Action Plan) and tremendously enjoy the daily readings. I recommend this book with enthusiasm. (Down 40 punds to date).

This is the best book EVER for daily motivation to stick with your diet, or weight-management program, even better that the books put out by Over-Easters Anonymous. I have used this book many times, over a number of years, and continue to be motivated again EVERY TIME I read it.

The book is filled with specific, concrete suggestions of new ideas to try to keep yourself motivated, and sticking to your program. It gives new, specific things to consider and work on that are REALLY USEFUL, unlike many other books.

i recently started reading this book and it is very motivational. it makes you think. only then can you succeed in weight loss and MAINTAIN which is the bigger challenge. i can't say enough about it. buy it!

This is far and away the best book on compulsive eating I have read. Every paragraph contains a nugget of wisdom, a motiviational statement that shoots straight to the heart, or an insight that will leave you breathless if you share this affliction.

If you have a problem controlling your eating -- if you eat from stress, from boredom, from emotion, or if you just find it difficult to resist temptation, or stop when you start ... you HAVE to read this book. Rather than start ANOTHER "diet" next Monday like you always do, grab a copy of this book and start a new way of life.

This is a wonderful book! Love it... I read several days in a row because I didn't want to put it down.

This book is very inspirational to use in conjunction with other Carole Lewis Bible Studies.

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY is a 365-day devotional with Eighty key Scripture verses that will encourage and inspire your walk with the Lord.

Whichever area of your life needs improvement-spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional-interacting with the truths in TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY is a step toward achieving your goals.

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY will help readers down the road to health and vitality by putting Christ first in their life. The stories included in this devotional help the rest of us travel the awesome way of obedience, blessing, and victory.

If you are looking for a few moments to spend with the Lord to help you start your day, TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY is for you.

--- reviewed by Laura V. Hilton for Christian Bookshelf

Today is the First Day is a great addition in the First Place series. I first bought my copy in June of 2002 & each devotion was appropriate for the situation I was dealing with. I truly believe God led me to the book to help me make decisions I needed to make. The devotional is written to go along with the First Place study series, but you don't have to do them to use it. Each week starts with a different memory verse, so if you choose, you can memorize 52 verses of Scripture! I highly recommend this book, you will be so blessed.

I am amazed at how perceptive,thought provoking and user friendly this book is. If you or someone you know thinks Judaism and Torah are outdated & don't relate to contemporary life, then this book is just what you (or they) need to read. It makes the Torah accessable, understandable and relevant. Finally, it also connects to spiritual aspects of Judaism and shows how all these things can come together in today's world and life.

Torah Journeys represents Rabbi Shefa Gold's life work--not only the specific work of her own life, but also her template for a life of spiritual work based in the quintessential Jewish text, the Five Books of Moses, Chumash, or Torah, as it is variously known. As a student and teacher of Torah myself, I have long relied upon Rabbi Gold's fresh, embodied visions and powerful chants to take me deeper into Torah text, and then to turn me outward, back into my own life, with expanded awareness and with new spiritual tools.

Now she has gathered her years of teaching into a beautifully conceived and lovingly executed volume. Her writing is carefully crafted, poetic and evocative, bringing alive the spiritual qualities embedded in the Biblical text in a way that is both accessible and deep. Moving us through the year-long cycle of Torah readings, Reb Shefa reveals how, each week, we might wrest blessing, accept challenge, and receive guidance from words of sacred scripture that often seem, to our modern sensibility, opaque or even repulsive. There is great hope and great joy in this work, for it is predicated on the assumption that we human beings can grow, can expand our awareness, and move through difficult and painful patterns by mining layers of resonance already held in suspension within our own, time-honored traditions.

In fact, these pages dance alive the true meaning of the word "tradition"--from the Latin tradere, to "carry forward" or to "carry across." Indeed, Torah Journeys does carry us, again and again, into sparkling lands of clarity and grace, vast mind-spaces in which students and spiritual practitioners, Jew and non-Jew alike, can come to appreciate anew the riches of an ancient text through a lens that seeks always to transform challenge into blessing and questing into practice. This book can become a life companion, to be read and cherished year after year.

For about two decades, Rabbi Gold has been gifting the world with memorable sacred songs and chants. This is her first book, and it's been worth waiting for. In it, she relates to Torah with the same artistic sensibilities that have infused her music. She has a gift for articulating inner conversations, giving voice to the Work of being true to one's highest self. Perhaps this is why the prose is relatively vivid for a book dealing with Torah, and why it excels in its genre.

