Meditation as Spiritual Therapy

Meditation as Spiritual Therapy

Author: Matthew McWhorter

Publisher: CUA Press

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 0813238005

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Christian persons today might seek spiritual development and ponder the benefit of mindfulness exercises but also maintain concerns if they perceive such exercises to originate from other religious traditions. Such persons may not be aware of a long tradition of meditation practice in Christianity that promotes personal growth. This spiritual tradition receives a careful formulation by Christian monastic authors in the twelfth century. One such teaching on meditation is found in the treatise De consideratione written by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) to Pope Eugene III (d. 1153). In textual passages where St. Bernard exhibits a clear concern for the mental health of the Pope (due to numerous ongoing ecclesial, political, and military problems), St. Bernard reminds Eugene III of his original monastic vocation and the meditation exercises associated with that vocation. The advice that St. Bernard gives to Eugene III can be received today in a way that provides a structure for Christian meditation practice which is relevant for personal development, spiritual direction, and civil psychotherapy that integrates a client's spirituality into the course of treatment. St. Bernard thus might be interpreted as a teacher of a kind of Christian mindfulness that can benefit both a person's mental health as well as a person's relationship with God. Meditation as Spiritual Therapy examines the historical context of Bernard's work, his purpose for writing it, as well as the numerous Christian sources he drew upon to formulate his teaching. Bernard's teaching on the course of meditation itself is explored in depth and in dialogue with his other treatises, letters, and sermons. Lastly, a contemporary summary of Bernard's teaching is provided with reflections concerning the relationship of this teaching to contemporary spiritual direction and spiritually integrated civil psychotherapy.


Book Synopsis Meditation as Spiritual Therapy by : Matthew McWhorter

Download or read book Meditation as Spiritual Therapy written by Matthew McWhorter and published by CUA Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian persons today might seek spiritual development and ponder the benefit of mindfulness exercises but also maintain concerns if they perceive such exercises to originate from other religious traditions. Such persons may not be aware of a long tradition of meditation practice in Christianity that promotes personal growth. This spiritual tradition receives a careful formulation by Christian monastic authors in the twelfth century. One such teaching on meditation is found in the treatise De consideratione written by St. Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) to Pope Eugene III (d. 1153). In textual passages where St. Bernard exhibits a clear concern for the mental health of the Pope (due to numerous ongoing ecclesial, political, and military problems), St. Bernard reminds Eugene III of his original monastic vocation and the meditation exercises associated with that vocation. The advice that St. Bernard gives to Eugene III can be received today in a way that provides a structure for Christian meditation practice which is relevant for personal development, spiritual direction, and civil psychotherapy that integrates a client's spirituality into the course of treatment. St. Bernard thus might be interpreted as a teacher of a kind of Christian mindfulness that can benefit both a person's mental health as well as a person's relationship with God. Meditation as Spiritual Therapy examines the historical context of Bernard's work, his purpose for writing it, as well as the numerous Christian sources he drew upon to formulate his teaching. Bernard's teaching on the course of meditation itself is explored in depth and in dialogue with his other treatises, letters, and sermons. Lastly, a contemporary summary of Bernard's teaching is provided with reflections concerning the relationship of this teaching to contemporary spiritual direction and spiritually integrated civil psychotherapy.

Meditation As Medicine

Meditation As Medicine

Author: Guru Dharma Singh Khalsa

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2011-02-22

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 1439117535

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Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa “shows us how the tremendous power of medical meditation can heal not only the body but also the mind and soul” (Deepak Chopra) in this practical and engaging guide to natural healing. Proven effective by scientific research and presented here by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth, the practice of Medical Meditation revolutionizes the healing process. By balancing and regenerating the body's ethereal and physical energies through simple meditations, Medical Meditation unites the mind, body, and spirit into a powerful triad. Each Medical Meditation here has a specific physiological effect, targeting afflictions from arthritis to ulcers to cancer. Dr. Khalsa details the five unique attributes that endow this type of meditation with far more power than standard meditation. The combination of special postures and movements; exact positioning of the hands and fingers; particular mantras; specific breathing patterns; and a unique focus of concentration can change your entire biochemical profile, easing you into a calm, healing state. Practiced in conjunction with conventional or alternative medical treatments, cutting-edge Medical Meditation activates the healing force within you.


