For “spiritual explorers” ready to travel beyond Western bounds, a beginner’s guide to Asian spiritual traditions spanning regions, cultures, and history
Asian spiritual practices, from yoga and tai chi to qigong and mindfulness meditations, permeate our culture. But these practices are often casually used in the West, and sometimes little understood. As informative as it is inviting, A Lamp unto Yourself introduces “spiritual explorers” of all experience levels to embodied Eastern spiritual practices.
Employing decades of personal and professional experience with Asian spiritualities, C. Pierce Salguero explains the origins of key Asian spiritual practices. He grounds them in their historical and philosophical contexts and provides information on how the reader can begin and deepen their personal practices. Salguero also discusses the focus of the path (heart, body, or perception) and describes what one might experience as they develop their practice. In A Lamp unto Yourself, readers will learn more about such traditions as
- mindfulness meditation, insight meditation, and loving-kindness meditation
- yogas, tai chi, and qigong
- Taoism and Advaita
- mantras, chakras, and tantra
Those looking to begin practicing for the first time or to simply expand their ever-growing spiritual tool kits will feel empowered to explore Eastern spirituality with knowledge and autonomy. With Salguero as their guide, readers can confidently embark on their journeys to becoming, as Buddha would encourage, a lamp unto themselves.
“This the perfect introduction for understanding what Asian-inspired spiritual practices might offer you and what their philosophical underpinnings are, and for helping you get started. And Salguero is just the right guide: knowledgeable, companionable, and aware that, like just about everything in life, one size does not fit all.”
—Dr. Zubin Damania, creator of the ZDoggMD Show and founder of Turntable Health
Preface
CHAPTER 1
Preparing for the Journey
CHAPTER 2
Surveying the Terrain
CHAPTER 3
Core Practices for Health and Wholeness
CHAPTER 4
Exploring Nondual Perception
CHAPTER 5
Exploring the Heart
CHAPTER 6
Exploring the Energy Body
CHAPTER 7
Putting It All Together
CHAPTER 8
Thinking Critically About Asian Spirituality
Postscript
Acknowledgments