This book describes the history and importance of Ju No Kata—the science of what it takes to execute throws—to the study and practice of judo. It also serves as a semi autobiography of the author, Keiko Fukuda, who is the world's foremost authority on Ju No Kata. At the age of 90, she still practices her passion. Understanding Ju No Kata is essential for passing higher-rank tests and this book, imbued with Fukuda's wisdom, is comprehensive and definitive.
Grounded in a comprehensive overview of the philosophical and spiritual foundations that underlie karate, The Art of Killing emphasizes its original purpose: to kill an attacker swiftly and brutally.Prior to 1900, karate-do was exclusively an art of unarmed self-defense. Its practice was designed for life-or-death situations--effectively, an art of killing. Here, authors Leonard Pellman and the late Masayuki Shimabukuro restore karate to its original intent. They move karate away from its popular modern-day sporting applications back to its deadly origins---and to the restraining philosophy of peace, self-sacrifice, compassion, and service to others that necessarily accompanied it. With chapters on kokoro (heart, mind, and spirit), ki (spirit and energy), and the seven major precepts of bushido, The Art of Killing shows readers that the lethal art of karate is more than a method of bringing an enemy down--it's a philosophical and spiritual system grounded in essential lessons to guard against abuses of power. This book does not contain detailed instruction in killing methods, but it does showcase the deadly power of karate--and explain why purity of intentions matters, and how compassion and respect are the essence of karate training. Readers will learn:The purpose and meaning of karate-doThe origins and major precepts of bushidoTraining methods, preparation, and etiquetteFundamentals, spiritual power, training patterns, and analysis and application of kataAbout the body as a weapon
A comprehensive guide to psilocybin mushrooms and their impact on our psychology, biology, and social development.How-and why-do psychedelics exist? Did psilocybin catalyze our early human ancestors' social evolution? And how can an integral understanding of psychedelics quite literally change the world? In an ambitious and comprehensive look at psilocybin-and an inside look at how humanity co-evolved alongside "magic" mushrooms-Jahan Khamsehzadeh, PhD, explores our historical and ancestral relationship to psychedelics and presents new and exciting research about what psilocybin can mean for us today. Separated into three sections-Present, Past, and Future-The Psilocybin Connection advances our understanding of psychedelics in unexpected and original ways. Khamsehzadeh shares compelling research that suggests how naturally occurring psychedelics may have played an essential role in humanity's social, cultural, and linguistic evolution. Supported by archaeological evidence, neuroscience, and academic studies, he explores how mushrooms gave rise to art and expression, impacted spiritual experiences, and even spurred human brain development. Blending the most comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of psilocybin research with stories of his own and others' psychedelic awakenings, Khamsehzadeh moves our understanding of the psychedelic mushroom forward toward a fresh, hopeful, and exciting future.
Heal from trauma and PTSD with the martial art of jiu-jitsu--written for survivors, mental health therapists, and trauma-informed martial arts instructors.This groundbreaking book introduces jiu-jitsu as a powerful embodied modality for trauma survivors in recovery, and includes 10 grounding practices, self-defense techniques, and 30 instructional photos. Unhealed trauma--from “little t” traumas to complex PTSD--leaves a lasting imprint on the bodies and minds of survivors. And in the aftermath of trauma, many people experience shifts in how they feel, connect with others, and interact with the world at large. This embodied, whole-person approach will help you heal the wounds of traumatic stress and how it shows up within yourself and your relationships, from disembodiment and numbness to anger, fear, anxiety, confusion, and dissociation.As part of a martial arts trauma recovery program, you’ll learn about: • Trauma, embodiment, and the transformative power of jiu-jitsu • Self-defense skills that can help survivors of violence define boundaries and feel safe, secure, powerful, and at home in their bodies • Creating a welcoming, responsive practice space as a studio owner • Integrating jiu-jitsu practice into a safe, accessible recovery protocol for survivors--and how therapists can recommend them to clients or build them into a treatment plan Written for trauma survivors, mental health clinicians, and martial arts practitioners and studio owners who want to create a safe, empowering, and trauma-sensitive space, Transforming Trauma with Jiu-Jitsu is a unique and vital guide to healing trauma’s invisible wounds.