Book Synopsis Meditation As Medicine by : Guru Dharma Singh Khalsa

Download or read book Meditation As Medicine written by Guru Dharma Singh Khalsa and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-02-22 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa “shows us how the tremendous power of medical meditation can heal not only the body but also the mind and soul” (Deepak Chopra) in this practical and engaging guide to natural healing. Proven effective by scientific research and presented here by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth, the practice of Medical Meditation revolutionizes the healing process. By balancing and regenerating the body's ethereal and physical energies through simple meditations, Medical Meditation unites the mind, body, and spirit into a powerful triad. Each Medical Meditation here has a specific physiological effect, targeting afflictions from arthritis to ulcers to cancer. Dr. Khalsa details the five unique attributes that endow this type of meditation with far more power than standard meditation. The combination of special postures and movements; exact positioning of the hands and fingers; particular mantras; specific breathing patterns; and a unique focus of concentration can change your entire biochemical profile, easing you into a calm, healing state. Practiced in conjunction with conventional or alternative medical treatments, cutting-edge Medical Meditation activates the healing force within you.

Meditation and Spiritual Life

Meditation and Spiritual Life

Author: Swami Yatiswarananda

Publisher:

Published: 1979

Total Pages: 750

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Meditation and Spiritual Life by : Swami Yatiswarananda

Download or read book Meditation and Spiritual Life written by Swami Yatiswarananda and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Who Am I Without You?

Who Am I Without You?

Author: Christina G. Hibbert

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2015-03-01

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 1626251444

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If a breakup or divorce has drained your confidence and shattered your self-esteem, this book is for you. Written by a clinical psychologist and expert in women’s health, Who Am I Without You? will help you work through your heartache, rediscover your self-worth, and learn to live and love again. Breakups can send you into a tailspin, causing an identity crisis and loss of self-worth. So how do you get back to the person you once were? Who Am I Without You? will teach you powerful skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), positive psychology, and mindfulness that will help you tackle the difficult emotions that can surface after a breakup, such as grief, loss, anger, fear, worry, and low self-esteem. Comprised of fifty-two small chapters, the tools and exercises in this book are easy to apply, and will help you pick up the pieces of your broken identity, put them back together, shine yourself up, and get back out into the world—whole again and better than ever. Anyone who’s been through a breakup or divorce knows just how painful it can be. And nowhere does a breakup or divorce hit harder than our identity and sense of self-worth. If you're ready to move past the pain of the end of your relationship and reclaim your confidence, this book will show you how.


Book Synopsis Who Am I Without You? by : Christina G. Hibbert

Download or read book Who Am I Without You? written by Christina G. Hibbert and published by New Harbinger Publications. This book was released on 2015-03-01 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If a breakup or divorce has drained your confidence and shattered your self-esteem, this book is for you. Written by a clinical psychologist and expert in women’s health, Who Am I Without You? will help you work through your heartache, rediscover your self-worth, and learn to live and love again. Breakups can send you into a tailspin, causing an identity crisis and loss of self-worth. So how do you get back to the person you once were? Who Am I Without You? will teach you powerful skills based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), positive psychology, and mindfulness that will help you tackle the difficult emotions that can surface after a breakup, such as grief, loss, anger, fear, worry, and low self-esteem. Comprised of fifty-two small chapters, the tools and exercises in this book are easy to apply, and will help you pick up the pieces of your broken identity, put them back together, shine yourself up, and get back out into the world—whole again and better than ever. Anyone who’s been through a breakup or divorce knows just how painful it can be. And nowhere does a breakup or divorce hit harder than our identity and sense of self-worth. If you're ready to move past the pain of the end of your relationship and reclaim your confidence, this book will show you how.

