The practice of yoga, hypnosis, and the use of psychedelic drugs to alter psychological and physiological states is not unknown to the study of psychology. They have been called "soft" studies and labeled unimportant. This is mostly because they are difficult to study and understand, often focusing on unobservable internal states such as altered states of consciousness, Samadhi, or hypnotic states. This book, in its approach to thinking about this topic and method for analysis, focuses only on phenomena that can be observed, such as behavioral changes.

By centering on only those aspects of the psychological and physiological effects of yoga, hypnosis, and psychedelic drugs which can be measured and analyzed using this new method, Barber distinguishes this book from others in the field. He asks what overt behaviors and verbal reports are clearly observable when psychedelic drugs are taken, yoga is practiced, or hypnotic-induction procedures are administered. Instead of treating the phenomena traditionally associated with psychedelic drugs, yoga, or hypnosis as undifferentiated conglomerates, an attempt will be made to set apart and treat separately each of the many phenomena associated with each of these areas of inquiry.

This book does not set out to simply demonstrate the importance of psychedelics, yoga, and hypnosis, or to present substantive material pertaining to these topics. It also treats each topic as continuous with other known psychological phenomena and as an important piece to the puzzle of social psychology. It differs from most previous treatises in that it does not assume that psychedelics, yoga, and hypnosis can bring out unused mental or physical capacities in man, heighten awareness or give rise to enhanced creativity, or produce altered states of consciousness, suspension of conventional reality-orientation, changes in body-image, or changes in perception.

There is a universe inside you waiting to be illuminated and explored. The Wandering Star Tarot is a compass for seekers and dreamers who search for the treasures that lie within the heart, mind and spirit. The unique, hand-drawn artwork of this deck - with keywords curling in and out of the background of each image - invites readers of all levels to work with the cards intuitively, no memorization required. The Hay House edition will include some new artwork and a new 79th "Wandering Star" card. Filled with hopeful messages, spreads and positive quotes, the accompanying guidebook offers readers a deeper dive into The Wandering Star Tarot's whimsical world of archetypes and self-discovery into a place where all beings share space with peace, respect and equality.

We all wish to be more mindful, engaged, present - loving the life we are living, but is this possible and how? You Are Not Your Thoughts: The Secret Magic of Mindfulness makes the journey into a mindful way of being a profoundly simple one, both to understand and to access. It is a book for those who want to truly know the power of mindfulness to transform their experience of life. '...There are thousands of books out there to help us combat our inner self-destructive voice... if I could go back in time and read only one book on the subject, this is it.' Joe Pasquale, Comedian and Actor

Nobel Peace Prize nominee, internationally renowned Zen master and bestselling author Thich Nhat Hanh shares his mindful techniques in mastering the art of living. 'Thich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout...a scholar of immense intellectual capacity' -- Martin Luther King '[He] shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on earth' -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama 'The father of mindfulness' -- Irish Times 'Easy to read and understand' -- ***** Reader review 'Uplifting, questioning, and reaffirming' -- ***** Reader review 'An enlightening book by a truly enlightened being' -- ***** Reader review 'Compulsive reading' -- ***** Reader review ''The Art of Living' is probably the best Buddhist book I've read so far' -- ***** Reader review ************************************************************************** Master the art of living from one of the world's most revered spiritual leaders. Thich Nhat Hanh, the world's most renowned Zen master, turns his mindful attention to the most important subject of all - the art of living. The bestselling author of The Miracle of Mindfulness presents, for the first time, seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships and our interconnectedness with the world around us. He reveals an art of living in mindfulness that helps us answer life's deepest questions, experience the happiness and freedom we desire and face ageing and dying with curiosity and joy instead of fear. Stimulating and inspiring, this book teaches us the importance of looking inside ourselves and developing compassion, before we can turn to our relationships at home and in the wider world. Full of remarkable stories from Thich Nhat Hanh's own experiences and mindful practices for engaging with life, this will be a book that will help us generate happiness, understanding and love so we can live deeply in each moment of our life, right where we are. Thich Nhat Hanh is the subject of the major documentary Walk With Me narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch

Colour and Doodle Your Stress Away It s impossible to stay 'on' all the time. Just as a car engine overheats if you continue to rev it, keeping your mind in high gear puts it under a level of pressure it can't sustain. If you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or agitated, and unable to think clearly, take your foot of the pedal, and clear your mind with The Mindfulness Colouring and Activity Book, from Gill Hasson, the author of the best-selling book Mindfulness. This portable book contains colouring, games, and activities all designed to give you a break from your everyday concerns, switch off your mind, wind down and relax. They give your mind something specific to focus on, allowing thoughts to flow easily but without any complex thinking or planning. Each activity provides a balance between challenge and skill. The level of engagement keeps your attention so focused that you become fully absorbed in the moment, preventing stressful thoughts from entering your head. The Mindfulness Colouring and Activity Book includes: Colouring Zentangles Optical illusion activities Origami Mazes Word Puzzles Doodling activities Drawing games Observation games