Through the lenses of Shokotan Karate and biomedicine, sensei and biomedical scientist Alex W. Tong shows readers how body, mind, and spirit can be developed through martial arts practice.Through the practice of martial arts, a person can realize their full potential--not only in body, but in mind and spirit. The Science and Philosophy of Martial Arts shows readers how. Author, sensei, and biomedical scientist Alex W. Tong delves into the physical, mental, and spiritual components of martial arts and integrates contemporary sports psychology, kinesiology, and neuroscience into a nuanced and illuminating understanding of what martial arts practice can be. Structured into three sections, Tong discusses: • The Mind: The dao of martial arts, mental tranquility, contemporary neuroscience, and warming up the brain • The Body: Posture and stance, breathing in martial arts, and the physics of mastery and effort • The Spirit: Soul, spirit, and moving zen; nature and manifestations of the spirit Each section includes observations on martial arts origins, physiology, and tangible results on martial arts training. Blending traditional and contemporary approaches, knowledge, and research, The Science and Philosophy of Martial Arts builds a vision of practice that elevates physical performance, awareness, decisiveness, and strength of spirit.
For patients, care providers, and anyone who has faced a traumatic or life-changing health event: a research-backed guide to reframing your story and reclaiming your life through personal narrative.Our healthcare system isn't set up to meet the emotional needs of patients. Doctors can give you a life-changing diagnosis, but they're not equipped to help you deal with the inner fallout: the confusion, anxiety, trauma, and dread that comes after "I have some bad news." But storytelling your way through a medical crisis by digging into, intentionally crafting and ultimately sharing your narrative, can help you come to terms with a difficult diagnosis, find and create new ways to thrive, and reclaim your agency amid fear, change, and uncertainty. When Harvard-trained physician Dr. Annie Brewster was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, she realized firsthand that the medical system to which she'd devoted her entire career was failing patients. The experience was dehumanizing. Her doctors weren't listening. And the confusion, fear, and shame she felt around her diagnosis was preventing her from finding healing, claiming her story, and living her fullest, richest life. Here, Dr. Brewster and journalist Rachel Zimmerman share their own healing stories--and act as expert guides to help you move forward, reframe your story, and take back your life. With exercises, reflections, writing prompts, and stories from other real patients, Brewster and Zimmerman provide concrete ways to: • Process the difficult emotions inherent to a life-changing diagnosis • Move beyond being the hero of your own story to become the author of your own story • Craft your narrative and share it in whatever medium you choose: music, audio, art, or other ways of storytelling • Integrate a traumatic health event into a new, evolving identity • Harness applied storytelling techniques to strengthen connections between you and your loved ones (and even your care providers) • Cultivate resilience and move forward amid uncertainty and fear
The countercultural healer's guide for building a sustainable and values-driven practice: work toward your purpose, grow your client base, and thrive with integrity in an unjust capitalist system. The time for healing-and the time to be a healer-is now.Therapist Laura Mae Northrup navigates the complexities of being a healer today-and shows how you can stay true to your calling in a world built from systems that were designed to extract, oppress, and exploit.Addressing fundamental tensions that arise for practicing healers working in a late-stage capitalist culture, Northrup shares how to: • Maintain your ethical framework even while prioritizing financial stability • Market and brand your practice authentically, without resorting to fear-based tactics • Recognize the unconscious biases and unexamined motivations you unintentionally bring to work • Honor your limits within a culture that valorizes overwork and perpetuates burnout • Prioritize your emotional needs and spiritual goals-and honor their place in your healing practice Structured in accessible, to-the-point chapters with practical writing and reflection prompts, Northrup offers an authentic, spiritually grounded approach to healership, going much deeper than the promise of a million-dollar practice or a minimum-effort game plan.Written for healers of all modalities-including radical therapists, functional practitioners, reiki workers, bodyworkers, and healers who have been sidelined, underfunded, underresearched, or delegitimized within a Western capitalist framework-this book offers a nuanced, political, and social-justice informed guide to building the practice you want-and thriving as the healer you were born to be.
