Reclaiming Vitality and Presence
Reclaiming Vitality and Presence

Author: Charlotte Selver

Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Published: 2007-04-24

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1556436416

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This book captures the essence of Charlotte Selver’s practice of Sensory Awareness like no other publication. It is an invitation to experience life firsthand again, as we did when we were children. In a culture where we have grown accustomed to accumulating knowledge from teachers and experts, it is rare to find a book that actually invites us to trust our own senses again. It is the authors’ intent to give back to the reader authority over his or her own experience and learning processes. Much of the book focuses on reviving the senses in order to open the mind and body to direct learning. The book imitates an actual Sensory Awareness class, involving the reader as a student, guiding him or her along a journey with and through the senses to a way of living that is in accordance with the natural functioning of the human organism in its environment. The range of explorations include a renewed connection to the support of the earth as a foundation for trust; the central role of gravity for our health and for finding orientation in life; a study of breathing that promotes health and vitality; and connecting and interacting with other people. A handbook to a more genuine and connected way of living, the work is also a beautifully crafted account of Sensory Awareness, showing these profound teachers at work with their students and with the reader.

Waking Up
Waking Up

Author: William C. Littlewood

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2004-11-01

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 1468570765

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Although the practice of Sensory Awareness, the rediscovery of experiencing, is nonverbal, its essence can be distilled from the tape-recorded words of its seminal teacher, Charlotte Selver, in response to her students’ actions and questions during her classes. This book is a lovingly selected and skillfully edited compilation of excerpts of more than two decades of Charlotte Selver’s profound teachings, colorful sayings, and rich insights, arranged topically. They represent the heart of her teaching. Using only her own words, the text of each experiment feels like Charlotte Selver herself speaking not only to her class but to the reader. The reader is invited to try out some of the suggested experiments.

Reclaiming Your Body
Reclaiming Your Body

Author: Suzanne Scurlock-Durana

Publisher: New World Library

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1608684687

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A guided tour through the body’s innate healing powers Many of us have learned to ignore, deny, or even mistrust the wise messages our bodies give us. The result is that when trauma strikes, a time when we need every aspect of our beings to master the challenge, we may find ourselves disconnected from our greatest strengths. Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, who has spent thirty years studying the gifts of the body and teaching thousands how to reclaim them, began to recognize this strength, which she likens to a GPS, when she herself experienced a life-threatening trauma. Here she walks readers through different areas of the body, revealing the wisdom they hold and how to reconnect with that wisdom. As she shows in this warm, compassionate book, the body’s abilities are always available; we must simply reconnect with them.

Interoception, Contemplative Practice, and Health
Interoception, Contemplative Practice, and Health

Author: Norman Farb

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2017-02-07

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 2889450945

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There is an emergent movement of scientists and scholars working on somatic awareness, interoception and embodiment. This work cuts across studies of neurophysiology, somatic anthropology, contemplative practice, and mind-body medicine. Key questions include: How is body awareness cultivated? What role does interoception play for emotion and cognition in healthy adults and children as well as in different psychopathologies? What are the neurophysiological effects of this cultivation in practices such as Yoga, mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi and other embodied contemplative practices? What categories from other traditions might be useful as we explore embodiment? Does the cultivation of body awareness within contemplative practice offer a tool for coping with suffering from conditions, such as pain, addiction, and dysregulated emotion? This emergent field of research into somatic awareness and associated interoceptive processes, however, faces many obstacles. The principle obstacle lies in our 400-year Cartesian tradition that views sensory perception as epiphenomenal to cognition. The segregation of perception and cognition has enabled a broad program of cognitive science research, but may have also prevented researchers from developing paradigms for understanding how interoceptive awareness of sensations from inside the body influences cognition. The cognitive representation of interoceptive signals may play an active role in facilitating therapeutic transformation, e.g. by altering context in which cognitive appraisals of well-being occur. This topic has ramifications into disparate research fields: What is the role of interoceptive awareness in conscious presence? How do we distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive somatic awareness? How do we best measure somatic awareness? What are the consequences of dysregulated somatic/interoceptive awareness on cognition, emotion, and behavior? The complexity of these questions calls for the creative integration of perspectives and findings from related but often disparate research areas including clinical research, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, anthropology, religious/contemplative studies and philosophy.