DELVE INTO THE SCIENCE BEHIND YOUR PRACTICE WITH THIS ESSENTIAL AND PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MEDITATION 'This is a book that really can change your life' Arianna Huffington, author of the New York Times bestseller The Sleep Revolution Meditation is fascinating, but often it feels elusive. How can simple exercises change your mental state? How can focussing your breathing lead to changes in your personality? For the first time, Harvard collaborators Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson share the science behind the practice. Drawing on cutting edge research and sweeping away common misconceptions, they show how to improve your technique, how smart practice can cultivate selflessness, equanimity, love and compassion, and even redesign our neural circuitry. Whether you're a beginner or have meditated for years, bring mindfulness and meditation into your life with an essential read for the world we live in now. 'A happy synthesis of the authors' remarkable careers.' Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and Mindfulness for Beginners

Taoism for Beginners is a practical guide to applying the key notions, concepts and beliefs underlying Taoism's various branches and schools. Authors C. Alexander and Annellen Simpkins tap into their years of training and study in meditation, martial arts and Eastern philosophy to provide readers with a comprehensive introduction to the spiritual tenets and attainments that mark the holistic pathway to a life more in balance. This book offers readers: A clear explanation of what Taoism is and how to apply its most salient tenets and teachings to your daily life Simple exercises to enable you to lead a calmer and more mindful, connected life--taking in a range of practices that include meditation, breathing, chi kung and tai chi chuan An exploration of the origins and background of Taoism, including the various sects and schools of thought An informative discussion of key Taoist concepts, including wu-wei (nonaction), yin and yang, and the powerful way of De (the cradle of power, virtue and life) This new edition has been updated by the author to include the connections between Taoism and mindfulness and meditation, as well as ritualized practices to heighten mind-body connection in order to control chi (energy). Taoist principles and concepts have guided people on the path to harmony, wholeness, balance and greater well-being for millennia. This beginning resource makes an ancient religion, its practices and history accessible for a twenty-first century reader.

Just as grief is an experience that affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually, yoga sustains and strengthens us in all of those same areas. This book demonstrates how the principles and practices of yoga can help relieve symptoms of grief allowing those who have experienced loss to move toward wholeness, peace, and feelings of connection with loved ones who have died. Exploring the six branches of yoga, the book shows how each branch can support us through grief in different ways whether it be the self-reflection of Jnana Yoga, the spiritual devotion of Bhakti Yoga, the meditation of Raja Yoga, or the physical postures of Hatha Yoga. We are shown how to begin and sustain a personal practice, both on and off the yoga mat, which helps us to cope with and move through grief on multiple levels. Expressive and experiential exercises are included to help explore each of the branches of yoga and find ways to put the tenets of each branch into real life practice.

Stop chasing sleep and start welcoming rest with these 365 peaceful, nighttime meditations to help you fall back to sleep with ease. Many familiar tales and legends have tended toward the belief that the moon has an impact on us both physically and metaphysically. Legends aside, we learn in school that the moon has control over the ocean's tides, as well as many other elements and creatures on earth-so why would humans be exempt? The moon is more than its beautiful exterior. As a spiritual entity, it is known to have control over your emotions, mental health, and sleeping habits. With that in mind, Moon Meditations opens the opportunity for you to explore your spiritual connection with Luna. Illustrated with unique and stunning artwork, this book allows you to experience the moon's full power through nightly meditations and affirmations, proven to help you embrace the rest, relaxation, and restorative sleep every night has to offer. These affirmations can be used daily to promote the power of self-worth and inspire self love, making this the perfect resource to help you tune out any distraction that hinders your rest and tap into the tranquility of the night. An example of the affirmations you will fine throughout Moon Meditations: Your Authenticity Helps Others "Be fearless in embodying your truest expression, even when it means being misunderstood or rejected. Your authenticity not only heals you but also paves the way for others to see their own unique light. Your authentic self is your greatest gift to the world." Easily implement calm, gratitude, and meditation into your daily habits with the Daily Gratitude series. These inspiring books guide you through the process of building mindful habits for your preferred schedule or personal goals. They are beautifully designed and elegantly put together to make your journey enjoyable as well as simple. Also available from the series: Sunrise Gratitude and Moonlight Gratitude.