This book looks unblinkingly at Torah through the eyes of an earnest and experienced traveler on spiritual paths. She does not set herself up as a guru telling us what to think; rather, she models for us a process of textual encounter and introspection that we can make our own. With the highest respect for Torah and with a straightforward style that is never preachy, she shows us how to employ the biblical text as a mirror that we can turn on our inner selves, to help us see more clearly what we sometimes hide from our own view.

Many urbane, contemporary Jews find certain parts of the Torah boring, unredeemably sexist, or otherwise primitive; it is most instructive to see what Rabbi Gold makes of those aspects: she challenges herself to embrace all of Torah, to read it in such a way that makes the text sacred to her. One anecdote that she relates (p. 18) sums up well the noble goal of this book. One afternoon, she was describing to a friend what the ongoing discipline of writing this book was like: "You can't sit back and criticize . . . what you don't like in the Torah. Instead, you must search for those same difficulties in yourself and then engage in a process of healing and purification. Instead of blaming, you have to take responsibility." And as she was expounding thus, she heard "a voice speaking every so gently yet firmly" in her ear: "And you could live your whole life that way."

The book is at the same time a highly personal interpretation of Torah and a spiritual manual. It contains one chapter for each of the fifty-four "parashot" (the Hebrew term for the traditional segments of the Torah nominally studied and read by Jews according to an annual cycle). Each chapter distills from that biblical passage both a blessing and a spiritual challenge for one's life; it also offers concrete guidance for spiritual practice(s) that promise to help us appreciate the former while facing the latter. A multi-layered introduction and several practically oriented appendices round out the book.

Although the author often draws upon concepts from other faith traditions, and although she has academic training in Bible, this book's enterprise is thoroughly Jewish and religious in both language and scope. For example, it engages "the Torah" rather than "the Pentateuch." And it pays no regard to questions of the historical origin or development of the biblical text, which it takes as a given.

Anyone who has ever wanted to read the Old Testament but found it too difficult to understand or to apply to will discover Rabbi Shefa Gold's new book, Torah Journeys, the perfect tool for comprehending and using the messages hidden there. Her book provides a portal from a surface reading into the deeper significance of the stories and their relevance to our lives today.

The Old Testament, also called the Five Books of Moses, the Bible or the Torah, is read by many religions. Although written from a Jewish perspective and set up to be used as a guide to the weekly Torah portions traditionally read by Jews, Torah Journeys easily can be used by Jew and non-Jew alike to make their reading of this holy text a fulfilling experience. Rabbi Gold has a unique ability to get to the core of a portion and to make it applicable to our lives here and now. Beginning readers of the Torah often complain that the stories within its pages seem removed from modern life. They tend to ask, "What does this have to do with me, now?" Rabbi Gold points them towards the answer to this question with insightful interpretations and useful suggestions on how to use the text in a personal context. For each parsha (portion), Rabbi Gold offers readers the chance to glean both the blessing and the challenge of the text as well as a practice to apply the lesson in a concrete manner. The practices range from meditations to visualizations to chants, all of which are meant to foster spiritual and transformative experiences.

I often have perused Rabbi Gold's website to glean insight into Torah portions. Now, I use her book, a more detailed version of her website information, as a handy guide. I also have had the pleasure and honor of knowing Rabbi Gold, an approachable and inspirational teacher and leader, for several years. She has helped me create Shabbat services based on her lovely chants, offered me insights into subjects I am researching and taught me about chant and meditation. Thus, I can personally recommend her work. So, if you want to bring the Old Testament to life in your own life, read Torah Journeys. In its pages Rabbi Gold shares her wide range of knowledge of Judaism, Torah and other religious and spiritual traditions as well as her insightful and practical approach to Bible study.

We have used these 2 tapes in the car when we travel, and have found them to be insightful, peaceful and motivating. We love them! We also have a copy of the book, and love the photos from Dr. Stanley in them too.

Dr. Stanley has written an excellent devotional for anyone desiring to learn more of God's wisdom as revealed in His Holy Bible.

While the book is organized into 31 separate and brief readings, the reader may also choose to read more than one devotion. The book is less than 150 pages and contains excellent insights and each chapter contains a relevant prayer at the end.

Highly recommended. Read and enjoy!

