THE NECTAR OF THIS BREATH - explores the liminal space between poetry and meditation. Many of the poems are prompts for contemplative practice, either by individuals or groups. They unite the mind with the heart, reaching even into our cell physiology to refresh the weary body with "the nectar of this breath." Without using esoteric or religious terminology, these poems probe the most subtle science of breathing, a spiritual practice handed down through wisdom traditions of both East and West. There are also longer poems, full of humor and rebellion, breaking into ecstatic incantation in the tradition of Walt Whitman and the Beats. The book gently reminds us that the same power who spins the galaxies and sings the stars comes to indwell us as our very breath, "and the dignity of this inhalation, how it softly places the spirit in each cell of your flesh, is your Lover's secret name."

A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2020 Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR “A fascinating scientific, cultural, spiritual and evolutionary history of the way humans breathe—and how we’ve all been doing it wrong for a long, long time.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love No matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you’re not breathing properly. There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat twenty-five thousand times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.

It is 1351 in Wales, a country subjugated by England, beaten down by superstition, war, and illness. Elise, prone to strange visions and the sole survivor of a plague-ravaged family, has fled her village for distant Conwy with her servant Annora, running from a murder she was forced to commit in self-defense. On the road, they cross paths with Gwydion, a moody Welshman seeking to avenge his murdered family and reclaim his estate, and are drawn into a bloody confrontation with another traveler. In its aftermath, Elise and Gwydion find themselves shocked by their developing feelings for each other, and they part. As the women ultimately reach Conwy, a menacing shadow from Elise's past creeps toward her, and she must face it to find the peace she longs for, and help Gwydion recapture his home, and her heart, in the process. In a dazzling narrative where mysterious visions, powerful desire, and dark secrets from the past converge, Jane Guill spins a masterful tale of romance, revelation, and breathtaking suspense.

Wounded Bud - Poems for Meditation by Alfred K. LaMotte The poet Shelley wrote: "Every original language near to its source is the chaos of a cyclic poem... A poet participates in the eternal, the infinite, and the one." Ancient cultures recognized that the mystery of creation is the mystery of "original language." So John's Gospel declares, "In the beginning was the Word." And India's Mandukya Upanishad says, "All that ever was, is, or will be is created through the syllable Om." The poems in this volume reflect this ancient science of mantra. "Man" is the Sanskrit root of the English "mind" and "tra" of our suffix "tron," meaning vehicle. A mantra is a vehicle to carry the mind back to the source of creation, divine silence. Here in the heart, love awakens. Fred LaMotte conceives language in this ancient tradition, where poetry is a means of taking us home, taking us Om. Many of these poems also reflect the tradition of the mystical marriage. Poets of Eastern and Western religions understood the intimate play of soul and spirit as the whisperings of Lover and Beloved. They created a common poetic iconography, a love-language both sensuous and mystical, which we find in Sufi poets like Hafiz, Hindu poets like Mirabai, the Biblical Song of Songs, the Medieval troubadours, and the parables of Jesus. Mystical poetry can dis- solve religious conflict. Fred LaMotte offers us a revival of atavistic poetics: poetry as meditation, poetry as devotion, or Bhakti, poetry as love-song in the Bridal Chamber of the heart. "In the lover's heart is a lute which plays the melody of longing." Rumi

I looked at the mirror within to see who looked back at me I thought for sure I would see myself who else could it be but the more I look the more I see you staring right back at me Your genuine sweet smile that which is visible from a mile the blissful twinkle in your eyes oblivious to anything else under the sky your lips beckoning me the more I look, the more I see The sunlight reflecting off your hair like an ocean in which I long to dissolve the warm glow of your skin made me forget when it all begin All reflecting back on me making my heart warm and soul free I looked at the mirror within to see who looked back at me I thought for sure I would see myself who else could it be But the more I look the more I see your image that seeped into me

Tirumantiram is one of the seminal texts of Saiva Siddhanta which has powerfully influenced millions of southern Indians for generations. Its author, Tirumular, was a legendary yogi who through his famous mantra ‘God is Love’ preaches that God is one and so is mankind. A Tamil classic of 3047 verses, Tirumantiram is categorised under 9 Tantras and each Tantra into chapters. The introduction gives a bird’s eye view of the text and detailed notes on Tirumular, Saiva Siddhanta and the Tantras. Apart from its literary merits, the book blazes a number of spiritual trails brimming with devotion. This English translation, along with some of the notes, are by Dr. B. Natarajan, a profound Tamil scholar. Sri M. Sundararaj has written a commentary incorporated in the introduction and some of the notes. Dr N. Mahalingam is the General Editor of the book. This book is meant for students of Saivism and devotional literature all over the world.

In The Nectar of Pain, Zebian sheds light on the feelings and experiences that emerge from a painful heartbreak. She writes that the process of cleansing oneself of that pain—day by day, hour by hour, and second by second—is the real work of healing. With uncommon warmth and wisdom, Zebian empowers all who have lost to let go of anger and transform their suffering into the softness, sweetness, and beauty of nectar. She holds her readers by the hand as they heal.

Eternal Breath-A Biography of Leonard Orr by Pola Churchill is a unique classic. There is beautiful "light" streaming both from the writing style and content, it touches the soul. It is explosive and revolutionary! Leonard Orr is one of the Pioneers and Originators of the Human Potential Movement along with contemporary folk heroes, Earl Nightingale, Maxwell Maltz, Carl Rodgers and Abraham Moslow. Leonard has written thirty books in over a dozen languages including: Rebirthing in the New Age, The Story of Rebirthing Breathwork, Babaji Angel of the Lord, Government without Taxes, How to Make Democracy Work, Breaking the Death Habit.... His International Rebirthing Breathwork Movement has served over a ten million people on six continents.

From the unforgiving farmland of rural Maine comes a story of love and sacrifice, of family tragedies and obligations, and of the mysterious healing power of bees. David Fickett's Nectar crosses three generations of beekeepers to tell the story of Regina Merritt, a determined woman who is forced at a young age to choose between happiness and survival. Her remarkable life is recounted with the help of the many people affected by that decision: a husband, who fails in every attempt to win her love, and loses everything in the process; a daughter, uncomfortably aware of her mother's weaknesses, who is forced, in her darkest moment, to rely on the empathy of the woman she sought to hurt; a lover, denied in near-childhood, who never fails to provide protection and hope to the woman who denied him; and a son, left to his own devices by a mother with little love left, who yearns to solve the mysteries of his childhood and of the woman who is both his deepest connection and his worst enemy. Haunting and poignant, Nectar is a novel that will stay with you long after the last page is read. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"Take a Deep Breath." "Just breathe." These are common calming mantras, but what do they really mean? Though every second of life is governed by breath, few people pay heed to this important facet of good health. The Miracle of the Breath explores the importance of breath not only to physical well-being but also as a powerful conduit of divine energy. Replete with stories and case studies of people healed from asthma, arthritis, anxiety attacks, and other physical and mental traumas through proper breath work, the book also examines the concept of breath as a spiritual life force. Drawing on methods of observing and controlling the breath developed by ancient masters in India, China, and Tibet, it includes meditations and practice techniques to help readers improve their emotional and spiritual health.