Aligned Relaxed Resilient

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