This book is fantastic to meditate on. I enjoyed reading this book through the first, second, and third time! There are so many lessons to be learned in life and this book gives you ways to interpret happenings in life. It is certainly a tool to gain christian maturity and spiritual growth. I keep it as a reference and enjoy sharing it with my friends as they experience difficulties in their lives.

Charles Stanley's book is a good basic introduction to the practical everyday wisdom in the book of Proverbs. Stanley's meditations highlight 31 themes to help you live life more skillfully. For a more in-depth look at King Solomon's wisdom read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. It features 6 translations of Proverbs in parallel and a very interesting and readable commentary with historical photos that give you a sense of the culture of the time. It also examines and answers many of the riddles and mysteries in Proverbs.

Nick Jans has done it again -- this time with pictures! Mr. Jans' previous compilations of essays ("The Last Light Breaking" and "A Place Beyond"), as well as his Alaska Magazine articles, introduced readers to his great love and appreciation of the Alaskan arctic and its inhabitants. In "Tracks of the Unseen," Mr. Jans also includes his own photographs, which ideally complement his essays. There is some content overlap with his essays in "Alaska" (photographs by Art Wolfe), but this is a more integral pairing of the essays and photos. This is a lovely book, with Mr. Jans' graceful writing continuing to transport readers to the great north.

The book was thoroughly enjoyable. Photography was excellant. Chapters were short easy reads. I enjoyed the insights to life in the arctic and the discussion of the people who live there with snapshots of native culture.

I'm guessing Nick Jans probably lives like he writes. There's nothing extraneous here. Every word has a purpose. Unfortunately, the message it conveys is one of loss. The wilderness is changing, disappearing, even in the remote areas of the world. Regardless of the message, this book is a beauty. The photography is vibrant, the prose compelling, and the sentiment touching. The wilderness couldn't have found a better voice.

This is a potent book; just 164 pages but every photo is jaw-dropping and not a word is wasted. Author is a life-long Alaskan and in most essays he is reflecting on Alaska and things Alaskan. Humorous, touching and stimulating in many other ways. Well worth your $$.

Life is often chaotic and we tend to forget the really important things. I do believe that a good start to each day is essential. It not only sets out the tone for the entire day but when we contemplate and quiet our minds, we naturally become more centered. In turn, our actions tend to be more loving and closer to who we really want to be.

Why not start your day with Trail Thoughts? For Christians, reading through the daily entries of Trail Thoughts will provide much needed direction. Simply read through the scripture as provided and then contemplate the author's comments about these words.

I felt that the Biblical quotes were well chosen. I also liked the conversational tone of the author's comments. Sometimes, he'd share personal stories or explain different points in history. Other times, he'd expand upon or further explain the concepts presented in the quote.

With the advent of the 24 hour-seven day a week economy it is more important than ever that each of us take at least a few moments each day to reflect on our lives and to evaluate what is important to us. For some folks this means daily prayer, reading scriptures or perhaps setting aside a period of time for silent reflection. No matter what your own approach might be Eric Kampmann's "Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith" would certainly be a great way to add depth and perspective to your spiritual life.
The reflections in "Trail Thoughts" are thoughtfully conceived and beautifully written. Being a Roman Catholic I find that I do not spend nearly enough time studying and reflecting on the Bible. Like the great majority of people I sometimes forget just how powerful the influence of Satan is on our society. At the same time, it is easy to overlook the beauty and wonder of God's handiwork all around us. "Trail Thoughts" will help you to put all of this into some kind of perspective.
For each and every day of the year "Trail Thoughts: A Daily Companion for Your Journey of Faith" offers the reader a short passage from scripture followed by Eric Kampmann's insightful commentary that will greatly enhance your ability to apply the Word of God to your own life. I found that spending just a few minutes each day with "Trail Thoughts" is time very well spent. Highly recommended!

This book is eloquent, tasteful, deeply spiritual and addictive.

I want to take it everywhere I go!

The cover alone, melts my heart and brings me to a place of peace.

Thank you!

Jeanne

As the book description notes Trail Thoughts was inspired by Eric Kampmanns love of hiking the 2174 miles of arduous, beautiful paths that comprise the Appalachian Trail. What makes this book special is a few things. Like the size, the Biblical verses and commentaries he shares, and the maturity of the book.

Over the years I have gotten devotionals and to be honest most were fluffy and pretty, lacking maturity and depth. And I rarely read a books Preface because most are babbling and nothing more. This books Preface was simple and direct and helped me understand the author and how he like many of us at some time will feel the Lords pull but head off in the other direction because to out human emotions or eyes the opposite path seems more fun.