Directing Our Inner Light

Directing Our Inner Light

Author: Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

Publisher: Hay House, Inc

Published: 2020-09-01

Total Pages: 81

ISBN-13: 1401962017

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Brian L. Weiss, M.D., psychiatrist and New York Times best-selling author, offers soothing sanity in turbulent times. This short course in meditation gives readers the tools they need for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and includes an audio download of a guided meditation. This book was previously published by Hay House as Meditation: Achieving Inner Peace and Tranquility in Your Life. In Directing Our Inner Light, Brian L. Weiss, M.D., offers an audio download of a guided meditation and explains the techniques he has used to help thousands of patients around the world harness the healing powers of meditation. You'll learn how relaxation, visualization, and regression can be used to release fears in a holistic way, strengthen the immune system, and alleviate chronic pain and illness, among other benefits. The practice of meditation also helps rid the mind of stress, intrusive thoughts, and the pressures of the world, opening you up to what's truly important. The more you meditate, the further you move away from the level of everyday consciousness (encompassing frustration, anxiety, and worry), and the closer you draw to the higher perspective of enlightenment. As you progress along this path, it becomes easier to achieve increasingly higher levels of spirituality.


Book Synopsis Directing Our Inner Light by : Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

Download or read book Directing Our Inner Light written by Brian L. Weiss, M.D. and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brian L. Weiss, M.D., psychiatrist and New York Times best-selling author, offers soothing sanity in turbulent times. This short course in meditation gives readers the tools they need for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing, and includes an audio download of a guided meditation. This book was previously published by Hay House as Meditation: Achieving Inner Peace and Tranquility in Your Life. In Directing Our Inner Light, Brian L. Weiss, M.D., offers an audio download of a guided meditation and explains the techniques he has used to help thousands of patients around the world harness the healing powers of meditation. You'll learn how relaxation, visualization, and regression can be used to release fears in a holistic way, strengthen the immune system, and alleviate chronic pain and illness, among other benefits. The practice of meditation also helps rid the mind of stress, intrusive thoughts, and the pressures of the world, opening you up to what's truly important. The more you meditate, the further you move away from the level of everyday consciousness (encompassing frustration, anxiety, and worry), and the closer you draw to the higher perspective of enlightenment. As you progress along this path, it becomes easier to achieve increasingly higher levels of spirituality.

A Still Forest Pool

A Still Forest Pool

Author: Achaan Chah

Publisher: Quest Books

Published: 2013-10-23

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 0835630234

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Achaan Chah spent many years walking and meditating in the forest monastery of Wat Ba Pong, engaging in the uncomplicated and disciplined Buddhist practice called dhudanga. A Still Forest Pool reflects the quiet, intensive, and joyous practice of the forest monks of Thailand. Achaan Chah’s humble words, compiled by two Westerners who are former ordained monks, awaken the spirit of inquiry, wonderment, understanding, and deep inner peace. Attachment, according to Achaan Chah, causes all suffering. Understanding the impermanent, insecure, and selfless nature of life is the message he offers for human happiness and realization. To vividly grasp the meaning of attachment leads us to a new place of practice – the path of balance, the Middle Path.


Book Synopsis A Still Forest Pool by : Achaan Chah

Download or read book A Still Forest Pool written by Achaan Chah and published by Quest Books. This book was released on 2013-10-23 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Achaan Chah spent many years walking and meditating in the forest monastery of Wat Ba Pong, engaging in the uncomplicated and disciplined Buddhist practice called dhudanga. A Still Forest Pool reflects the quiet, intensive, and joyous practice of the forest monks of Thailand. Achaan Chah’s humble words, compiled by two Westerners who are former ordained monks, awaken the spirit of inquiry, wonderment, understanding, and deep inner peace. Attachment, according to Achaan Chah, causes all suffering. Understanding the impermanent, insecure, and selfless nature of life is the message he offers for human happiness and realization. To vividly grasp the meaning of attachment leads us to a new place of practice – the path of balance, the Middle Path.

Contemplative Practices in Action

Contemplative Practices in Action

Author: Thomas G. Plante Ph.D.