An expanded take on traditional Embodied Self-Awareness therapy, ideal for practitioners in all areas of body-focused work, including yoga, meditation, and somatic psychotherapyEmbodied Self-Awareness (ESA) is a somatic approach to treat trauma and other mental health concerns by helping people connect directly to thoughts, sensations, and emotions as they arise within the body. Here, psychologist Alan Fogel introduces Restorative ESA, an expansion of traditional ESA that incorporates three new and unique ESA states: Restorative, Modulated, and Dysregulated. Using a research-backed approach, Fogel explains their underlying neuroscience with concrete examples to illustrate how these states impact our personal and professional lives. Fogel shows that wellness is more than the ability to moderate one’s inner state by regulating and tolerating emotions. By shi ing from states of doing to allowing, from activation to receptivity, and from thinking to felt experience, we can access the expansive power of the restorative state and heal the body, mind, and spirit.
Queer critique, queer practice: embodied teachings for healing from trauma and social injustice.Jacoby Ballard provides an empowering and affirming guide to embodied healing through yoga and the dharma, grounded in the brilliance, resilience, and lived experiences of queer folks.Part I deconstructs the ways mainstream yoga perpetuates queer- and transphobia and other systemic oppressions, exploring the intersections of yoga, capitalism, cultural appropriation, and sexual violence. Ballard also addresses the trauma--complex, vicarious, historical, and collective--perpetuated against queer communities. In response, he offers tools for self-compassion, tonglen, lovingkindness, and grounding, and helps readers explore questions like:What is trauma? How is it a product of injustice--and how can healing it create justice?The world won''t stop being homo- and transphobic, so how do I encounter that in a way that does the least harm?How do we love what is uniquely trans about us?What are affinity groups, and why do we need them?In part II, Ballard offers a queer-centered, fully embodied, and equity-rooted practice with meditations, practices, and sequences for processing and healing from trauma individually and in community. He explains concepts like lovingkindness, letting go, compassion, joy, forgiveness, and equanimity through a queer lens, and pairs each with corresponding meditations, practices, and beautiful line drawings of queer bodies.Enhanced with stories from Ballard''s personal practice and professional experience teaching yoga in schools, prisons, conferences, and his weekly Queer and Trans Yoga class, A Queer Dharma is a guidebook, reclamation, and unapologetically queer heart offering for true healing and transformation.
A strikingly illustrated key to decoding anatomical terminology, with 150 terms for body parts that derive from animals, plants, objects, and moreAn initiation into the mysterious subject of anatomical terminology, this book reveals the body's secret language by explaining the close relationship between human organs and structures and the evocative names given to them by anatomists. Beautifully crafted images illustrate 150 terms derived from the animal, food, place, plant, symbol, or other object that the body structure or function clearly resembles. Complete with a guide to prefixes and suffixes, this book decodes patterns in the naming of parts throughout the human body and makes anatomical terms more memorable for medical students and practitioners. In addition to professionals, anyone interested in the history of anatomy, the structure and function of the human body, medical etymology, and the history of language will be fascinating by this engrossing, accessible, and informative book.
What can any one of us--as ordinary citizens--really do about climate change? A lot!Advocating for the Environment is based on a vision where all life is respected, revered, and nurtured. The shifts we need to achieve this vision are profound--from how we do business to how we educate, govern, and care--for all people and life on the planet. Written by environmental policy expert Susan B. Inches, Advocating for the Environment is an easy-to-understand, empowering guide to help you take action and enact environmental change.Part I begins with how we must learn to think differently in order to achieve this vision and heal the planet. It discusses storytelling, empathy, worldviews, and how understanding and effective communication can help us collaborate with others--even those with opposing views. And it shows the important role that citizen advocates play in achieving a healthy future.Part II of the book is all about action. How to use power for good, work with decision-makers, organize events, manage a coalition, communicate with the public, and work with the media are all laid out in an easy-to-read and easy-to-reference format. The book also includes case studies, research, and templates to deepen learning. Professors and teachers, students, legislators, environmental clubs, and church groups will also find useful ideas and strategies on every page. Advocating for the Environment is a guide to environmental action that readers will want to read and keep for reference for years to come.