While the path the Lord has for us seems harder. Then when we stand still and pay attention, we realize there is a reason there is a mountain top and why the trail we must hike may not be easy or even pleasant from a human point of view. But then we reach the mountain top and not only savour the 360* view, but actually appreciate the lessons we have learned during the trek.

This is why this devotional is unique and special.

Clayton's book works on at least two levels: as an overview of the basic components and cultural attitudes pertaining to meditation, and as amazing revelation of mystical vision and awareness. I am not aware of any non-fiction writer since Castaneda who has so flatly indicated that there are other ways of perceiving reality than generally meets the eye. But unlike Castaneda (in his earlier books, at least), Clayton rejects the use of drugs to access these realms, offering instead relatively simple tools and techniques to begin to experience them for oneself. How successful one would be in charting these territories after simply reading a book remains to be seen, but surely the popularity of yoga and movies like The Matrix demonstrate a continuing hunger for something more than conventional materialism offers.

Clayton also promotes the role of the group in charting and mastering these realms, both for the members of the group and, she suggests, for us all. Ambitious stuff! Whether this will hold water remains to be seen, but unlike the practically mythic Castaneda, she seems to an integrated and accessible member of society. If there's any truth to Clayton's words and we indeed each have access to the realms described in this book, then the implications are profound. My heart longs for this to be true, and I hope more work will be forthcoming from Ms. Clayton.

Transformative meditation by Gayle Clayton provides a wonderful overview and guide to meditation practice and the evolution of consciousness. Written in an easily digestible style, Clayton weaves threads of knowledge from many different traditions into a cohesive and comprehensive meditation system. She also provides multiple exercises and examples to illuminate the path towards enlightenment and describes universal markers that appear along the way. More than purely academic, meditation groups and solitary practitioners alike will greatly benefit from her insights and reference system. I highly recommend this book for anyone who meditates or is a seeker of knowledge and wisdom.

Transformative Meditation by Gayle Clayton offers a fresh new approach to meditation. While digging deep into the rich history of meditation and exploring the variety of meditation styles available today, the author brings forth an innovative method which encourages individuals to form and work in groups.

Clayton has offered the world a handbook for beginners, a map for seekers, and a clearly laid path into the future of evolution of consciousness. And though there is great depth, it feels like the author is holding back the reins. I often wondered who was behind the curtain, and what else she had to reveal. Despite this, the book is a luxurious bite into a piece of consciousness cake.

Written in a formal style, the book is not nearly as dense as say, a Ken Wilber book might be. Clayton breaks complicated subjects down into easy to understand pieces. True seekers will want to read this book over and over, each time achieving new insights. This is a superb beginning for a modern meditation master. Transformative Meditation is a must read for seekers of the truth.

Transformative Meditation is the first book I have read that specifically addresses group dynamics. Author Gayle Clayton gives specific guidelines for setting up and maintaining a meditation group. Not only that, she draws road maps that can assist a new group in charting their way.

The book also included a summary of different meditation methods for beginners who may need a description of various methods before choosing to spend a lot of time on one method that may not suit them.

Another subject detailed in this book is the use of meditative energy that is generated specifically by a group. Having experienced this energy but unable to explain or navigate the phenomenon by myself, I was excited to have someone explore and clarify that aspect of meditation.

I'm going through the book with my pastor. Eugene Peterson has some amazing insight, and it has short chapters so you don't have to stress over reading one chapter at a time. It is a great read and It's hard to put down.

Excellent book! My Bible class has been using it as a guide.

Mr. Peterson is so great at modernizing the words of Paul. As a result of reading this book, it would be difficult to misunderstand the truth intended in Paul's letter to the Galatians throughout the centuries. These pages exemplify freedom upon freedom. Truly, I believe Mr. Peterson is one of the best Christian authors of our time.

Peterson develops his devotional commentary around the relevant central theme in Galatians of FREEDOM. Contains simple and powerful insights to aid any who feel pressured to conform to external religious standards in order to find acceptance with God or the religious community. Peterson delivers with conviction and passion. Full of excellent illustrations and applications. An aid both to understanding each passage and flow of this Bible book (notable are his well thought out chapter divisions and contemporary textual paraphrase), but also grasping and applying its central theme. Very readable.

My copy is well worn for my frequent return trips. Buy it! You won't be disappointed.