Journey Into Now

With perfect precision, the author guides the reader along a path of awakening which leads to liberation from the pain and limitations of the past into the joyful and unlimited world of Now. This book reveals, in the simplest way, how to still the mind and become fully present and awake in the truth of life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this book is the author's unique insight into the nature of the mind and ego. He describes in detail how the ego's resistance to Presence is the primary obstacle to awakening and how we can overcome that resistance in a simple and effective way. Each page of this book reveals a part of the mystery. There are hidden keys to awakening on every page. It is like a road map home.

In this time of ecological crisis, all that is holy calls us into a more intimate partnership with the diverse and beautiful beings of this earth. In Finding Our Way Home, Myke Johnson reflects on her personal journey into such a partnership and offers a guide for others to begin this path. Lyrically expressed, it weaves together lessons from a chamomile flower, a small bird, a copper beech tree, a garden slug, and a forest fern, along with insights from Indigenous philosophy, environmental science, fractal geometry, childhood Catholic mysticism, the prophet Elijah, fairy tales, and permaculture design. This eco-spiritual journey also wrestles with the history of our society's destruction of the natural world, and its roots in the original theft of the land from Indigenous peoples. Exploring the spiritual dimensions of our brokenness, it offers tools to create healing. Finding Our Way Home is a ceremony to remember our essential unity with all of life.

Find the practice that’s right for you with this exploration of the many paths of meditation—from mantra, prayer, singing, visualizations, and “just sitting” to movement meditations such as tai chi “Everyone has experienced a moment of pure awareness. A moment without thinking ‘I am aware’ or ‘that is a tree.’ Such moments bring a sense of rightness, of clarity, of being at one. Such moments are the essence of meditation.”—Ram Dass Ram Dass is an American psychologist and spiritual teacher who has studied and practiced meditation for many years. Here he shares his understanding and suggests how you can find methods suitable for you. He illuminates the stages and benefits of meditative practice, and provides wise and often humorous advice on overcoming difficulties along the way.

Maya Angelou, one of the best-loved authors of our time shares the wisdom of a remarkable life in this bestselling spiritual classic. This is Maya Angelou talking from the heart, down to earth and real, but also inspiring. This is a book to be treasured, a book about being in all ways a woman, about living well, about the power of the word, and about the power of spirituality to move and shape your life. Passionate, lively, and lyrical, Maya Angelou’s latest unforgettable work offers a gem of truth on every page. Maya Angelou speaks out . . . On Faith: “I'm taken aback when people walk up to me and tell me they are Christians. My first response is the question 'Already?' It seems to me a lifelong endeavor to try to live the life of a Christian. It is in the search itself that one finds ecstasy.” On Racism: “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color.” On Taking Time for Ourselves: “Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. A day away acts as a spring tonic. It can dispel rancor, transform indecision, and renew the spirit.” On Death and Grieving: “When I sense myself filling with rage at the absence of a beloved, I try as soon as possible to remember that my concerns should be focused on what I can learn from my departed love. What legacy was left which can help me in the art of living a good life?” On Style: “Style is as unique and nontransferable and perfectly personal as a fingerprint. It is wise to take the time to develop one's own way of being, increasing those things one does well and eliminating the elements in one's character which can hinder and diminish the good personality.”

The author writes of her experiences dealing with the death of her husband and adjusting to life in the city after leaving the ranchlands of southwest Saskatchewan.

Beloved guru Ram Dass tells the story of his spiritual awakening and gives you the tools to take control of your life in this “counterculture bible” (The New York Times) featuring powerful guidance on yoga, meditation, and finding your true self. When Be Here Now was first published in 1971, it filled a deep spiritual emptiness, launched the ongoing mindfulness revolution, and established Ram Dass as perhaps the preeminent seeker of the twentieth century. Just ten years earlier, he was known as Professor Richard Alpert. He held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. He published books, drove a Mercedes and regularly vacationed in the Caribbean. By most societal standards, he had achieved great success. . . . And yet he couldn’t escape the feeling that something was missing. Psilocybin and LSD changed that. During a period of experimentation, Alpert peeled away each layer of his identity, disassociating from himself as a professor, a social cosmopolite, and lastly, as a physical being. Fear turned into exaltation upon the realization that at his truest, he was just his inner-self: a luminous being that he could trust indefinitely and love infinitely. And thus, a spiritual journey commenced. Alpert headed to India where his guru renamed him Baba Ram Dass—“servant of God.” He was introduced to mindful breathing exercises, hatha yoga, and Eastern philosophy. If he found himself reminiscing or planning, he was reminded to “Be Here Now.” He started upon the path of enlightenment, and has been journeying along it ever since. Be Here Now is a vehicle for sharing the true message, and a guide to self-determination.

Journey into Consciousness may revolve around my story, but within each one of us is a story that is being written each and every day. We are constantly writing the story of our lives based on choices - whether we make these choices ourselves or they are made for us. The directions those choices take us form the foundation for our learning, spiritual growth, and even our happiness. From the moment we breathe that first breath of life to the moment that final breath exits our body, our life story is being written. As we become more aware and mindful of our own personal power, we are better able to make conscious choices, and give ourselves permission to take control of our destiny instead of leaving it up to fate. I know that learning to love and accept myself for who I am and embracing all of my experiences as opportunities for learning and growth have been the catalysts for transformation in my life. I also know that this spiritual journey of mine has strengthened and fortified my soul and psyche so that I know that anything is possible, and that we, human beings, can learn to live the life that we deserve to live. Over the years, I've learned that letting go of fear is a crucial part of spiritual growth, and as a human being, I know that fear is what has held me back and inhibited my ability to write this book for a long time. My personal fears about this recounting of my personal journey into consciousness revolve around the uncertainty of what is safe to share. I acknowledge that the memories of my experiences are solely my perception - my viewpoint. As I tell my story, I do so with the intention of assisting others in awakening to the truth of who they really are and to help them live the life they desire. I apologize here and now if, as my early memories unravel, I inadvertently cause anyone hurt or pain, but my memories are crucial to the telling of my story, and it was Spirit who showed me which memories to share. The memories I was shown are the pivotal ones that impacted me greatly in my early years. I was shown the memories and choices that molded and shaped me - creating who I am today. By shifting my perceptions, I have freed myself from self-imposed limitations. My past no longer defines me; yet I acknowledge the experiences that have made me the person I am today. In Section One of this book, I relate my experiences prior to my spiritual awakening. Each chapter begins with a lesson I have learned and ends with a revelation as well as a message to facilitate your journey. Section Two begins with my spiritual awakening, which I officially designate as May 1, 2008. I began journaling my spiritual path at that time and have incorporated excerpts from my journals. My objective in chronicling and including these personal "aha" moments of learning and clarity is to assist and support my fellow sojourners. During my journey into consciousness, I have utilized many tools that helped me move forward. In Section Three, I share the tools and wisdom that helped me the most - those tools that I have found to be straightforward, uncomplicated, and therefore, easily incorporated into our daily lives. In all three sections, I endeavor to share essential details of my story along with guidance and suggestions received from Spirit to help you move forward on your own personal journey into consciousness, and my primary objectives are as follows: 1) To assist in bringing an understanding of one's life experiences and the consequences of choices made without blaming others 2) To learn to heal from the past through forgiveness and shifting perception 3) To allow ourselves to realize our full potential through empowerment and love

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.