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2010-07-15

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0313382573

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This groundbreaking primer illuminates contemplative methods that can improve mental and physical health. Contemplative practices, from meditation to Zen, are growing in popularity as methods to inspire physical and mental health. Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health offers readers an introduction to these practices and the ways they can be used in the service of well being, wisdom, healing, and stress reduction. Bringing together various traditions from the East and West, this thought-provoking work summarizes the history of each practice, highlights classic and emerging research proving its power, and details how each practice is performed. Expert authors offer step-by-step approaches to practice methods including the 8-Point Program of Passage Meditation, Centering Prayer, mindful stress management, mantram meditation, energizing meditation, yoga, and Zen. Beneficial practices from Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic religions are also featured. Vignettes illustrate each of the practices, while the contributors explain how and why they are effective in facing challenges as varied as the loss of a partner or child, job loss, chronic pain or disease, or psychological disorders.


Book Synopsis Contemplative Practices in Action by : Thomas G. Plante Ph.D.

Download or read book Contemplative Practices in Action written by Thomas G. Plante Ph.D. and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2010-07-15 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This groundbreaking primer illuminates contemplative methods that can improve mental and physical health. Contemplative practices, from meditation to Zen, are growing in popularity as methods to inspire physical and mental health. Contemplative Practices in Action: Spirituality, Meditation, and Health offers readers an introduction to these practices and the ways they can be used in the service of well being, wisdom, healing, and stress reduction. Bringing together various traditions from the East and West, this thought-provoking work summarizes the history of each practice, highlights classic and emerging research proving its power, and details how each practice is performed. Expert authors offer step-by-step approaches to practice methods including the 8-Point Program of Passage Meditation, Centering Prayer, mindful stress management, mantram meditation, energizing meditation, yoga, and Zen. Beneficial practices from Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic religions are also featured. Vignettes illustrate each of the practices, while the contributors explain how and why they are effective in facing challenges as varied as the loss of a partner or child, job loss, chronic pain or disease, or psychological disorders.

Spirituality and the Healthy Mind

Spirituality and the Healthy Mind

Author: Marc Galanter M.D.

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2005-07-07

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 0198039247

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Spirituality has emerged as a prominent theme in contemporary culture. It is seen in issues as diverse as Eastern philosophies and religious awakenings; its psychological impact is apparent in alternative medicine, Alcoholics Anonymous, and meditation. In their own ways, each of these has helped people get relief from the problems psychiatrists often treat. But the mental health profession has generally ignored these isues, focusing on specific target symptoms, from anxiety to heavy drinking. Their efforts rely increasingy on medications and brief therapies as they succumb to the chilling influence of managed care. This raises an important question: Can the spiritual and professional, two perspectives that seem different, be reconciled? This book is designed to provide an answer to this question. It draws on recent findings in psychology, neuroscience, and innovative therapies to understand how people in America and worldwide express their spiritual needs. It then shows how the mentally ill, substance abusers, and people troubled by a sense that something is missing in their lives can be helped by developing a sense of personal meaning, while still benefitting from contemporary therapy and medications. Finally, it examines shortcomings in both the biomedical and spiritually-oriented approaches. The book draws on clinical experience and recent research studies, including the author's work over thirty years. This is enhanced by case studies drawn from patients, mental health professionals, the lay public, and even cult members. All this is brought together to create a vivid understanding of how mental health treatment can be made more effective by giving meaning to people's lives.


Book Synopsis Spirituality and the Healthy Mind by : Marc Galanter M.D.

Download or read book Spirituality and the Healthy Mind written by Marc Galanter M.D. and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2005-07-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirituality has emerged as a prominent theme in contemporary culture. It is seen in issues as diverse as Eastern philosophies and religious awakenings; its psychological impact is apparent in alternative medicine, Alcoholics Anonymous, and meditation. In their own ways, each of these has helped people get relief from the problems psychiatrists often treat. But the mental health profession has generally ignored these isues, focusing on specific target symptoms, from anxiety to heavy drinking. Their efforts rely increasingy on medications and brief therapies as they succumb to the chilling influence of managed care. This raises an important question: Can the spiritual and professional, two perspectives that seem different, be reconciled? This book is designed to provide an answer to this question. It draws on recent findings in psychology, neuroscience, and innovative therapies to understand how people in America and worldwide express their spiritual needs. It then shows how the mentally ill, substance abusers, and people troubled by a sense that something is missing in their lives can be helped by developing a sense of personal meaning, while still benefitting from contemporary therapy and medications. Finally, it examines shortcomings in both the biomedical and spiritually-oriented approaches. The book draws on clinical experience and recent research studies, including the author's work over thirty years. This is enhanced by case studies drawn from patients, mental health professionals, the lay public, and even cult members. All this is brought together to create a vivid understanding of how mental health treatment can be made more effective by giving meaning to people's lives.