This clear, step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of Bagua Zhang lays out the principles, practices, and underlying philosophy of this cerebral and sophisticated Chinese internal martial art. Leading readers from the most basic precepts of Bagua Zhang practice to advanced techniques, Kent Howard draws on his deep understanding of the art and his decades of teaching to set students on a path toward mastery. While Bagua Zhang is often perceived as a complex martial art that is difficult to learn, Howard breaks it down into clear and easily absorbed principles and exercises that beginners can master and incorporate into higher levels of practice at their own pace. Numerous easy-to-follow photographs illustrate core practices such as circle-walking, post standing, and palm changes, as well as foundandational techniques of posture and alignment, fluid motion, generating whole-body power, absorbing and redirecting energy, striking while in motion, and much more. In addition to providing a solid foundation for a lifetime practice, Bagua Zhang Fundamentals also offers more advanced practitioners valuable tips on how to increase their knowledge and understanding of this multifaceted martial art.
A holistic method for practicing hot yoga that offers a new series of postures based on a modern understanding of anatomy and movement.Hot Yoga for Human Beings is a bold new book for ritualized hot yoga practice that is built on a 21st century understanding of bodily movement, a love of the natural world, hard work, and a whole lot of sweat! It also shines light on the vital though often-ignored questions at the very heart of every yoga practice: Why should we do it in the first place? And how does such an ancient system fit into our modern world? Author, practitioner, and teacher Kyle Ferguson has created a new sequence of forty hot yoga postures that reflects contemporary medical science and embraces evolution, both biological and technological. The poses described in this book are accompanied by photos, illustrations, and instructions, as well as a deep exploration into their anatomical and philosophical foundations. Ferguson challenges the long-held belief that all yoga poses are good for all people. He also opens up a vital conversation regarding the principles of embodiment and interconnectedness in yoga. More than just a practice guide, Hot Yoga for Human Beings is an investigation of ideas. It encourages a new exploration of the social nature of human beings, emphasizes the harmony between physical design and mental process, and explores the philosophy of embodiment and the spiritual value of practice.
Tapping into the political power of magic and astrology for social, community, and personal transformation.In a cross-cultural approach to understanding astrology as a magical language, Alice Sparkly Kat unmasks the political power of astrology, showing how it can be channeled as a force for collective healing and liberation.Too often, magic and astrology are divorced from their potency and cultural contexts: co-opted by neoliberalism, used as a force of oppression, or distilled beyond recognition into applications that belie their individual and collective power. By looking at the symbolic and etymological histories of the sun, moon, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter, we can trace and understand the politics of magic--and challenge our own practices, interrogate our truths, and reshape our institutions to build better frameworks for communities of care.Fearless, radical, and fresh, Sparkly Kat's Postcolonial Astrology ushers in a new wave of astrology revival, refusing to apologize for its magickism and connecting its power to the spirituality and politics we need now. Intersectional, inclusive, and geared towards queer and POC communities, it uses our historical and collective constructs of the planets, sun, and moon to re-chart our subconscious history, redefine the body in the world, and assert our politics of the personal, in astrology and all things.
The definitive guide to the medicinal plant knowledge of Ashkenazi herbal healers--from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.Until now, the herbal traditions of the Ashkenazi people have remained unexplored and shrouded in mystery. Ashkenazi Herbalism rediscovers the forgotten legacy of the Jewish medicinal plant healers who thrived in Eastern Europe''s Pale of Settlement, from their beginnings in the Middle Ages through the modern era.Including the first materia medica of 26 plants and herbs essential to Ashkenazi folk medicine, Ashkenazi Herbalism sheds light on the preparations, medicinal profiles, and applications of a rich but previously unknown herbal tradition--one hidden by language barriers, obscured by cultural misunderstandings, and nearly lost to history. Written for new and established practitioners, it offers illustrations, provides information on comparative medicinal practices, and illuminates the important historical and cultural contexts that gave rise to Eastern European Jewish herbalism.Part I introduces a brief history of the Ashkenazim and provides an overview of traditional medicine among Eastern European Jews. Part II offers a comparative overview of healing customs among Jews of the Pale of Settlement, their many native plants, and the remedies applied by local healers to treat a range of illnesses. This materia medica names each plant in Yiddish, English, Latin, and other relevant languages, and the book also details a brief history of medicine; the roles of the ba''alei shem, feldshers, opshprekherins, midwives, and brewers; and the remedy books used by Jewish healers.
