Ancient Practises

The tradition of ancient philosophy is a long, rich, and varied one, in which a constant note is that of discussion and argument. This book introduces listeners to some ancient debates to engage with the ancient developments of some themes. Getting away from the presentation of ancient philosophy as a succession of Great Thinkers, the book gives listeners a sense of the freshness and liveliness of ancient philosophy and of its wide variety of themes and styles. 

Despite a long and noble ancestry stretching back to 1500 BC, Freemasonry has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent times. Banned in some places while flourishing in others, the brotherhood has been vilified and applauded in equal measure. This book explores its fascinating history and examines the laudable aims espoused by its founding fathers.

What would you do for twenty-four hours if the only criteria were to pursue your deepest joy? Dan Allender's lyrical book about the Sabbath expels the myriad myths about this "day of rest," starting with the one that paints the Sabbath as a day of forced quiet, spiritual exercises, and religious...

The sacred meal that is part of our faith does more than connect us to the holy, it connects us to each other. "I think Jesus wanted his disciples and everyone who came after him to remember what they had together. What they made together. What it meant to be together. How the things he did...

A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time. The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ. What may at first seem to be simply...

For more than 4,000 years, the people of India have looked to Ayurveda as a pathway to vibrant health and increased longevity. This ancient healing science is treasured as a gift from the Vedas (the world's oldest sacred texts). Ayurveda offers all people a practical way to achieve...

"Simplicity,” wrote legendary occultist Jack Parsons, “has been the key to victory in all the idea wars and, at present, Magick does not have it.” In Practical Magick, acclaimed historian and esotericist Mitch Horowitz responds to this call, distilling magick to its core essentials. Drawing upon ancient, Hermetic, Renaissance-era, and modern sources, Mitch dissects the building blocks of magick and provides formulas of immediacy, simplicity, and potency.

In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipatthanas) are "the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha (suffering) and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the...

A bodhisattva is one who seeks liberation from suffering not only for themselves, but for all beings. If you were a bodhisattva, how would you respond in the face of chaos and difficulty? Is it possible to find calm in the middle of a storm? On Bodhisattva Mind, Pema Chödrön explores timeless...

In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipat­t­hana) are "the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha (suffering) and discontent, for acquiring the true method, for the...

A groundbreaking guide from trusted teacher Andrew Holecek on dark retreat—the revelatory practice of being in complete darkness. This program is read by the author. We have become a “wake-centric” civilization, addicted to the world of doing, striving, and performing. But what if the cure...

"Recall a moment in your life when you felt complete, satisfied, fully alive, at home in yourself. Imagine that it is possible for you to feel that way not only now and then but most of the time." In The True Source of Healing, meditation teacher Tenzin Wangyal introduces powerful practices to...

According to the Vedic tradition, the term "abundance" applies to every dimension of our lives, from material wealth to spiritual sustenance and growth. With Mantra Meditation for Creating Abundance, you are invited to engage the practice of sacred sound to invite positive changes in your...

For over 2,000 years, qigong has been a cornerstone of traditional Chinese healing. While generally unrecognized by Western medical science, this noninvasive, preventative healing system is viewed by millions of Chinese as a way of mastering the energy that permeates all of nature and...

The Final Volume in Joseph Goldstein’s Satipatthana Sutta Series In the words of the Buddha, the four foundations of mindfulness (the four satipatthanas) are “the direct path for the purification of beings, for the surmounting of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of dukkha...

A Traditional Meditation for Applying Love As a Healing Force The Insight Meditation Society is one of North America’s oldest institutions dedicated to bringing the life-changing gifts of mindfulness training to the West. On Lovingkindness Meditation, IMS cofounder and senior instructor Sharon...

'What if, until now, you've never really prayed. Not like Jesus designed it, anyway.' Prayer is the source of Jesus's most astonishing miracles and the subject of Jesus' most audacious promises, and yet, most people - even most Bible-believing Christians - find prayer to be boring, obligatory...

Discover an Awareness That Is Natural, Freeing, and Always Available “Effortless mindfulness” is innovative teacher Loch Kelly’s term for an advanced yet simple form of mindfulness, designed to access a natural, loving flow state in the midst of our daily lives. With Effortless Mindfulness...

A world-renowned expert in lucid dreaming and Tibetan dream yoga guides us into the tradition’s daytime practices, a complement to the nighttime practices taught in his previous offering Dream Yoga. Most of us are absolutely certain that we’re awake here and now—it’s a given, right? Yet...

This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism, and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. Carmen Acevedo Butcher’s new translation is the first to bring the text into a modern English idiom - while remaining strictly faithful to the meaning of the original Middle English. The Cloud of Unknowingconsists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.