"This book... has the capacity to transform lives, and connect people back to the state of mind that kept us joyful for thousands of generations." -Craig Foster, author of Sea Change: Primal Joy and the Art of Underwater Tracking Nature, the original mindfulness teacher... Amidst the stress and distraction of the Digital Age, it's easy to overlook the fact that our brains are adapted to thrive in close connection with the Earth, our senses keenly attuned to Nature's subtle signals. Meditating outdoors soothes the psyche, nourishes the body, and elevates creativity to new heights. Meditation on Nature's patterns reawakens our deepest instinctive power and brightens our curiosity, as we journey into realizing our interdependence and connection with the larger web of life. Today, it's time for a reboot - and to once again invite the wisdom of the wild into our daily lives. Through entertaining stories and over 36 engaging practices, expert outdoors mentor Josh Lane shares a pathway to exploring your own relationship with Nature for greater well-being and daily inspiration. Drawing upon lessons from his ten-year apprenticeship in the ancient art of wildlife tracking, combined with insights gleaned from the latest research in brain-based learning and neuroscience, Josh demonstrates step-by-step how to develop your own complete practice of outdoor meditation, so that you can experience a richly rewarding personal connection with the world of Nature. Journey with Josh on- and off-trail through the thickets and vistas of the inner and outer landscapes in this fun and highly practical guide to meditating in Nature. Learn & Discover: -How to find a Meditation Spot, your own "outdoor mindfulness studio" -Transformational techniques for harnessing the Five Key Brain States of Awareness for more peace, joy, and well-being -How to read the "secret" language of the animals, while blending in with the rhythms of Nature -Why birdsong is Nature's original mantra: how skillful attunement to Nature's patterns can transform your consciousness, awakening renewed creativity and a deeper sense of grounding -How to unlock the power of questioning and the art of journaling to expand your awareness in Nature -The many health & cognitive benefits you can enjoy from meditating outdoors, and how these practices literally rewire your brain and reprogram your cells for greater wellness -Learn a complete four-part meditation sequence that enlivens the mind, heart and senses -Explore over 36 awareness practices and techniques you can apply around your home or in the deepest wilderness Who This Book is For: You want to learn how to bring mindfulness into your nature experience; learn techniques to ditch stress and enjoy the moment, with more peace and grounding in your life You long to understand Nature's language, and feel more connected with all of your senses awakened Perfect both for seasoned Outdoor Guides & also for new practitioners of nature connection, forest bathing (shinrin yoku) & forest therapy who want a deeper understanding of the beneficial changes arising in the brain and body through sensory awareness, meditation, and connection with the Nature within and around us "...the new gold standard for the how and why of mindfulness. This book will help you achieve balance using simple techniques that are easily integrated into your every day life. Josh offers tangible takeaways for personal nature connection, helping relieve stress and increase health. Backed by science and story, Josh's writings are an easy, informative and fun read. This book is the perfect place to start your journey to true connection and happiness." - Nicole Apelian, Ph.D.

Panpsychism is the philosophical view that consciousness, mentality, or 'mindedness' in some form is fundamental in the universe. The idea has existed for centuries, but only recently has it had a serious resurgence. Galen Strawson has been on the front line of the battlefield on the topic of panpsychism since the 1990s. His paper on ‘realistic monism’, contained in this volume and originally published in 2006, is now considered something of a classic and a catalyst for panpsychism’s recent revival. This long overdue new edition of the book gives the original commentators, where they feel they have something more to add, an opportunity to update their thinking on the topic of panpsychism in general and Strawson’s realistic monism in particular. Seven new postscripts are included, which aim to enhance the original collection and push the discussion onwards. Eighteen years have passed since the first edition of this groundbreaking volume, and Strawson remains a distinctive and important voice in the field — the new edition is a must-read for all who are interested in consciousness studies.

Both inspiring and enlightening, Conscious Being is a compelling resource for those seeking self-realization. It serves as a guide for awakened living, which is a state of higher clarity and presence and is a more natural condition than many are aware exists within each of us. Author and spiritual teacher TJ Woodward creates a powerful philosophy for living by masterfully weaving personal stories, entertaining anecdotes, and deep, mystical truths. The result is a composition that offers practical guidance to show the benefits of spiritual transformation, while encouraging each of us to shift into a deeper awareness of our authentic inner wisdom. Conscious Being shows us how the circumstances of our lives and what we call reality are created by our level of consciousness. It offers methods for unlearning and releasing self-limiting beliefs and the illusion of ego so we can come into alignment with an existence overflowing with compassion, love, and purpose. This “great remembering,” as TJ Woodward calls it, is available to us at every moment, for it is our true nature and our divine birthright. If you are ready to open your heart to a new way of being and embrace a life filled with profound peace, connection, and happiness, Conscious Being is the book for you! http://www.ConsciousBEINGbook.com

