The Awakening Body
Joy and freedom are the essence of who we are—yet our conceptual filters keep us from connecting to this wonderful inherent truth about ourselves. But the solution to the problem is literally right at our fingertips (and feet, head, and ears): the body. When we learn to see through the mind-body dichotomy we also see through the unreality of the painful knots we tend to tie ourselves in.
Reggie Ray presents here six fundamental practices that enable us to use the body itself as a supremely powerful tool for connecting us to the joyful reality of who we really are. These practices allow us to bypass the mental fabrications that keep us from experiencing our world and lead us directly to the richness of living a fully present, embodied human life.
Includes a link to free downloads of recorded guided practices.
"Reggie Ray makes accessible some of the deepest Buddhist teachings through connection with the sensing, living body. This book will be a companion and practical guide to all those interested in discovering the wisdom of the body, whether beginners or longtime meditators." —Peter A. Levine, PhD, author of Waking the Tiger
"A powerful book that brings the body fully into awakening." —Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center
"Reggie Ray’s decades of practice, study, and teaching shine through The Awakening Body. For those drawn to somatic practice, this is an essential guide. The re-contextualization of ancient and deep understandings makes them highly accessible for the modern practitioner. Reggie has become so familiar with these esoteric practices that he can explain them quite simply, revealing their true purpose for all who wish to engage them." —Sharon Salzberg
"The Awakening Body is a vital resource for practitioners of all movement disciplines to plumb the depths of their somatic interior. I think this book will be a tremendous resource for those wanting to yoke to their innermost breath and pulse in order to become clear sentient beings, wide awake in the world." —Tias Little, author of Yoga of the Subtle Body
"The Awakening Body is an unusual book. It offers detailed somatic practices (meant to be accompanied by guided meditations offered online) for awakening to the vastness within—beyond thinking and conceptualization. As a Zen practitioner, much of this sounds familiar to me, but this practice is clearer and more detailed than typical suggestions offered in Zen. Reggie Ray has spent a lifetime working on somatic techniques, both in and out of Vajrayana Buddhism, and has distilled what he has learned into a concrete methodology. This book is of interest to those who would want to devote themselves to its practice—as well as those seeking illumination for their own meditation." —Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Zen priest and poet, coauthor of What is Zen?: Plain Talk for a Beginner's Mind
"Reginald Ray is illuminating an essential point for our happiness, healing, and transformation in this priceless book. He clearly and profoundly shows us the importance of the spirituality of the body and how to practice in a way that can be integrated into everyday life. This is an eloquent expression of his work that has already helped many people." —Anam Thubten, author of Embracing Each Moment and No Self, No Problem