Employing a comparative religious studies approach, this book provides a comprehensive discussion of early Quanzhen as a Daoist religious movement charactized by asceticism, alchemical transformation, and mystical experiencing. Emphasis is placed on the complex interplay among views of self, religious praxis, and religious experience.

This important work focuses on early Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism, a twelfth-century Daoist religious movement and subsequent monastic order. Emphasis in this first study to approach Quanzhen from a comparative religious studies perspective is placed on the complex interplay among views of self, specific training regimens, and the types of experiences that were expected to follow from dedicated praxis. On the basis of historical contextualization and textual analysis it is demonstrated that in its formative and incipient organized phases Quanzhen was a Daoist religious community consisting of a few renunciants dedicated to religious praxis. The study proper is followed by a complete annotated translation of a text attributed to the founder, which represents one of only two early Quanzhen texts translated to date. Subsequent appendices address issues of dating and contents of the early textual corpus as well as technical Quanzhen religious terminology.

The Routledge Handbook of Religion and the Body is the first comprehensive volume to feature multireligious cross-cultural perspectives on the body and embodiment. Featuring multidisciplinary approaches and methodologies from the humanities and the social sciences, it addresses the body and embodied religiosity in theological, ethical, and cultural contexts. Comprised of 30 chapters by a team of international contributors, the handbook is divided into four parts: Theology and Embodied Religiosity Gender, Sexuality, and Body Regulations Ritual and Performance Religion, Healing, and the Future of the Body Each part examines central issues, debates, and problems in relation to global belief systems, including embodiments of love, transfiguration, the secular body, disability, body language, maternal bodies, embodied emotions, celibacy, ecology and the body, reshaping the corporal body, initiation rites, physiology, Tantra, Reiki practice, religious experience, technological body modifications, and ethics and the body. Providing a breadth of rich and innovative research, it is a must-read for students and scholars in religious studies, theology, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, and cultural and gender studies. Chapter 7 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

An anthology of English translations of primary texts of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism.

Originating about 1163 CE, Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism is one of the most important Daoist movements in Chinese history. It remains the dominant form of monastic Daoism in the modern world, especially in its Longmen (Dragon Gate) lineage. This landmark anthology provides complete or partial translations of twenty-one Quanzhen texts. Most have never been translated or even discussed in scholarly literature. Louis Komjathy gives particular attention to work completed by the Quanzhen movement's founder, Wang Chongyang (1113–1170 CE), and his first generation disciples. Translations include representative works from every major genre of Quanzhen literature, from poetry and discourse records to didactic texts, commentaries, and hagiographies. Three monastic manuals from the late medieval and late imperial periods of Quanzhen history are also included. An introduction to Quanzhen Daoism begins the work, and each chapter provides discussions of the history and topics relevant to each translation.

Catherine Despeux’s book Taoism and Self Knowledge is a study of the Internal Alchemical text "Chart for the Cultivation of Perfection." It begins with an analysis of pictographic and symbolic representation of the body in early Taoism after which the author examines different extant versions of the "Chart" as it was transmitted among Quanzhen groups in the Qing dynasty. The book is comprised of four main parts: the principal parts of the body and their nomenclature in Internal Alchemy, the spirits in the human body, and the alchemical processes and procedures used in thunder rituals and self-cultivation. This is a revised, expanded edition of the original French edition Taoïsme et connaissance de soi. La carte de la culture de la perfection (Xiuzhen tu) Paris, 2012.

A flourishing, fulfilling life is possible—no perfection required! Too many of us think we have to have it all together in order to live a meaningful life. Instead of feeling put together, we end up feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, and exhausted as we try to figure out how to do it all. Author, business owner, and mom to three Lara Casey has been there, too. In Cultivate, she offers this grace-filled advice: we can't do it all and do it well, but we can choose to cultivate what matters Written as part encouragement anthem and part practical guide, Cultivate offers wisdom from God's Word alongside lessons Lara has learned in her own life--and in her garden--giving you the tools you need to: Discern what matters most to you Embrace the season of life that you're in Find the joy and freedom that comes with cultivating what matters Let Lara be your guide as you learn to cultivate what matters, little by little, with the help of God's transforming grace. Praise for Cultivate: "Cultivate is rich soil for the soul! Whether you are a new sprout, just beginning to brave life in the light; a tender shoot fighting for space among rocks and weeds; or a mature plant in need of nurture and pruning, this book will help you thrive. With her characteristic honesty, humility, and patience, Lara Casey uses her spiritual 'green thumb' to gently nudge us toward an intentional life of godliness and growth. If you are ready for a new season of spiritual growth, dig into Cultivate and get ready to bloom!" --Elizabeth Laing Thompson, author of When God Says "Wait"

This handbook offers a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics of religious conversion, which for centuries has profoundly shaped societies, cultures, and individuals throughout the world.

'The Perfect Run is sure to increase your appreciation and enjoyment on the run, and that's a big payback' – Runner's World The "perfect" run, when you are in a full flow and feeling totally unstoppable, can be elusive, but this practical expert guide, written by a celebrated Runner's World writer Mackenzie Havey, will ensure you find it time and time again and in the process transform your running performances. At some point in every runner's career they experience the “perfect” run, when they are in full flow and feel totally unstoppable. Your worries about the day and physical aches and pains melt away. Your body and mind are in complete sync and the run feels effortless. Even still, the path to achieving the perfect run remains mysterious. It often materializes in the unlikeliest of circumstances-in adverse weather or on a day when everything else seems to be going wrong. Conversely, when we try hard to create the right conditions for that perfect run, it often doesn't come about. In The Perfect Run, Mackenzie L. Havey reveals everyone has the potential to enjoy more joyful and flow-driven running, no matter your experience, pace, or sporting ambitions. This ground-breaking book features insights from elite athletes, neuroscientists, coaches, and everyday runners to provide a road map for how to cultivate the right conditions for the “perfect” run. These ideas will not only help facilitate the potential for more successful running but, more significantly, can also be translated into other areas of your life to help provide a sense of calmness, self-control, and fulfillment far beyond the running trails.

You were created for a purpose, and it's time to make it happen. Make It Happen is the story of how I surrendered my fear, took the leap, and got a life. In my case, a perfectly imperfect, fulfilling life as a mama, a working woman, and a grateful wife. This is the story of how I chose to make "it"—a greater purpose than mine—happen, and how you can too. Make It Happen is for women who find themselves worried, anxious, and completely overwhelmed by the constant chase for perfection those seeking the courage to jump into a new venture working women who are struggling to "do it all" weary wives and moms looking for relief from burning the candle at both ends anyone who dreams of a life lived not by accident, but on purpose Your time has come to take a leap of faith. Join me as we surrender our fears, end the chase for perfection, and say yes to cultivating the meaningful lives God desires for us. You know all those things you've always wanted to do?You should go do them.