The Healing Power of Meditation , livre ebook

Turner Publishing Company - Gabriel S. Weiss

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187 pages

English

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Description

Medical research confirms something that Buddhists have maintained for centuries: meditation can cause physical changes in the brain and body. This book combines medical studies, neuroscientific research, clinical case histories, spiritual wisdom, jazz lyrics, poems, paintings and Zen philosophy, weaving together a set of principles and meditative practicesthat you can easily integrate into your daily life.

Sujets

Santé et bien-être

Bien-être émotionnel

Santé du quotidien

Santé au quotidien

Alternative Therapies

Health

Fitness

Bien-être

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	01 octobre 2008
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781591205081
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1248€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Praise for The Healing Power of Meditation
“ There are many healing elements available in us and around us and it is possible to make use of them right away. Dr. Gabriel S. Weiss shows us in this book how to do so. He is a skilled practitioner of medicine and meditation. He has practiced meditation with us at Deer Park Monastery for several years and has a beautiful dharma name: Compassionate Service of the Heart. Enjoy this wonderful book and allow it to water the seeds of wisdom and compassion in you, which will bring healing and happiness to you and your beloved ones. ”
—T HICH N HAT H ANH , Z EN M ASTER
“ Our shelves are filled with useful perspectives on meditation, but as a physician attempting to help others make practical use of this growing literature, it is clear that The Healing Power of Meditation fills a true need. No other contribution brings together specific medical problems with pragmatic instruction, while also showing us how the meditative, contemplative, and scientific traditions share a common biological basis. ”
—T HOMAS J. C HIPPENDALE , M.D., P H .D., PRACTICING NEUROLOGIST; MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THE N EUROSCIENCES AND S TROKE P ROGRAMS FOR S CRIPPS H OSPITAL, E NCINITAS, CA LIFORNIA; PRESIDENT, S AN D IEGO S TROKE C OUNCIL; AND TEACHER, M INDFULNESS -B ASED S TRESS R EDUCTION
“ In his book, Dr. Gabriel Weiss, whom I have known for many years, gives a very descriptive and practical approach to meditation. I will be recommending this book as an important tool to be used in the healing process of patients and to anyone who wishes to decrease stress and anxiety in their daily life. ”
—D ANIEL V ICARIO , M.D., MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST; CO-FOUNDER, S AN D IEGO C ANCER C ENTER (SDCC); AND DIRECTOR, SDCC I NTEGRATIVE M EDICINE P ROGRAM

“ The Healing Power of Meditation is more than a book about meditation. It is a practical, understandable, comprehensive guide for a philosophy of life that bridges current Western and ancient Eastern Zen concepts. Dr. Weiss illustrates his principles with examples from his personal life and practice, and offers tips on implementing proposed exercises. The book also summarizes well the scientific evidence showing a benefit for using meditation to treat or prevent many illnesses, including diseases affected by the immune system such as asthma, infection, and cancer. Whether you are challenged medically, emotionally, or spiritually, or whether you just want to be a whole person, this book and its accompanying CD will enhance your life. ”
—R ICHARD T. W OLD , M.D., GRADUATE, S TANFORD M EDICAL S CHOOL; SPECIALIST IN ARTHRITIS AND ALLERGY; BOARD-CERTIFIED ALLERGIST AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGIST

“ Dr. Weiss provides a valuable introduction to the vital importance of the relationship between mind and body in the healing process. He has collected and digested the relevant research of others and blended it with his own insights, moving stories and his years of experience and medical training. To this he has added a skillful and pragmatic presentation of the ancient wisdom and benefits of mindfulness meditation. The result is a highly accessible guide for those interested in healing and wellness. Read the book, put his suggestions to the test in your own life and share the beauty with others. ”
—F RANK OSTASESKI, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, Z EN H OSPICE P ROJECT AND M ETTA I STITUTE; NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EDUCATOR AND COUNSELOR ON SPIRITUALITY IN DYING AND END-OF-LIFE CARE, WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN HONORED BY THE D ALAI L AMA AND FEATURED ON B ILL O MYER’S TELEVISION SERIES O N O UR O WN T ERMS , T HE O PRAH W INFREY S HOW , AND IN NUMEROUS PRINT PUBLICATIONS
The Healing Power of Meditation
Your Prescription for Getting Well and Staying Well with Meditation
Gabriel S. Weiss, MD
The information contained in this book is based upon the research and personal and professional experiences of the author. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other healthcare provider. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should be done under the direction of a healthcare professional.
The publisher does not advocate the use of any particular healthcare protocol but believes the information in this book should be available to the public. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book. Should the reader have any questions concerning the appropriateness of any procedures or preparation mentioned, the author and the publisher strongly suggest consulting a professional healthcare advisor.
Basic Health Publications, Inc. 28812 Top of the World Drive • Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-715-7327 • www.basichealthpub.com
Publishing credits —Excerpts from The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, copyright © 1999 by Antonio Damasio, reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Inc.; from Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain, copyright © 2003 by Antonio Damasio, reprinted by permission of Harcourt, Inc.; from Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, copyright © 1990 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, used by permission of Dell Publishing, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Seeing Emotions Through the Eyes of Impermanence,” from No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh, copyright © 2002 by the United Buddhist Church, used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; from This Is Your Brain on Music by David J. Levitin, copyright © 2006 by David J. Levitin, used by permission of Dutton, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; from Wider Than the Sky by Gerald M. Edelman, copyright © 2004 by Gerald M. Edelman, reprinted by permission of Yale University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Weiss, Gabriel S.
The healing power of meditation / by Gabriel S. Weiss.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-59120-508-1
1. Meditation—Health aspects. 2. Meditation—Therapeutic use. I. Title.
RC489.M43W45 2008
615.8’51—dc22
2008031210
Copyright © 2008 by Gabriel S. Weiss, M.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.
Editor: Cheryl Hirsch Typesetting/Book design: Gary A. Rosenberg Cover design: Mike Stromberg
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
ONE • Meditation and Wellness
Skillful Means • What Is Meditation? • Learning to Meditate • Establishing a Daily Meditation: AH-OM Breath • Mindfulness, Concentration, and Insight • Practice Review
TWO • Healing Illness: A Prescription for Meditation
Cancer • Cardiovascular Disease • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome • Gastrointestinal Problems • Infectious Diseases • Insomnia • Lung and Respiratory Disorders • Menopausal Symptoms and Premenstrual Syndrome • Mood and Affective Disorders • Near Blindness • Neurological Disorders • Obesity • Osteoarthritis • Pain • Pregnancy • Psoriasis • Recovery from Surgery and Traumatic Injury • Terminal Illness • Whole-Person Health Care
THREE • Zen Perspective
The Four Noble Truths • Wisdom: The First Key to Enlightenment • Morality: The Second Key to Enlightenment • Meditation: The Third Key to Enlightenment • Enlightenment • Birth and Death • A Brief History of Zen

FOUR • Meditation and Healing Exercises for Expanding Your Practice
Walking Meditation • Zen Breathing Exercises • Yoga Complete Breath • Well-Being • Pebble Meditation • Meditation on the Whole Person • The Five Remembrances • Meditations for Transforming Anger • Meditations for Transforming Pain • Music Meditation • Music Therapy • More Mindful Modes • Meditations for a Good Night’s Sleep • The Stress Reliever Physicians Can Teach in Their Office
FIVE • Advanced Meditation Concepts for Deepening Your Practice
The Practice • Practice Aids • Practice Obstacles • Validation of the Practice • Practice Pearls
SIX • Mindful Art
Participating in the Arts • Creativity, Curiosity, and Spontaneity • Natural, Harmonious, Elemental Art • Painting, Sculpture, and Stained Glass Art • Music • Dancing Molecules and the Tea Ceremony • Literature and Poetry
SEVEN • The Nature of Reality and Consciousness
Science and Zen • Feelings: The Ripple Effect • Consciousness • The Neurobiology of Meditation • Learning and Wisdom • The Science of the Healing Power of Meditation
Afterword
Mindfulness Bibliography
Publishing and Photo Credits
About the Author and Illustrator
Acknowledgments
J ackie Benington Weiss is my partner on what we call “the long strange trip.” She has fearlessly come with me on this journey into exploring meditation and Zen. She is usually my first confidante to read and help edit my writings and offers me much-needed encouragement.
Greg O’Leary is my boyhood friend with a great, wry sense of humor. He is an accomplished attorney and a former graduate literature student at Stanford University, who has remained a lifelong soul mate. He is someone with whom I can talk for hours on end, and never get bored, or run out of things to say. After reading early drafts of this book, he gave me suggestions that led to me further embellishing and “fleshing out” some previously sketchy ideas.
I thank my perceptive and knowledgeable literary agent Bill Gladstone of Waterside Productions, Inc. Bill immediately saw that a book written by a practicing internal medicine doctor, who linked specific meditation exercises to specific illnesses, was something new and different. He helped orient me to the publishing business, and quickly found an excel lent publisher for my book.
Norman Goldfind is president and founder of Basic Health Publications, Inc. He founded his publishing company w