"In the course of every human life, moments come -- often so quietly as to be almost unrecognized -- that are so subtle and unobtrusive, they pass without one being fully aware of them. These moments are like the gentle tones of birds singing in their sleep, the faint sound of a bell ringing far away, or the gentle touch of an invisible hand. "Nevertheless, all these moments, perceived or unperceived, are manifestations of destiny in each human life, 'the evidence of things not seen.' They express the secret language of the heart and invite one to begin a journey. They involve taking important steps on a life path, which one senses instinctively will ultimately lead to the light of one's own higher self and into the world of spiritual reality, the 'land' where the real foundations of life purposes are to be found. Thus, one sets out on a path that can lead to the unfolding of the unique mystery of each individual life story. Such is the substance of the journey described in these pages." --Paul Marshall Allen Paul Allen was born into a Quaker family on June 26, 1913, in the small upstate New York village of Conquest. The life that followed was as varied outwardly as it was deeply committed inwardly to following a path of knowledge. He was a teacher, actor, writer, and publisher, each role connecting him with the world as a "Rosicrucian soul." For Paul, the most important event of destiny occurred when he encountered Rudolf Steiner's spiritual science through the actor Michael Chekhov, leading Paul to dedicate his life to Anthroposophy as a path of inner knowledge and activity in the world. In A Rosicrucian Soul, Russell Pooler takes the reader on a journey through the life of a man who profoundly affected everyone he encountered. During the early days of Anthroposophy in North America, Paul delved deeply into Rudolf Steiner's works and became the "first American-born anthroposophic lecturer," traveling across the continent and bringing the few, far-flung Anthroposophic Society members in North America a greater sense of unity and purpose. In New York City, with Bernie Garber, he began publishing the works of Rudolf Steiner and, with Carlo Pietzner, compiled A Christian Rosenkreutz Anthology. Paul Allen eventually started his own publishing company, St. George Book Service, a mail-order book business in western Massachusetts. Later, destiny took Paul and his wife, architect Joan deRis Allen, to Camphill villages in the British Isles and Norway, where they lived, as Paul produced numerous plays, the most significant of which were Rudolf Steiner's Four Mystery Dramas. Throughout this life story, as outer events unfold, the reader is guided to a sense of the inner activities of this very Rosicrucian soul and, perhaps more important, to glimpses of how each of us affects each other through our inner struggles and consequent actions.

The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete. And the cosmological history that led to the origin of life and the coming into existence of the conditions for evolution cannot be a merely materialist history, either. An adequate conception of nature would have to explain the appearance in the universe of materially irreducible conscious minds, as such. Nagel's skepticism is not based on religious belief or on a belief in any definite alternative. In Mind and Cosmos, he does suggest that if the materialist account is wrong, then principles of a different kind may also be at work in the history of nature, principles of the growth of order that are in their logical form teleological rather than mechanistic. In spite of the great achievements of the physical sciences, reductive materialism is a world view ripe for displacement. Nagel shows that to recognize its limits is the first step in looking for alternatives, or at least in being open to their possibility.

“Nature deficit disorder” has become an increasingly challenging problem in our hypermodern world. In Awake in the Wild, Mark Coleman shows seekers how to remedy this widespread malady by reconnecting with nature through Buddhism. Each short (two to three pages) chapter includes a concrete nature meditation relating to such topics as Attuning to the Natural World, Reflecting the Rhythms of Nature, Walking with Compassion, Releasing the Inner Noise, Freeing the Animal Within, Coming into the Peace of Wild Things, Weathering the Storms of Life, and more. Incorporating anecdotes from the author’s many nature retreats, Buddhist wisdom and teachings, important nature writings by others, and nature itself, the book invites readers to participate in, not just observe, nature; develop a loving connection with the earth as a form of environmental activism; decrease urban alienation through experiencing nature; embody nature’s peaceful presence; and connect with ancient spiritual wisdom through nature meditations.

Functioning as a spiritual-development manual as well as a beginner's gardening guide, this informative reference teaches gardeners how to bring the angelic dimension of cocreation into their green thumb work by communicating directly with nature. A plentiful supply of earthy examples in the form of first-person narratives spell out the steps necessary to garden in conscious cooperation with joyful devas and nature spirits, such as allowing gardeners to consult with pests before waging chemical warfare and to seek approval from trees and shrubs before making drastic cuts. The fun, simple strategies showcased in the guide--including sections on fertilizer and compost, plus tips about specific vegetables, soils, and insects--do not require psychic abilities or meditation skills to bring forth the continual miracles that will maximize a garden's potential. Appendices include a who's-who of devas and nature spirits and a short review of the classic Findhorn Garden story.