The Posture of Meditation by Will Johnson
Review by Dwight Huffman
Look Inside Link: http://amzn.to/14JjZZ9
Paperback: 100 pages
Publisher: Shambhala; 1st edition (October 22, 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1570622329
ISBN-13: 978-1570622328
158.12 Joh at Richland Public Library
This short little book describes the mechanics of meditation: alignment, relaxation, and resilience. One must find the posture that stacks the bones one atop another to relieve the tension in our muscles, by doing so meditation becomes a relaxed posture. The author explains ways of sitting and presents exercises to find a stable posture in which gravity is not an adversary but aids the sitting. I had previously read a book by Thich Nhat Hanh in which he relates the story of a woman who becomes the first Buddhist monk. At the end of her life she was found in her hut, dead but still in the sitting meditation position. A great deal was made of that in the story and I did not understand why at the time. But now I see that it was because her sitting posture was so refined that it no longer required any effort on her part and was a sign of great achievement.
While there are many different techniques and forms of meditation this book talks briefly about positioning the legs and cushions and then primarily concentrates on techniques for finding balance in the spine. In Part II “Informal Practice”, he talks about extending the meditation to everyday life. He talks about how the meditation experience changes over time and how to use the principles of Part I to keep moving forward.
The author, Will Johnson is a certified Rolfer and director of the Institute for Embodiment Training in British Columbia at the time of the book’s publication. The book is available from Amazon.com and the Richland county public library.