Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness [Paperback]

Bruce Burger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 1998

Esoteric Anatomy offers a spiritual approach to massage, bodywork, and somatic psychology, demystifying an ancient transpersonal model for understanding energy in nature and working with consciousness in the healing arts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When I hold this text, I feel as though I am holding one of the more important documents of our time—an extremely comprehensive and extraordinary map of our subtle anatomy."
-Richard Gordon, author of Quantum Touch and Your Healing Hands

"This book is a significant addition to holistic-health literature."
- John Chitty, R.P.P., President, American Polarity Therapy Association

"With Esoteric Anatomy, Bruce Burger integrates profound levels of Oriental wisdom and Ayurvedic theories of creation and transformation in a new and convincing way."
- Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition

About the Author

Bruce Burger, M.A., R.P.P., is the founder of Heartwood Institute, one of the world's leading centers for professional training in massage and somatic psychology. Located on 240 acres outside Garberville, California, Heartwood is now in its twentieth year as both a utopian community and educational institution. Burger holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the New School for Social Research. He has been a member of the faculties of the University of Nevada and Rutgers University. Since he left academia in 1972 he has traveled widely and studied in Asia and India.

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; First Edition edition (September 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556432240
• ISBN-13: 978-1556432248
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The theme of the book is the body as Consciousness., June 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness (Paperback)

I first met Bruce at an American Polarity Therapy Conference in 1990. He is the founder of the Heartwood Institute in California and a respected member of the Polarity Therapy teaching fraternity. His primary emphasis as a teacher and practitioner of Polarity Therapy is that Polarity Therapy is a form of Bhakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is one of the eight branches of classical yoga and relates to compassionate service as a yogic practise. Esoteric Anatomy is infused with BruceÕs deep commitment to Polarity as spiritual practise. The book is a credit to both Polarity Therapy and him. It is an extraordinary body of work that displays not only his deep understanding of the art of Polarity therapy but also reflects his spiritual studies in India and Asia and so covers an array of material on all the differing aspects of Polarity theory and practice as well as detail on an esoteric approach to somatic psychology. The philosophical underpinning of the book is derived from Sanatana Dharma which is an expression of the teachings of the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the teachings of the Indian sage Shankara. Simply put this teaching offers a profound vision of the unity and sacredness of all life and how "ÉÉ.the living conscious, or self, of each being is unified with the one universal Being." The main theme of the book is the body as a manifestation of Consciousness. Threaded through this matrix are sections on fundamental Polarity energy balancing techniques entitled "loving hands are healing hands" followed by chapters on the breath, the Golden Mean, the mystic spiral in relation to the body and astrology and somatic psychology to name but a few. There is in depth look at harmonic patterns of growth in the physical and energy bodies illustrated with some beautiful diagrams that have not appeared in any other Polarity book all of which combines to give a rich tapestry of over 300 pages of information and insight that is invaluable to every student and teacher of Polarity. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Esoteric Anatomy is both mind expanding and practical., October 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness (Paperback)

I came across a biography of Dr. Randolph Stone, the developer of Polarity Therapy, and knew I had to learn more about his work. This led me to a three week Intensive course at Hartwood Institute where I studied under Bruce Burger. The first copies of "Esoteric Anatomy" arrived the first day of our classes and I had an opportunity to both read it and incorporate the techniques,ideas and philosophy in everyday living. Part I, Loving Hands Are Healing Hands, provides a good background on Polarity Therapy and very adequately describes how to perform eleven hands-on energy balancing protocols. I feel that any adept student could learn to perform these protocols from the step-by-step descriptions given in the book. Part II, Essays on Esoteric Anatomy, provides a wide variety of ideas and philosophies of the kind that went into Dr. Stone's experience in developing Polarity Therapy. I feel that through reading these essays I was able to capture some of the essence of Dr. Stone's experience. Part III, The Practice of Somatic Psychology, provides a theoretical and practical approach to the practice of somatic psychology in a very simple way that produces profound results. Every student in the class could apply these techniques effectively ... and the process is all in the book. I am extremely grateful to Bruce Burger for the many years of love, time and effort that went into making "Esoteric Anatomy" available to me ... and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the healing arts.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For serious seekers and scholars of the occult, February 12, 2005

By 

Devin Ronaldson "Devin the guy" (seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness (Paperback)

Like Dr, Stone's work, this might take a while to get through, but is worth the time. Read a little, meditate on it. This book is worth taking the time to properly digest. Also great for reference, great charts and diagrams. Great information on indian philosophy, polarity therapy, the elements, the gunas, and many other subjects. Highly reccommended.