Still running : the art of meditation in motion

Still running The art of meditation in motion

Vanessa Zuisei Goddard

Book - 2020

"When Vanessa Goddard decided to write a book about running and meditation, she knew it would have to be a book about freedom, ease, and the joy of movement. It would be about mind and body and their interrelatedness. It would speak about the power of stillness and silence and the ways in which we can use that power in our lives. We are awake when we remain present within each moment, responding skillfully to what is in front of us. Awakening is also enlightenment or liberation-the realization of who we truly are and what reality is made of. In the 2,500-year-old tradition of Buddhism, the main path to liberation is meditation, or, as it's called in Zen, zazen, seated meditation. First we need to learn to move into stillness to ma...ke contact with our basic clarity and wisdom. Then from that stillness, we must move out into activity, letting that clarity inform the way we live day to day. Running zazen-a practice developed by Vanessa Goddard-can show us that fundamentally there is no difference between stillness and movement, body and mind, self and other. And this, the Buddha said, is the realization that leads to the end of suffering." --

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Location Call Number   Status
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Subjects
Meditation > Buddhism.
Running > Buddhism > Religious aspects.
Published
Boulder, Colorado : Shambhala [2020]
Language
English
Main Author
Vanessa Zuisei Goddard (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xiv, 173 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 165-171).
ISBN
9781611808193
  • Practice
  • Intent
  • Commitment
  • Discipline
  • Body
  • Effort
  • Breath
  • Mind
  • Pain
  • Creation
  • Stillness
  • Movement
  • Silence
  • Credo.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Zen teacher Goddard combines Buddhist teachings with the sport of running in her brisk, appealing debut. A runner of 35 years and a Zen practitioner for over 20, Goddard uses meditation to remain present and "awake" throughout the day, whether at rest or on the move. She explores the relationship between Zen practice and running using the Buddhist Eightfold Path, focusing on right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration: "focus and consistency make it possible to push against the edges of what we think we know." Goddard asks readers to investigate their intent, commitment, and discipline in regard to running, and how those same principles relate to other aspects of their lives. At the end of each chapter, she provides meditation instructions for formal zazen sitting meditation as well as physical practices including running form, abdominal breathing, blind running, and visualization exercises. Though running is Goddard's jumping-off point, her main focus is on teaching basic tenets of Buddhist ideas and applying them to the body and mind in motion. Buddhist runners will enjoy this accessible, conversational companion. (Aug.)

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