Eastern Wisdom for the Western Mind
by
C. Alexander Simpkins Ph.D.
& Annellen M. Simpkins Ph.D.
Principles of Meditation offers the steps toward
understanding and using meditation in your everyday life. Drs. C.
Alexander and Annellen Simpkins, both psychologists, martial artists,
and frequent meditators, explore the roots of meditation in Yoga,
Buddhism, Zen and Taoism. They provide the mental tools through basic
exercises to train the mind in attention and concentration. By
following these step-by-step instructions, you will learn how to use
meditative skills to relax, reduce stress, enhance your perception of
the world around you, improve sports performance, and prepare
yourself mentally for achieving any of your goals. This book
carefully guides you in how to apply these time-honored Eastern
methods to enhance living.
NAPRA ReView
The Simpkins draw on their extensive background in studies
of the mind and of the martial arts to present a thorough and
comprehensive text on this cornerstone of Eastern philosophy, with
the needs of the Western thinker firmly met. The place of meditation
as a preeminent element of Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, and yoga is
established in Part One; in succeeding chapters, the authors explore
ways to harness the benefits of meditation as a tool to enhance
concentration and quality of life, control habits, and improve sports
performance. A variety of exercises are provided, with clear and
easy-to-follow directions for making these principles a part of your
life.
New Age Retailer
Through Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism, this book teaches, in
accessible language, how to tap into the unconscious mind to better
understand it through hands-on exercises.
Book Marks
An elegant and accessible introduction to meditation, perfect
for the easily intimidated beginners like myself. Principles of
Meditation is simply but not simplistically written, and
admirably undidactic. “There are many paths to choose
from,” notes the introduction, “and our intent is not to
proselytize any one but rather to look for the common factors of
Eastern meditation and draw out methods that can be applied to
everyday life.” The book maps out four meditative
traditions--Yoga, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism--and gives
useful exercises intended to hone the beginning practitioners tools
of observation, relaxation, and visualization. The last chapter
suggests ways to use meditation for pragmatic concerns such as habit
control and problem solving. A perfect gift for a stressed-out
friend.
Living Meditation begins by presenting the
philosophical principles underlying the meditation technique of Yoga,
Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism. The authors then detail the step-by-step
process of meditation, showing how the mind works in harmony with the
body to achieve a sense of well-being. The majority of the book is
devoted to applying meditation through simple exercises and
techniques that will enable you to unlock your unlimited potential.
You will learn how meditation can help to control bad habits, enhance
learning, reduce stress, balance emotions, as well as improve
performance in sports and at work.
Although this new book from the Simpkinses begins where their
Principles of Meditation left off, it also stands on its own
as an excellent synthesis of Eastern meditation technique and Western
pragmatic values for dealing with the stresses of everyday life.
It’s a book to be used, not just read; the exercises throughout
invite the reader to lay it aside and get down to business, learning
each skill necessary to affect attitude, increase harmony, and move
toward greater fulfillment of spirit. Early chapters provide the
philosophic background and meditation basics. Part Three draws on the
authors’ extensive experience as martial artists and meditation
teachers to provide a practical guide to habit change, including
tools for improving health, learning skills, memory, emotional
balance, work life, and relationships.
West meets East in this thoughtful and practical
book from psychologists Annellen & C. Alexander Simpkins. The
Simpkins begin with a grounding in the philosophies of the
East--Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, and Confucianism--with the express
purpose of teaching readers to discover their own inner resources, to
meditate their way from thought to effective action in all areas of
their lives. The Simpkins offer explicit guidelines for meditation
and teach the skills that form the basis of a meditation
practice--concentration of attention, visualization, and body
awareness. Each of the latter chapters ends with specific meditation
exercises, forty in all. Because action is the focus of our everyday
lives, many of these exercises focus on issues that affect action at
its core--what holds us back from fulfilling ourselves and what can
makes things flow smoothly. Also included is a unique section devoted
to applying meditation to improving relationships.
Before going to battle, a Samurai warrior would sit and perform the tea ceremony to come to a perfectly focused state of mind. This third book in a series following Principles of Meditation and Living Meditation is about finding central harmony and creating an integration between the Inner Way and the Outer Way. The first part introduces the meditational practices of Eastern traditions: Yoga, Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The second provides clear instructions on the tools of meditation. Part 3 guides the reader on the path to enlightened action with exercises for developing and maintaining meditative awareness while engaging in the activities of daily life: tea ceremony, toughening, poetry writing, Zen and Taoist discipline, reflections on the small...”Walking, sitting, eating, sleeping--all are opportunities to meditate.”
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