Dancing Wisdom

Landmark interdisciplinary study of religious systems through their dance performances

Concentrating on the Caribbean Basin and the coastal area of northeast South America, Yvonne Daniel considers three African-derived religious systems that rely heavily on dance behavior--Haitian Vodou, Cuban Yoruba, and Bahamian Candomblé. Combining her background in dance and anthropology to parallel the participant/scholar dichotomy inherent to dancing's "embodied knowledge," Daniel examines these misunderstood and oppressed performative dances in terms of physiology, psychology, philosophy, mathematics, ethics, and aesthetics. "Dancing Wisdom offers the rare opportunity to see into the world of mystical spiritual belief as articulated and manifested in ritual by dance. Whether it is a Cuban Yoruba dance ritual, slave Ring Shout or contemporary Pentecostal Holy Ghost possession dancing shout, we are able to understand the relationship with spirit through dancing with the Divine. Yvonne Daniel's work synthesizes the cognitive empirical objectivity of an anthropologist with the passionate storytelling of a poetic artist in articulating how dance becomes prayer in ritual for Africans of the Diaspora." --Leon T. Burrows, Protestant Chaplain, Smith College'

"This is no quick fix, self-help book; it is much deeper and far more valuable than that. With his blend of many years of medical practice and personal pilgrimage, combining Biblical wisdom with contemporary relevance, Sunil Raheja's reflections help us to probe our fundamental priorities and values. This book encourages us to face the why questions about the biggest and inescapable issues of our existence, of life and death, meaning and purpose. But it also charts an attractive path to a life of greater enjoyment, fulfilment and potential flourishing, which might just change everything. It is well worth examining. I warmly commend it." David Jackman, Past President of the Proclamation Trust, London Never before have we had access to such stunning technological advances or timesaving tools--yet we are still exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated and empty. STOP GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE. Thoreau described most people as living in "quiet desperation" and dying with "their song still inside them." When we are young, we dream about how we will change the world and the positive impact we will make. At mid-life, we are bruised by disappointment, dashed dreams, and even the death of loved ones. The world encourages us to ignore the pain and anaesthetise our frustrations and disappointments with mindless entertainment, cynicism and victimhood. Such a mindset for many people creates an unprecedented and alarming rise in mental illness, discontent, and unhappiness. THERE IS A BETTER WAY....to connect with the timeless truths of wisdom: Become fully alive in body, mind and spirit--embrace and enjoy life. Live with delight, purpose, and exhilaration in a negative world. Heal without the hangover of cynicism, shame, exhaustion or guilt. Learn to Dance with Wisdom, stop going through the motions and become the fully alive human being you were always intended to be! 

Why do all cultures, distant and diverse, have similar tales of dragons? Universal wisdom confirms dragons have interacted with people since time immemorial—they call to us, pique our curiosity, and arouse our fears. These mystical beasts are real and their power, their influence, and especially their magick can be captured. Building upon rituals and drawing on their energy, learn to befriend these inspirational creatures and become partners with them on a spiritual journey. Move with them, learn from them, dance in perfect human/dragon syncopation. Praise: "A unique, one-of-a-kind tome and a welcome addition to the growing body of metaphysical lore."—Midwest Book Review "A personal devotion and an academic work of the highest order."—The Dragon Chronicle (UK) "Dragon-lovers everywhere will like this book."—Prediction

“You might think that dancing doesn’t have a lot to do with social research, and doing social research is probably why you picked this book up in the first place. But trust me. Salsa dancing is a practice as well as a metaphor for a kind of research that will make your life easier and better.” Savvy, witty, and sensible, this unique book is both a handbook for defining and completing a research project, and an astute introduction to the neglected history and changeable philosophy of modern social science. In this volume, Kristin Luker guides novice researchers in: knowing the difference between an area of interest and a research topic; defining the relevant parts of a potentially infinite research literature; mastering sampling, operationalization, and generalization; understanding which research methods best answer your questions; beating writer’s block. Most important, she shows how friendships, non-academic interests, and even salsa dancing can make for a better researcher. “You know about setting the kitchen timer and writing for only an hour, or only 15 minutes if you are feeling particularly anxious. I wrote a fairly large part of this book feeling exactly like that. If I can write an entire book 15 minutes at a time, so can you.”

Thomas loves to tell stories. Big stories. Stories about how skilled he is on the land. But when one of his friends grows tired of his tall tales, Thomas has to prove how skilled he really is. Taking the challenge to spend a night alone in the forest, Thomas heads into the wilderness. The trees, who have heard his stories, watch him tear off their bark and litter as he goes. And so, while Thomas sleeps, they dance a dance that will leave Thomas with a very different kind of story to tell--if he can find his way home... In this book, Masiana Kelly draws on the beauty of the Northwest Territories and the wisdom of Elders to illustrate the importance of treating the land around us with respect.

Jerry and Chungliang share a long friendship and a lifelong passion for helping others discover the warrior's path of living a fully engaged life. They also share an understanding that athletics and fitness can serve as vehicles to transport us to a more sacred space. Together, they have written Spirit of Dancing Warrior to assist you on this path, filling it with information on practical spirituality and how to use it to achieve peak capacity in all your physical work and play. By opening your heart to the special connection between the physical and the spiritual--whether in the gym, on the field, practiing Tai Chi or ridin