The Only Way Out is in: Yoga, Ayurveda and Psychology - Softcover

Kowalski, Reinhard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 189776667X ISBN 13: 9781897766675

Publisher: Jon Carpenter, 2001

Synopsis

This practical guidebook for spiritual seekers creates a bridge between the best in Western psychology and the most relevant in yogic spirituality. It provides maps for an inner journey.
Meditation, breathing techniques, mantra and devotion are presented as practical psychological tools to change our thoughts, emotions and deep-seated conditionings.
The last chapter presents in detail the new MindBalancing relaxation and meditation programme (also available on audio cassette) which combines effective methods from yoga meditation, Ayurveda and Western transpersonal psychology.

About this title

From the Author:

This book is written for the increasing numbers of people who are becoming disillusioned with seeing the goals of their lives in the propositions and promises of materialism and consumerism. It is becoming obvious that our better-more-faster culture cannot satisfy people's deep emotional and spiritual needs. We are bombarded with sensory stimulation by the media and advertising industries, and we are feeling overloaded and confused.

The promises that technology and industrialisation once held are giving way to disillusionment, pollution and stress. All this is creating an inner psychological space which the author calls the psychological greenhouse. People feel trapped inside, agoraphobic, claustrophobic, stressed, depressed. As a result our culture encourages people to strive more, but in the process they usually entangle themselves more and more in the web of envy, greed, possessiveness, and attachment. We have reached a stage where the only way out is in, where the only real way out of the pressures and promises of the rat-race is the way inside to that inner place of sanctuary, sanity and soul.

We have reached a stage in our evolution where we are challenged to go beyond the subconscious into the superconscious; beyond the healing of past trauma towards our spiritual destiny; beyond what psychotherapy has to offer to the experience of ourselves as little soul-waves that want to re-unite with the ocean of spirit.

The spiritual context of this book is provided by the ancient Vedic and Yogic wisdom and the healing science of Ayurveda. In particular the psychological and soul-wisdom from the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and from the Bhagavad Gita is used.

The book suggests that the universal process of 'Ahamkara' (I-fabrication) has now created a culture where we experience extreme splitting and fragmentation in our inner and outer worlds. Concurrently we are involved in a global process of growing inter-dependence. We have to find our path amidst massive processes of fragmentation whilst we are challenged to move towards ever increasing inter-dependence and unity.

About the Author:

Reinhard Kowalski is a consultant clinical psychologist in the British NHS, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a former supervisor at the institute of Psychosynthesis.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jon Carpenter
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 189776667X
• ISBN 13: 9781897766675
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192