Aligned, Relaxed, Resilient: The Physical Foundations of Mindfulness

by Will Johnson

The emphasis on the mind in meditation can be somewhat misleading: If we pay attention only to mental processes and overlook the experience of the body, we can remain stuck in our heads and not be able to break free of the involuntary thinking that we find so claustrophobic and toxic. This short, practical guide helps us embrace the fact of our embodiment—the experience of the sensations, movements, and gestures of the body—and to realize that mindfulness is the natural state of awareness of a body that has learned how to experience its feeling presence. Johnson takes us through the three primary principles of the posture of meditation: alignment, relaxation, and resilience. He devotes a large part of each chapter to specific practices to help the reader experience different aspects of physical presence. This book is of interest to meditators of all traditions—Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Jews, and others—as well as therapists, bodyworkers, and anyone interested in body-centered psychology and other natural modes of healing.

Genres: Meditation, Health, Psychology, Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2000

About the author

Will Johnson received his B.A., magna cum laude, in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University in 1968. After graduation, he worked for several years as an art critic in New York before moving to the west coast of North America where he began actively exploring gazing, moving, and sitting meditations. He became a Buddhist practitioner in 1972 and was trained as a Rolfer™ in 1976. He began the formal sharing of the practices of Embodiment Training in 1995.

Reviews

[Orlando Galvez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Therapy for life.

When that familiar feeling of, "I can't do this anymore" creeps in? It is this book that has become my "Break Glass in Emergency" allowing me to resusitate through "breath" alone.

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent guide to meditation and the foundations of mindfulness. Will Johnson gently and expertly outlines exercises and thought processes to enhance our engagement with the present moment, the only moment.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the guided meditations. This was a good one.