The Buddha Pill

The Buddha Pill

Author: Miguel Farias

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Published: 2019-02-19

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1786782863

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Millions of people meditate daily but can meditative practices really make us ‘better’ people? In The Buddha Pill, pioneering psychologists Dr Miguel Farias and Catherine Wikholm put meditation and mindfulness under the microscope. Separating fact from fiction, they reveal what scientific research – including their groundbreaking study on yoga and meditation with prisoners – tells us about the benefits and limitations of these techniques for improving our lives. As well as illuminating the potential, the authors argue that these practices may have unexpected consequences, and that peace and happiness may not always be the end result. Offering a compelling examination of research on transcendental meditation to recent brain-imaging studies on the effects of mindfulness and yoga, and with fascinating contributions from spiritual teachers and therapists, Farias and Wikholm weave together a unique story about the science and the delusions of personal change.


Book Synopsis The Buddha Pill by : Miguel Farias

Download or read book The Buddha Pill written by Miguel Farias and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2019-02-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of people meditate daily but can meditative practices really make us ‘better’ people? In The Buddha Pill, pioneering psychologists Dr Miguel Farias and Catherine Wikholm put meditation and mindfulness under the microscope. Separating fact from fiction, they reveal what scientific research – including their groundbreaking study on yoga and meditation with prisoners – tells us about the benefits and limitations of these techniques for improving our lives. As well as illuminating the potential, the authors argue that these practices may have unexpected consequences, and that peace and happiness may not always be the end result. Offering a compelling examination of research on transcendental meditation to recent brain-imaging studies on the effects of mindfulness and yoga, and with fascinating contributions from spiritual teachers and therapists, Farias and Wikholm weave together a unique story about the science and the delusions of personal change.

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook (8 Keys to Mental Health)

8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook (8 Keys to Mental Health)

Author: Carolyn Costin

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2017-03-07

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0393711293

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Readers are walked through strategies by a therapist and her former patient. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder was lauded as a "brave and hopeful book" as well as "remarkably readable." Now, the authors have returned with a companion workbook—offering all new assignments, strategies, and personal reflections to help those who suffer from an eating disorder heal their relationship to food and their bodies. Clients of Costin and Grabb consistently tell them that knowing they are both recovered is one of the most helpful aspects of their treatment. With this experience as a foundation, the authors bring together years of clinical expertise and invaluable personal testimony, from themselves and others, to the strategies in this book. Readers will get a glimpse of what it's like to be in therapy with either Carolyn or Gwen. Filled with tried and true practical exercises, goal sheets, food journal forms, clinical anecdotes and stories, readers are guided in exploring their thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies while being encouraged to choose how they want to approach the material. This book is an important resource to anyone living with destructive or self-defeating eating behaviors.


Book Synopsis 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook (8 Keys to Mental Health) by : Carolyn Costin

Download or read book 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder Workbook (8 Keys to Mental Health) written by Carolyn Costin and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Readers are walked through strategies by a therapist and her former patient. 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder was lauded as a "brave and hopeful book" as well as "remarkably readable." Now, the authors have returned with a companion workbook—offering all new assignments, strategies, and personal reflections to help those who suffer from an eating disorder heal their relationship to food and their bodies. Clients of Costin and Grabb consistently tell them that knowing they are both recovered is one of the most helpful aspects of their treatment. With this experience as a foundation, the authors bring together years of clinical expertise and invaluable personal testimony, from themselves and others, to the strategies in this book. Readers will get a glimpse of what it's like to be in therapy with either Carolyn or Gwen. Filled with tried and true practical exercises, goal sheets, food journal forms, clinical anecdotes and stories, readers are guided in exploring their thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies while being encouraged to choose how they want to approach the material. This book is an important resource to anyone living with destructive or self-defeating eating behaviors.