An illustrated guide to the core design principles of the body’s musculoskeletal system—for kinesiologists, movement therapists, yoga teachers, dancers, and bodyworkers of all kindsWhat does knowledge of anatomical structure have to do with preventing everyday muscular aches, pains, and injuries? According to Dr. Theodore Dimon, everything!Our bodies are designed to work holistically, supported by an intelligently organized system of muscles, bones, and connective tissue. So when we target problem spots by stretching, relaxing, or strengthening individual muscles, we bypass the dynamic, interconnected network that enables healthy functioning and injury prevention. Understanding how this system works in action is the key.In this groundbreaking guide, Dr. Dimon describes the basic principles that govern our bodies’ musculoskeletal architecture and provides practical exercises to activate specific muscle groups and demonstrate our bodies’ efficient holistic function. Readers will learn about dynamic design and the body in action, including: How the musculoskeletal system works as a wholeThe relationship between proprioception and muscle lengthAbout maximizing spinal, shoulder, hip, arm, and leg stability and healthThe important role of breath and breathingAbout posture and musculoskeletal support With more than 300 illustrations, this is an ideal resource for students and practitioners of kinesiology, bodywork, movement, sport kinesiology, dance, and all readers searching for a dynamic guide to the human body.
A must-read for modern sanghas--Asian American Buddhists in their own words, on their own terms.Despite the fact that two thirds of U.S. Buddhists identify as Asian American, mainstream perceptions about what it means to be Buddhist in America often whitewash and invisibilize the diverse, inclusive, and intersectional communities that lie at the heart of American Buddhism.Be the Refuge is both critique and celebration, calling out the erasure of Asian American Buddhists while uplifting the complexity and nuance of their authentic stories and vital, thriving communities. Drawn from in-depth interviews with a pan-ethnic, pan-Buddhist group, Be the Refuge is the first book to center young Asian American Buddhists'' own voices. With insights from multi-generational, second-generation, convert, and socially engaged Asian American Buddhists, Be the Refuge includes the stories of trailblazers, bridge-builders, integrators, and refuge-makers who hail from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds.Championing nuanced representation over stale stereotypes, Han and the 89 interviewees in Be the Refuge push back against false narratives like the Oriental monk, the superstitious immigrant, and the banana Buddhist--typecasting that collapses the multivocality of Asian American Buddhists into tired, essentialized tropes. Encouraging frank conversations about race, representation, and inclusivity among Buddhists of all backgrounds, Be the Refuge embodies the spirit of interconnection that glows at the heart of American Buddhism.
Meet Sippy, the world''s last plastic strawSippy, a plastic straw who was used once and then discarded, worries what will happen to him when he realizes he can''t be recycled. As he flies, floats, and flutters around the planet, he meets animals who are struggling with the plastic problem. He chats with a raccoon with a six-pack ring around his neck, a cardinal whose nest is made entirely of junk, turtles who confuse grocery bags with food, a hermit crab forced to live in a plastic cap, and a startled duck who runs around with a chip bag on her head. Finally, Sippy is swallowed by a hungry whale who is dining on ocean trash! Just when all hope seems lost, he skyrockets to freedom and calls out "Together we can fix this! Let''s clean our world--let''s try!"Parents and teachers of children 7 to 10 years old can use Sippy''s colorful adventure--based on real examples of animals in our environment--to raise awareness about the impacts of plastics on nature and to teach children about alternatives to single-use plastics.
