BarefootAndUpsideDown

Other Media Recommendations: Articles , Inspiration , Meditation and Deep Relaxation , Yoga texts

DEEP RELAXATION & YOGA NIDRA

Relax & Renew, Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. Judith Lasater. This is the classic text on restorative yoga. How I remember when I received my first copy of Relax & Renew: I thought: ell this is wimpy yoga–I want a more physical practice–I’m not going to hang out in those easy poses! The book sat, unused, on my bookshelf for several years. Then I finally got it. I don’t know what happened, or when exactly or why, but suddenly the restorative poses made sense. I think it was a natural outcome of several years of regular asana practice. As students travel deeper along on the yogic path, they begin to realize that the reason to attempt “pretzeldom” is to achieve the state of deep relaxation which is conducive to meditative focus. AS many before me have said: It’s not how twisted into pretzeldom you can go, nor is it whether you can perform 108 sun salutations in a row; it is how fast you can drop into the non-thought space. The blissful space of pure being. This is a roundabout way of saying that this is yoga as it should be practiced by all yogis at least once per week. Let go of your striving to achieve armless head balance and enter the blissful state of an extended supported baddhakonasana!

Lasater is a fabulous teacher. She trains and certifies students in “Relax & Renew.” Check out her web site o the side bar under yoga links.

Yoga Nidra. (cd) James Newell.

Yoga Nidra, the Meditative Heart of Yoga. Richard Miller. (cd & text). I don’t know how many times I have practiced with this cd, and used it in my class. Every time I use it, I learn or hear something new. I’m thinking I really want to study with Richard Miller–that is how highly I think of his yoga nidra work. Until I can afford it though, I have bought the second set (see below). At least one student was as enamored of Miller’s Yoga Nidra as I was and bought herself a copy to practice when she couldn’t make it to class. I have put it on the required list for my meditation seminar at SUNY Fredonia.

Integrative Restoration, the Ancient Practice of Yoga Nidra for Easing Stress, Healing Trauma, And Awakening to Your Timeless Presence. (cds) Richard Miller. This is another very well done yoga nidra set. The first cd teaches the whys and hows of yoga nidra and is excellent. Miller is obviously steeped in the tradition and though he comes out of the ashtanga yoga sect, I feel his presence most keenly. If you want to go deeper into yoga nidra–and who wouldn’t?–invest in this set of 6cds.

The Ease of Being, Guided Meditations for Healing and Centering.(cd) Mary and Richard Maddux. This cd is amazing. Read the jacket copy. Mary recorded a session with her students, unscripted! The students in my meditation seminar at SUNY Fredonia love this guided meditation and they passed it around as if it were candy…OK maybe as if it were beer! I am anxious to hear more from this dynamic couple! I think I can guarantee that you will feel centered after practicing with this guide….recommended whenever your vata is high

Rocky Mountain National Park 1979

MINDFULNESS

Peace is Every Step, The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. Thich Nhat Hanh. This book, told in Thich Nhat Hanh’s trademark simplicity, is really a handbook for living a human life. What if all humans had a copy? The world would be a very different place. Maybe someone should send a copy to our president and his staff!

There are practices suitable for all ages. Not only are there specific practices for making life more mindful, Hanh gives advice for mindful relationships with your parents, kids, even suggests ways to love your spouse more deeply and peacefully. Each reading is short, usually only one page. They are easy to read but take some work to implement. I wish I’d had a copy of PEACE when my kids were young. I keep a copy in my bathroom for those quick, but mindful stops during the day.

Full Catastrophe Living. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Zinn’s thesis is that life is comprised of a series of catastrophes. Why do we ever expect otherwise? We need to learn to deal with these events in a healthy manner. To this end, he teaches several techniques, including yogic stretches, body scans, and sitting meditation. I’ve leant this book to several people and they’ve come back feeling as if their life was transforming because of Zinn’s practices. Just accepting his thesis is enough to change anyone’s outlook on life!

A Path With Heart. Jack Kornfield.

Walking Meditation. (dvd, text, cd) Nguyen Anh-Huong and Thich Nhat Hanh. Here is everything you really need ot know about walking meditation. The dvd is Thich Nhat Hanh talking to a group of dharma students. The cd is a guided walking meditation with Nguyen Anh-Huong. Like Nhat Hanh, Anh-Huong presents a very simple message that we all want to run away from. Stick with it! It’s a practice and no one is going to be perfectly mindful every time. But, hey, we can try, right? Hopefully we’ll all achieve a few blessed moments of grace while slowly and consciously moving our feet across the planet.

ZEN

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Audiotape. Suzuki Roshi, read by Peter Coyote.

MANTRA

Malas, Mantras, and Meditation. Sandra Ducey. Wow. This book was really well done. It explained in clear language the meaning behind the mumbo-jumbo! The whole idea of there being certain sound vibrations that can have effects I still grapple with….though I do believe in the power of prayer…with or without beneficial vibratory modes….I know that when I recite my mantra I am often flooded with feelings of well-being…but what’s that all about? What other effects can mantras have? Some say they are VERY powerful…I just can’t say that I have experienced them in that way….yet….Perhaps youcan find a used copy of this pamphlet somewhere. Mine was printed by Chitralekhaa.

TANTRA

Tantra, The Path of Ecstasy. Georg Fuerstein. Fuerstein is such an incredible writer as well as scholar! Tantra is so much about energy, moving and controlling energy. Hatha yoga is as well. This should be your first “tantra” reading. Fuerstein discusses tantra’s history and practices, including it’s relationship to yoga. Extensive notes and references are included. This is one of those cornerstone books I will refer to over and over again.