Hip Hop Africa
Hip Hop Africa

Author: Eric Charry

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2012-10-23

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 0253005825

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Hip Hop Africa explores a new generation of Africans who are not only consumers of global musical currents, but also active and creative participants. Eric Charry and an international group of contributors look carefully at youth culture and the explosion of hip hop in Africa, the embrace of other contemporary genres, including reggae, ragga, and gospel music, and the continued vitality of drumming. Covering Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa, this volume offers unique perspectives on the presence and development of hip hop and other music in Africa and their place in global music culture.

The Gift of Presence
The Gift of Presence

Author: Caroline Welch

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2021-05-04

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0143132148

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A practical, user-friendly guide for women seeking focus and calm in the midst of life's storms. Overwhelmed by the demands of family, work, and multiple responsibilities, many women find themselves feeling scattered, and distracted. In this eye-opening book, co-founder and CEO of the Mindsight Institute, Caroline Welch takes readers on a mindfulness journey to help them de-stress and cultivate inner peace. According to Welch, you do not need countless hours sitting in silence to be more present in your life--the key is to practice mindfulness wherever you are and whenever you can. The Gift of Presence guides readers in developing four innate capacities we all possess that will allow us to become more resilient and centered in our lives--even when life is throwing all that it has at us: Presence: the ability to remain firmly in the present moment; to be fully aware of what's happening as it's happening. Purpose: the personal meaning that gets us going and gives direction to our lives. Pivoting: an openness to change that allows you to switch direction if that is what is needed. Pacing: the awareness that it is impossible to do everything we want or need to do all at once; the ability to take life one step at a time. This life-changing book reveals that you already hold in your hands the keys to a more harmonious life--you simply need to look within.

Full Body Presence
Full Body Presence

Author: Suzanne Scurlock-Durana

Publisher: New World Library

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1577318609

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Many teachers stress the importance of living in the present moment. Few give the actual practices to make it attainable. This book teaches you how to return to the incredible navigational system of the body and more fully inhabit each moment. For over twenty-five years, Suzanne Scurlock-Durana has masterfully taught her step-by-step practice of present moment awareness through her own combination of bodywork and CranioSacral therapy. The practices of Full Body Presence help you find a deeper awareness in the moment, even in the midst of chaos, family and work demands, or the pressure to perform. This deeper awareness also brings a fuller sense of trust and confidence in yourself and in the world. Full Body Presence is filled with concrete, life-friendly explorations and instruction clearly presented in both the book and the free accompanying downloadable audio files.

Everyday Vitality
Everyday Vitality

Author: Samantha Boardman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2021-08-10

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0735222282

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As seen on the TODAY Show, The New York Times, People Magazine, Mind Body Green, and more “If you would like to live a more fulfilled life, Samantha Boardman has exactly what you need. Everyday Vitality is one part memoir, one part wisdom from years of experience as a psychiatrist, and one part cutting edge scientific evidence. Brilliant, warm, and best of all—an actionable guide to a life well-lived.” —Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Science-backed, research-driven, actionable strategies for countering stress and building your resilience “A great deal of everyday wellbeing lies beyond what is happening inside a person’s head. Everyday opportunities and activities that foster growth and build positive resources are not 'icing on the cake,' but the active ingredients of everyday resilience.” —Samantha Boardman, Everyday Vitality In Everyday Vitality, psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman shows readers how to find strength within their stress and how to transform full days into more fulfilling days. Drawing from scientific research and her own clinical experience, she shares strategies for cultivating vitality—the positive feeling of aliveness and energy that lies at the core of well-being and at the heart of a good day. You will discover how increased vitality boosts productivity, builds coping skills, and enhances your ability to manage negative emotions. Dr. Boardman demonstrates how to override counterproductive responses to the onslaught of daily hassles and to respond with flexibility and fortitude instead of fear and rumination. Rather than disengaging from the world while you "find yourself," she shows you how to boost your vitality by living well within the world. As Dr. Boardman explains, the three main wellsprings of vitality are: meaningfully connecting with others; engaging in experiences that challenge you; and contributing to something beyond yourself. These activities foster resilience by boosting emotional stamina and generating uplifts—the counterparts to daily irritations and annoyances. Whether it is having a good conversation, doing a favor for someone, going for a walk, or reading an interesting article and then calling a friend to talk about it, commonplace experiences and micromoments serve as the building blocks of everyday resilience. Everyday Vitality explains how to identify them in your life, develop them, and use them as a foundation on which to thrive. Whether you are twenty or eighty, Everyday Vitality will give you the tools you need to get the most out of each day and to live your life to the fullest.