Concepts like Health and Well-being are not exclusive products of the Western culture. Research has widely demonstrated that the representation of the body and of its pathologies, as well as treatment and healing practices vary across cultures in relation to social norms and beliefs.The culture of India is a melting pot of nine main Darshanas, or philosophical systems, that share the common core of a realization of the self in society. India’s traditional health system, Ayurveda, is a resu...

This book explores Āyurveda's authentic nature through a unique "via negativa" approach, examining eight common misconceptions. By systematically analyzing what Ayurveda is not, the text builds a comprehensive understanding of this traditional medical system's true scope and identity.Each chapter addresses specific misconceptions: Āyurveda as merely a wellness system, alternative medicine, massage technique, religion, exclusive practice, simple methodology, herbal medicine, or Indi...

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation shows how a deeper understanding of the world’s philosophical wisdom can enrich and transform our lives.**“Wonderfully smart and readable.” —**Washington PostIn The Happiness Hypothesis, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt skillfully combines philosophical wisdom and sci...

Come to your senses with the definitive guide to living a meaningful life from a world expert in the connection between mindfulness and physical and spiritual wellbeing."[The] journey toward health and sanity is nothing less than an invitation to wake up to the fullness of our lives as if they actually mattered . . ." --Jon Kabat-Zinn, from the IntroductionJon Kabat-Zinn changed the way we thought about awareness in everyday life with his now-class...

Can't sleep because your thoughts won't switch off? Ever walked into a room to get something, only to realise you've forgotten what you were looking for? Does a constant stream of unnecessary chatter run through your head? Do you wish you could stop that mental noise whenever you wanted to?Australian bestseller SILENCE YOUR MIND offers a completely new approach to meditation - the experience of mental silence - that will help recharge your mental batteries and leave you feeling mor...

Why have we humans always longed to connect with something larger than ourselves? Why does consciousness inevitably involve us in a spiritual quest? Why, in short, won't God go away? Theologians, philosophers, and psychologists have debated this question through the ages, arriving at a range of contradictory and ultimately unprovable answers. But in this brilliant, groundbreaking new book, researchers Andrew Newberg and Eugene d'Aquili offer an explanation that is at once profoundly simple...

Guardian science editor James Kingsland unlocks the ancient science of enlightenment through the journey of Siddhartha—better known as Buddha.In a lush grove on the banks of the Neranjara in northern India—400 years before the birth of Christ, when the foundations of western science and philosophy were being laid by the great minds of Ancient Greece—a prince turned ascetic wanderer sat beneath a fig tree. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he was discover...

By inviting the Dalai Lama and leading researchers in medicine, psychology, and neuroscience to join in conversation, the Mind & Life Institute set the stage for a fascinating exploration of the healing potential of the human mind. The Mind’s Own Physician presents in its entirety the thirteenth Mind and Life dialogue, a discussion addressing a range of vital questions concerning the science and clinical applications of meditation: How do meditative practices influence pain and hu...

The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God; this conviction has existed since the beginning of recorded time and is shared by billions around the world. In The God Gene, Dr. Dean Hamer reveals that this inclination towards religious faith is in good measure due to our genes and may even offer an evolutionary advantage by reducing stress, preventing disease, and extending life.Popular science at its best, The God Gene is an in-depth, ful...

This fascinating introduction to the intersection between religion, neuroscience, and moral philosophy asks: Can there be a Buddhism without karma, nirvana, and reincarnation that is compatible with the rest of knowledge?If we are material beings living in a material world—and all the scientific evidence suggests that we are—then we must find existential meaning, if there is such a thing, in this physical world. We must cast our lot with the natural rather than the...

Regular meditation practice has a powerful impact on the mind and body, rewiring the brain and bringing us all kinds of benefits: contentment and well-being, resilience and focus, better mental and physical health, and greater empathy and compassion. This wide-ranging anthology brings together pioneering Tibetan Buddhist teachers, scientific researchers, and health professionals to offer fascinating perspectives on the mind and emotions, new studies, and firsthand accounts of how meditatio...

WINNER OF THE GOLD PRIZE FOR RELIGION / SPIRITUALITY OF EASTERN THOUGHT AT THE 2016 NAUTILUS BOOK AWARDS.Can meditation and mindfulness exercise make us sharper, smarter, healthier, happier?In Siddhartha's Brain, James Kingsland reveals that a complete scientific theory of how these practices work is now within our grasp and may be the key to treating a wide range of afflictions of the human mind.Some twenty-five centuries ...