From the Sunday Times bestselling author Kirsty Gallagher comes Sacred Seasons - a guide to living in alignment with nature's cycles & seasonal celebrations. We live such busy lives and have completely lost touch with nature. This is a handbook for reconnecting back with nature's energy, wisdom and a natural way of living. It will make you more observant, pausing to take stock of each season and how it's making you feel so you can take care of yourself all year round. Packed with nourishing rituals, practices and Kirsty's trademark wisdom, Sacred Seasons will show you how to draw on inspiration from nature's events, including the spring equinox, the summer solstice, the autumn equinox and Imbolc.

This unprecedented volume contains powerful invocations that can be used during each successive full moon, to aid humanity in canalizing the potent energies available only during this special time of the month. Helena Blavatsky and the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul through Alice Bailey's writings, first introduced the art and science of invocation to the western world. Full moon group meditations take place globally amongst many religions and spiritual faiths. This book will peak the interest of meditators around the world.

Living Lunarly is the nature-inspired self-care book powered by the cycles of the moon. As you follow the lunar cycle, you'll set monthly intentions, explore plant care, crystals, and meditation, and find new emotional strength in aligning with nature. Never has the idea of mindfully checking in with yourself and creating a "whole body" health-health that is more than simply the absence of illness-been so appealing. This book reveals how introspection, ritual, and love can help you lead a more spiritually fulfilling life. You will learn how to use the phases of the moon to guide you in your intention-setting practice. As the moon waxes and wanes, use it to set a path of persistent self-reflection. Suggested practices and exercises for 12 moons across the year echo the seasonal properties of each moon. For each of the 12 moons, you'll find a unique ritual or exercise for every lunar phase, from new moon to waning crescent. These include: Intention-setting rituals connected to the new moon and full moon Exercises centered around growth, including plant care and other rituals rooted in nature Meditation and breathwork to help you calm and ground yourself Tips for nourishment, deep sleep, and beauty rituals to celebrate your body Journaling prompts to help you explore your monthly intention Other techniques to help you process your emotions and give and receive loving-kindness in everyday life By following the book through the moons of the year, you'll gain a natural sense of the powers and properties of each season and phase of the moon, and of which rituals and practices resonate most deeply with you. As you incorporate these practices into the rhythm of your days, you'll find yourself moving in greater harmony with natural cycles, and benefiting from your deepening connection to the world around you. Living Lunarly gives you an accessible yet thorough guide to creating a self-care practice linked to the lunar cycle that is meaningful, individual, and powerfully healing.

In an increasingly hectic world, Plantfulness is a guide to help you reconnect with nature while reaching for a peaceful and mindful life. Finding the perfect houseplant for you can be daunting, particularly for those who feel like they have a black touch rather than a green thumb, but Plantfulness guides you through 50 houseplants which can give back to you in a symbiotic relationship which allows you both to thrive. Featuring the practical benefits, from cleaner air and beautiful scents, to the emotional ones, like creative inspiration and a daily sense of accomplishment for caring for them, Plantfulness is the perfect choice for anyone wishing to improve their wellbeing and enjoy nature from the comfort of their home. An internationally respected expert on mindfulness and houseplant enthusiast, Dr Jonathan Kaplan works as a clinical psychologist in New York City. He lives with his wife, 2 kids, 2 cats, and asparagus fern Rhonda.

A pocket-sized collection of mindfulness practices anyone can do anytime--from the author of "Mindful Eating."
Mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health and quality of life, and give you deep insight. Meditation practice is one way to do it, but not the only way. In fact, there are easy ways to fit it into your everyday life. Jan Chozen Bays provides here 25 practices that can be used on the go to cultivate mindfulness. The three-breath practice, the mindfulness of entering rooms, offering compliments, tasting your food one careful bite at a time--these deceptively simple practices can have a cumulative effect for the better. The book is an abridgment of Bays's longer collection "How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness."

Learn how the meditative practice of knitting can evolve into a spiritual discipline. One third (53 million) of American women know how to knit, and knitting is becoming increasingly popular with men as well. Many of these knitters belong to social knitting circles, charity knitting groups, or knit with others in churches, cafes-and even in bars! This book shows how knitting creates connections and communities, and ties the repetition of knitting to the consistent recitation of prayer. It also compares the act of knitting to the spiritual journey, from starting something new to how we handle mistakes. Many people would like to incorporate a spiritual practice into their frenetic lives only to become discouraged and give up when they try. Those who knit are able to experience its calming effects and dedicate time to their craft each day.