An intersectional guide to building resilience and reclaiming joyWith so much information available on how to build resilience--from meditation, exercise, and time in nature, to the latest neuroscience-backed studies--have you ever wondered what''s holding you back? If you commit to self-care but find yourself exhausted, unhappy, or anxious, do you wonder what''s missing?The fact is, we are all navigating an exhausting, disconnecting, do-more-buy-more culture that disproportionately harms those with marginalized identities and leads us to believe that our thriving depends solely on individual effort. Mainstream wellness culture doesn''t account for the ways that social oppression and economic injustice intersect to make resilience diffi cult for many of us to access in the first place. So, where do we begin? In this warm and accessible guide, Pakistani American therapist Anjuli Sherin provides a healing path to make thriving possible for everyone. Through compelling client stories and reflective exercises, she offers a culturally informed, body -centered model that shows us how cultivating self-nurturance, healthy boundaries, pleasure, and a soulful connection to the natural world can give us the generative energy needed to heal individual and collective trauma and shape our world from an inner magic called joyous resilience.
The Concise Book of Yoga Anatomy is the definitive guide to the study of yoga anatomy--a perfect companion book for any yoga teacher or practitioner seeking to understand the biomechanics of the body as it applies to yoga practice. The book is visually designed in quick reference format to offer useful information about the main skeletal muscles that are central to yoga, with asanas to demonstrate the particular muscles and muscle groups. Over 230 full color illustrations detail each muscle's origin, insertion, and action in order to clearly reveal how the muscles come into play in the movements and postures of yoga. Knowledge of yoga anatomy is paramount to the ability to teach or practice with no injury to oneself or others. With this foundation in place, it is possible to focus on the spiritual element of yoga as well as the physical. Yoga is a union of the two, so where appropriate, the more profound side of the practice is mentioned as it relates to the body. The Concise Book of Yoga Anatomy illustrates the form and function of the muscles first, then interlays the muscles into the yoga posture for full understanding in a clear and integrated way, explaining the technique of the asanas, as well as other important aspects of yoga: pranayamas, the bandhas, and chakras. Table of Contents About This Book 1 Anatomical Orientation 2 Muscles of Respiration 3 Muscles of the Face and Neck 4 Muscles of the Spine 5 The Deep Core and Pelvic Floor 6 Muscles of the Shoulder and Upper Arm 7 Muscles of the Forearm and Hand 8 Muscles of the Hip 9 Muscles of the Knee 10 Muscles of the Ankle/Foot Resources General Index Index of Muscles
Trigger points-tender, painful knots that develop in muscles and tissues-are a common cause of chronic pain. With more than a quarter of all Americans suffering from various types of daily chronic pain, it's estimated that these hyper-irritated hardened masses are the primary cause of pain 75 percent of the time. Sustained self-treatment is by far the most effective trigger point therapy. Pain Relief with Trigger Point Self-Help helps you understand and then treat your condition, leading to rapid, effective, and lasting pain relief. With full-color photos and illustrations throughout, it explains the physiology of trigger points and teaches you how to: • Locate your trigger points and understand "referred pain"• Prevent trigger points from forming by making simple lifestyle changes, practicing proper body mechanics, and addressing nutritional deficiencies • Treat trigger points by applying pressure and doing simple stretches• Understand common pain conditions for each area of the body Written for anyone wishing to successfully treat his or her own pain, the book is also an invaluable reference for any health-care provider whose patients suffer from either chronic or acute pain.
A never-before-seen volume of poetry by the preeminent poet laureate Herman Hesse--a beautiful companion to Seasons of the Soul and the author's better-known prose work.Organized into four parts--spring, summer, autumn, and winter--The Seasons of Life relates the transitions in nature to the organic progressions of human life from birth through death. From the mundane to the sublime, the spiritual to the political, and private feeling to expressed opinion, Hesse touches on the range of human experience, inviting the reader to consider both the beauty and what Hesse called the "adversities of life."Beloved by readers as a wise and open friend, Hesse offers in this never-before-translated volume an honest portrayal of a whole life: its lessons and mysteries, its glories and despairs. The poet's voice--so treasured in his novels among a worldwide English-speaking audience--can now be enjoyed through this new translation in the follow-up to Seasons of the Soul.
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