Be advised that you read this book at your own risk: chances are, it will at least challenge your conceptual understanding of reality and may even alter forever how you see the world. Norio's Kushi's insights, the windfall of long hours on the road, are the stuff of practical wisdom. The ability to question one's reality is the first requisite of evolutionary change. Awakening-you might also call it spiritual transformation or enlightenment-is neither a solution to life's problems nor a goal to be achieved through personal endeavor but, rather, a ground zero, a place to come from if one is to live a productive and fulfilling life. This is the story of Norio Kushi's journey, how he was born in New York City to Japanese parents, Michio and Aveline Kushi, how he grew up and came of age within the eccentric surroundings of the Boston macrobiotic community of the 1960s and 1970s, and how, since then, he has consistently been guided by his intuition.

For the first time in English, Stephen Earle tells the epic story of Nakamura Tempu, one of Japan’s most inspirational twentieth-century thinkers and teachers, whose mind-body approach to personal transformation influenced hundreds of thousands, including prominent leaders in government, industry, and the arts. Earle chronicles Tempu’s origins in the samurai tradition, his genius for martial arts, and his work in Manchuria as a spy during the Russo-Japan War of 1904–1905. He relates how, after escaping a Russian firing squad, Tempu contracted tuberculosis; how he embarked on a search for a cure that led to the halls of Columbia University, the salons of Paris, and the foothills of the Himalayas, where he practiced yoga under the tutelage of an Indian guru; and how he not only regained his health but also underwent a spiritual transformation. This transformation laid the groundwork for the secular and practical methodology for self-realization and the cultivation of will that Tempu developed and disseminated to the sick and socially disenfranchised, as well as to princes and prime ministers. Over the course of nine decades, Tempu’s philosophy of mind-body unification has charted a clear and accessible path to mastery over hardship and the ability to meet life’s challenges head-on. Yet, the man, his story, his teachings, and his legacy remain almost unknown outside of Japan—until now. In addition to demonstrating how Tempu’s teachings were significant to Japan’s reconstruction and economic rise following the devastation of World War II, Heaven’s Wind is also an engaging historical narrative, an account of personal transformation, and a clear guide to the practical philosophy of mind-body unity.

Join renowned spiritual teacher Adyashanti for a practice-based journey out of the thinking mind and into the awakened awareness beyond perceptual reality. For renowned teacher Adyashanti, every single moment contains a doorway into spiritual awakening. But what does it actually mean to “wake up” to the truth of reality? And what does it take to recognize these opportunities? In The Direct Way, Adya (as his students call him) offers a sequence of 30 practices intended to connect with and cultivate ever-greater awareness of the unseen dimensions of your being. From the simple expression of “I am,” to an exploration of the Spiritual Heart, and all the way into the fundamental ground of being, these exercises emphasize that the process of awakening takes “many small glimpses, experienced many times.” Adya concludes with practical pointers on how to integrate transcendent experiences into the everyday fabric of life—including your career, personal goals, and intimate relationships. Here you will discover: How to dis-identify from conceptual, ego-based thinkingPerceiving the ego as a tool to navigate consciousness rather than an obstacleThe “knowing yet empty” quality of foundational awarenessThe surprising route to realizing awareness of the Spiritual HeartFeeling through the Spiritual Heart as a way to experience true interconnectionThe meaning of the Zen teaching phrase, “This very body is the Buddha”Exploring the exhilarating paradox of Being and BecomingHow to establish anchor points to stabilize your journey into the Ground of BeingWhat it means to live each day with “enlightened relativity”How awakening puts control of your experience in your hands—but also the responsibility for it No one experiences awakening quite the same. With The Direct Way, join Adya to discover pathways toward an awareness as wide as the sky and as personal as your innermost heart.

In this groundbreaking book, one of the world's leading holistic educators introduces the concept of food as a manifestation of energy. He explains how plant foods, and especially cereal grains, represent crystalized sunlight and how the human body uses that energy to create mind and consciousness. He reveals how the awns, tiny hairlike antennae that project from each grain, channel energy from the cosmos and how grains store this energetic blueprint. He then elaborates on the concept of sentience, or the self-awareness possessed by animals, and how animal sentience negatively impacts the consciousness of those who depend upon animals as food. He includes a special chapter on the pineal gland, referred to as the third eye, and presents lifestyle and dietary guidelines for opening the spiritual vision located there. Subsequent chapters explain how the modern diet, based on animal products and processed food, contributes to depression, anxiety, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease, as well as increased susceptibility to emerging viruses. The book closes with a positive vision of a peaceful universe and healthy and sustainable future. Edward Esko is the founder of the International Macrobiotic Institute and the author of over a dozen books on holistic and natural diet, health, and lifestyle.