Make a spiritual connection to nature with real, raw, natural incense The Incense Bible is a comprehensive guide to the spiritual meaning of real, raw, natural incense and how to use it in prayer, meditation, or simply in creating a home environment to reconnect with divinity and nature. This unique book examines the spiritual and ritual uses of pure incense (not sticks, cones, or synthetic mixtures), explores our attraction to it, and explains how we can use it at home to increase wellness. Filled with easy-to-use references and easy-to-understand technical information, the book also looks at the use of incense in health and medicine, a history of its use in a variety of countries and cultures, and various types of raw incense, including eucalyptus, sandalwood, sweet grass, agarwood, frankincense, and myrrh. The Incense Bible examines aspects of spirituality and religion, health and medicine, botanical medicines, ethnobotany, and history of real incensenot the low-quality, processed, synthetic fragrances most people think of as incense. This enlightening and entertaining book, written in everyday language and filled with photgraphs, examines why incense appeals to our sense of smell, of adventure, and of spiritual and physical well-beingand has for centuries. The book looks at the use of incense for purifications and cleansings, creative inspiration, meditation, worship and prayer, for inducing dreams and sleep, to improve learning and problem solving, and as a perfume for clothes, hair, and body. Topics examined in The Incense Bible include: types of raw incense, including balsam, cedar, mugwort and moxa, and white sage safety how the sense of smell works the link between taste and scent scent and memory allergies and sensitivities oils and flower essences for healing how to make incense incense materials and symbols the use of incense in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times, in Buddhism and Shamanism, in Israel, in the Catholic Church, in Native American sweat lodges, and in the African rainforest and much more! The Incense Bible is an essential resource for anyone interested in health and natural medicine, botanical medicines, and ethnobotany, and for anyone seeking to express their spirituality by reconnecting to nature

Make a spiritual connection to nature with real, raw, natural incense The Incense Bible is a comprehensive guide to the spiritual meaning of real, raw, natural incense and how to use it in prayer, meditation, or simply in creating a home environment to reconnect with divinity and nature. This unique book examines the spiritual and ritual uses of pure incense (not sticks, cones, or synthetic mixtures), explores our attraction to it, and explains how we can use it at home to increase wellness. Filled with easy-to-use references and easy-to-understand technical information, the book also looks at the use of incense in health and medicine, a history of its use in a variety of countries and cultures, and various types of raw incense, including eucalyptus, sandalwood, sweet grass, agarwood, frankincense, and myrrh. The Incense Bible examines aspects of spirituality and religion, health and medicine, botanical medicines, ethnobotany, and history of real incensenot the low-quality, processed, synthetic fragrances most people think of as incense. This enlightening and entertaining book, written in everyday language and filled with photgraphs, examines why incense appeals to our sense of smell, of adventure, and of spiritual and physical well-beingand has for centuries. The book looks at the use of incense for purifications and cleansings, creative inspiration, meditation, worship and prayer, for inducing dreams and sleep, to improve learning and problem solving, and as a perfume for clothes, hair, and body. Topics examined in The Incense Bible include: types of raw incense, including balsam, cedar, mugwort and moxa, and white sage safety how the sense of smell works the link between taste and scent scent and memory allergies and sensitivities oils and flower essences for healing how to make incense incense materials and symbols the use of incense in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times, in Buddhism and Shamanism, in Israel, in the Catholic Church, in Native American sweat lodges, and in the African rainforest and much more! The Incense Bible is an essential resource for anyone interested in health and natural medicine, botanical medicines, and ethnobotany, and for anyone seeking to express their spirituality by reconnecting to nature

Discover the power of mirror meditation to help you awaken self-compassion, increase self-awareness, and gain the confidence needed to thrive. Seeing ourselves clearly isn't always easy--especially in the age of social media. Technology has eroded our capacity for authentic self-reflection. As a result, we feel more anxious and depressed, have shorter attention spans, and have become more estranged from ourselves and each other. We've also become more critical of our physical appearance, and this self-criticism can damage our confidence and stand in the way of our happiness. In order to heal, we must come face to face with our true selves--not the images of ourselves that we alter and post online. If you're ready for self-reflection that has nothing to do with selfies, this book will reveal the way. Based in cutting-edge neuroscience, Mirror Meditation offers mindful practices for increasing your self-awareness, managing stress and emotions, developing self-compassion, and increasing your confidence and personal presence. Using the three principles of mindfulness meditation--attention to the present moment, open awareness, and kind intention toward oneself--you'll realize just how much your self-criticisms are affecting you. Then you'll have a choice--and a practice--to treat yourself with more self-acceptance. Self-awareness can help you break free from both your inner critic and the external world that stokes the fears and anxieties that we are never good enough, never have enough, and are never safe enough. The simple self-mirroring technique in this unique guide isn't grounded in technology--just a commitment to be present with yourself.