Sacred Practices for Conscious Living [Hardcover]

Nancy J. Napier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1997

Drawing on her own spiritual journey to a more solid sense of self - a journey colored by a lifelong awareness of spiritual realms - Nancy Napier describes a worldview focused on the blending of spiritual and material realities. Fundamental to this worldview is a belief that reality is more fluid than we perceive with our five senses, that there is a dynamic, creative interplay between seen and unseen dimensions of reality. In this context, we are co-creators of the life we experience. The author's personal stories and examples weave together several themes: the importance of experiencing a sense of meaning in life, of being aware of the sacred nature of all beings and life itself; wholeness, the underlying assumption that everything that exists is part of the full expression of life, individually and collectively; learning to be aware in the present moment; and suffering as an inescapable part of the unpredictability and challenge of everyday life. The author draws not only from a variety of spiritual and religious traditions but also from quantum physics for her sacred practices: meditations and exercises that represent practical ways of being in the real world. Sharing the stories of friends and clients, as well as her own experiences as a therapist with highly developed intuitive powers, she shows how these practices enhance a sense of aliveness, of spiritual and psychological vitality, to bolster us as we face each day. Ultimately, they lead to a life lived with greater awareness, ease, and equanimity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nancy J. Napier is a marriage and family therapist in private practice in New York City. She is the author of "Getting Through the Day", "Recreating Your Self", and co-author of "Meditations & Rituals for Conscious Living." She leads workshops for the public and professionals on issues around trauma and spirituality.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tape 1 offers a kind of mindfulness meditation that teaches you to allow thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses to move through you as easily as clouds move through the sky. By developing the capacity to shift to a spacious state of mind, your ability to recenter yourself, find the humor in difficult situations, and exercise a greater sense fo internal equilibrium is greatly enhanced. On tape 2, experience the opening of your heart as you explore offering compassion to yourself and others. Through lovingkindness, wish yourself well and send thoughts of good will to others. Discover how living with an open heart actually creates a greater sense of strength, connection,a nd safety in the world, and allows you to move through suffering with greater ease. Tape 3 invites you to develop a dynamic relationship with gratitude and generosity, and increase your experience of abundance in all areas of your life. By tapping into a deeper, collective wisdom about

abundant living, offer yourself the opportunity to discover the true source of supply, the availability of whatever you seek. On tape 4, you

explore and release rules and prohibitions from the past that may have held you back or prevented you from achieving all you have the capacity to create in your life, and offers a way to leave behind old loyalties and messages from the past as you give yourself permission to blossom. Access your optimal future self, the part of you that has expressed your inherent talent and potential. Then, say 'yes' to this self, to all that you have the potential to be. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (May 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393040526
• ISBN-13: 978-0393040524
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Caution, March 19, 2008

By 

Avid Reader "Avid Reader" (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Practices for Conscious Living (Hardcover)

This book contains much of the same information as that included in Napier's earlier title, Recreating Your Self. What makes this book different from the other is its Buddhist, rather than psychological, bent. Depending on your knowledge of Buddhist principles, this book may be of use; it seems most suited for those with only a sketchy background in the Buddhist tradition. For someone well-versed in that tradition, this book may well be a disappointment, for it does justice to neither the spiritual tradition it espouses nor the psychological underpinnings of its content. If you are interested in a more forthright treatment of meditative practices that encourage healing, get the earlier title.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply wonderful. :o), March 6, 2002

By 

Indigo (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Practices for Conscious Living (Hardcover)

As someone who has 'rebuilt her sense of self' after a difficult marriage breakdown, Nancy's book came into my life at precisely the right moment. It is brimming with energy and ideas to assist one on the path to self-realization. Even if you've read through it in its entirety, you'll find you turn to it again and again and find something new each time you do.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift!, March 11, 2000

By 

Vivian (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Practices for Conscious Living (Hardcover)

I am truly blessed to get to work with Nancy in person. However, I have read this book and given it to friends who've had nothing but the highest praise for it. One friend in particular announced that upon meeting a potential therapist, he would insist on having the doctor read it. The exercises within the book have helped me tremendously. I think so many of us are trying to be more aware of the grace within day to day life, Nancy's book is a beautiful tool for anyone on this path.