Iconography

Iconography PDF

Author: Susan S. Neville

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Published: 2003-09-12

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 9780253110725

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"I started this meditation on the first day of Lent. I hope to keep going every day until Easter. Each day I go fishing in the water of this internal voice. This week the water's still, this angled pen a blue sail; the hook is lazy in the estuary, the water the color of lapis. So what if I don't catch a fish? I said that I would fish; that's all I promised. I bait the hook with each day's discipline. I have no guarantees that there is anything at all to catch in these particular waters, that something beneath the surface won't grab my pen and pull me under." -- from Iconography When Susan Neville enrolls in an icon-painting class in the cellar of an Indianapolis monastery, she begins a journey into a fascinating hidden world where saints are fabricated of mineral and wood, yolk and blood, earth and time. The process is tedious, and she begins to make mistakes, to become impatient; she doesn't feel ready for the challenge. To prepare herself, Neville makes a vow to write during the 40 days of Lent. What emerges is a journal, a meditation, a series of confessions that we are invited to listen to as we follow Neville's sometimes painful attempts to reveal the truth and discover the mystery of her existence. In the layering of colors and moods, her writing is the spiritual equivalent of an icon. As she observes the world around her and applies the paint of language to her observations, she realizes that spirit and matter are not separate -- that now and then moments of meaning emerge from daily life, and the stillness and majesty of the universe shine through.

Iconography and Meditation

Iconography and Meditation PDF

Author: Mary Jane Miller

Publisher:

Published: 2021-10-12

Total Pages: 52

ISBN-13: 9781387767304

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Iconography and Meditation is an introduction to Icon Painting and their Secret Techniques revealed through the practice. This book reads as a step-by-step guide, for how to create your own icon. The 12-step sequence is a simplified road map for proceeding from vision to creation. Every step is accompanied by suggested meditations to focus the mind with more awareness on who we are painting. However, while easy to follow detailed instructions about technique and materials are provided, my main objective is to emphasize the mystical experience of the process itself. The painter or writer of an icon will come to better understand the two natures of Christ - flesh and spirit. The mystery is revealed in the process and meditation technique. St. Athanasius says: "Christ became man that man might become God." This simple statement has intrigued and confounded me my whole adult life. Eight words explain perfectly the relationship of flesh and spirit and how they are inextricably connected. When the icon painter paints an image of the divines invisible nature it is the same sort of relationship. Painting from the heart, leaving an imprint of our prayer. Mystical concepts are inspirational, and take a lifetime to fully grasp. I stumbled into icon painting with egg tempera and earth pigments. Discovering Organic Egg Tempera and its Secret Techniques inspired my desire to paint icons. For three decades I have experimented with different forms of prayer. Saints and theologians gave me a solid foundation for meditation; sitting for long periods of time in silence. The awareness of simplicity, of just breathing as a miraculous thing. The concept of ground stone and the inexhaustible dimension of mind made a strong impression upon me. Through meditation I found a new way to commune with the Spirit, and painting images with Mother Earth using egg tempera. If you can grasp the inter-relationship of flesh and spirit in any one aspect of your life, then it is possible to see it run like an electrical current through all of life.

Drawing Your Own Path

Drawing Your Own Path PDF

Author: John F. Simon, Jr.

Publisher: Parallax Press

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1941529372

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"Drawing Your Own Path is a smart, subtle, sophisticated, compassionate, radically eye-opening and mind-altering guide to creative and artistic liberation. Thank you, John Simon!"—Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being "John F. Simon, Jr., widely recognized as an early pioneer in the use of computer-generated imagery in contemporary art, has turned his attention to the act mark-making as a doorway into self-awareness and the essential touchstone of visual creativity. He leads us through a sequence of meditative drawing exercises, and shares insightful, touching anecdotes of his many years of experience as a practicing artist."—Peter Halley, Artist "The mysteries of the mind and universe are coupled with a very practical guide to drawing. It is an unlikely but wonderfully fruitful combination, a step-by-step approach to awareness and art."—Lawrence Rinder, Director, UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive "John’s marvelous artwork emerges from a deeply inspired and intuitive unfolding. His gift of finding one’s own creative process is beautifully transmitted in this delightful guide."—Jon Bernie, Ordinary Freedom "Drawing Your Own Path is an invitation to those who have never drawn before and a warm, informative, intelligent and lovely book to read. It offers refreshing, new ways to look at and experience the steps to make drawings today."—Sharon Louden, Artist, Editor of Living and Sustaining a Creative Life Drawing Your Own Path is an account of how multi–media artist John Simon’s daily drawing discipline became a meditation practice, and how that meditation illuminated his creative source. A practical guidebook full of Simon's own art, Drawing Your Own Path offers meditators an alternative path to ‘just sitting’ and offers artists a way to mindfully examine and deepen the source of their creative ideas. Readers are guided through thirty–three meditation and drawing exercises, exploring concentrated looking, mindful sketching, and improvisational awareness, all designed to help practitioners discover the vast creativity within themselves and in their daily lives. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation

Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation PDF

Author: Robert J. Morgan

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Published: 2017-04-04

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 0718089863

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. — Psalm 19:14 Do you long to deepen your intimacy with the Lord? To find a sense of soul-steadying peace? To develop emotional strength? Then you will need to pause long enough to be still and know He is God. Trusted Pastor Robert Morgan leads us through a journey into biblical meditation, which, he says, is thinking Scripture—not just reading Scripture or studying Scripture or even thinking about Scripture—but thinking Scripture, contemplating, visualizing, and personifying the precious truths God has given us. The practice is as easy and portable as your brain, as available as your imagination, as near as your Bible, and the benefits are immediate. As you ponder, picture, and personalize God’s Word, you begin looking at life through His lens, viewing the world from His perspective. And as your thoughts become happier and holier and brighter, so do you.

Introducing Buddha

Introducing Buddha PDF

Author: Borin Van Loon

Publisher: Icon Books Ltd

Published: 2014-06-05

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 1848317689

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Meditation, Karma, Zen, Tantric and Nirvana are some of the many Buddhist ideas Westerners hear of frequently, even if their meaning has been lost in translation. This vast and complex non-theistic religion is woven into the fabric of Asian civilisations. from India to the Himalayan regions, China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and elsewhere. What is Buddhism really all about? Introducing Buddha describes the life and teachings of the Buddha, but it also shows that enlightenment is a matter of experiencing the truth individually, and by inspiration which is passed from teacher to student. Superbly illustrated by Borin Van Loon, the book illuminates this process through a rich legacy of stories, explains the practices of meditation, Taoism and Zen, and goes on to describe the role of Buddhism in modern Asia and its growing influence on Western thought.

F*ck That

F*ck That PDF

Author: Jason Headley

Publisher: Crown/Archetype

Published: 2016-04-12

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 110190724X

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Like a yoga class you can hold in your hand, a beautiful, full-color guide to letting sh*t go Our world is filled with annoyances, and sometimes you need a little dose of humor to cope with the news cycle, your irritating co-worker, or that telemarketer who won’t stop calling. This refreshingly honest self-help book will guide you through a meditation to “breathe in strength, and breathe out bullsh*t.” An excellent gift for yourself or others, F*ck That is the very embodiment of modern-day self-care. May it help you find peace with the challenges that surround you…because they are f*cking everywhere. Based on the viral video that had everyone from yogis to workaholics raving, F*ck That is the completely truthful and oddly tranquil guide to relieving stress and achieving inner peace.

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book PDF

Author: Steven Laureys

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-04-15

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 1472980506

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INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER As featured in New Scientist: 'Meditation could retune our brains and help us cope with the long-term effects of the pandemic' 'Readers in search of an introduction to mindfulness that's free of woo-woo promises should look no further.' Publishers Weekly 'For a boost to your wellbeing don't miss the brilliant The No-Nonsense Meditation Book, which unites brain science with practical tips' – Stylist Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, world-leading neurologist Dr Steven Laureys works with celebrated meditators to scientifically prove the positive impact meditation has on our brains. Dr Steven Laureys has conducted ground-breaking research into human consciousness for more than 20 years. For this bestselling book, translated into seven languages worldwide, Steven explores the effect of meditation on the brain, using hard science to explain the benefits of a practice that was once thought of as purely spiritual. The result is a highly accessible, scientifically questioning guide to meditation, designed to open the practice to a broader audience. A mix of fascinating science, inspiring anecdote and practical exercises, this accessible book offers thoroughly researched evidence that meditation can have a positive impact on all our lives.