I've reviewed this product before, about 3 years ago. I have not been involved in previous meditation courses but was aware of basic buddhist teachings. I've gotten into these tapes and they have been my companion for the last 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days. I've been guided by the best in the business, if I might offendingly say so, but there are no words to describe the path nor the result, but even so...there are several guideposts including Reggie and all that came before him, mainly Chongyam Trungpa Rimpoche and the entire cast of the vajrayana mahasiddas. As a westerner, we have a hard time believing in the efficacy of a lineage, but after going through this, there is undoubtably a force that is even stronger than our own regimented meditation sessions, which one is to follow even if several things do come up. A lot of things will come up, and these teachings will resonate time and time again to let you put the light in our personal situations. Granted, most of them were not pleasant, and I can now understand why, but it is not easy going through the geography of our own psyche and bodies. The path uses the body and the earth as an ally, and what a great ally it is. It does not let you stray too far away. It also has a natural block for non-suitable subjects, which I thought myself to be, until I kept at it and took into retreat. The openings are a mixture of perfection and increase of comprehensibilities. Don't be surprised if you find yourself (after clearing some of the geography) become interested in things that never caught your attention before, or how light and sound works, or something silly like the weight of water, but the distillation of common experience will surprise a lot of people who have an idea that the path is just about peace love and happiness. It gives new light to what peace is, or how shamatha really works, and how it works until insight comes in and slashes delusion to smithereens. It's a true tool to unite the dual states of mind and body and bring forth a new comprehension of reality, not just our sensitivity to it.

I've wondered why no one has reviewed these CD's yet. I think that Reggie and his students (of which I am not formally one) have a lot of integrity and are holding off from publicly praising their own work/teacher. So...allow me. I cherish these CD's. Part of me is tempted to call this work a "Fourth Turning of the Wheel," but I know that this is really just looking at the first three "turnings (especially the third)" through different lenses in order to allow for the full embodiment of the wisdom already buried in these teachings. This bridging of buddhist philosophy with sensitivity to the somatic-experiential has been--for me, anyway--the perfect medicine. Of course I cannot say how it would resonate with anyone else.

First I listened to the 20 CD's (10 in Volume #1 and 10 in Volume #2) sequentially--roughly one a day--over the course of about three weeks. This served as a sort of home retreat. Each one has a dharma talk and then a guided exercise. I enjoyed beginning this way just to get a general lay of the land. Now I'm going back and working with them in a more focused and luxurious way. Typically I listen in the evening, hold some quiet yoga poses during the dharma talk, and then am ready for the body work. Certain exercises quickly jumped out as being particularly fruitful for me. I won't dismiss the others, though, since I know that there may be treasures also in what does not initially resonate. I can say that every one of the dharma talks has had its share of jewels, and that I have enjoyed them a great deal. I think there are enlightening nuggets available to both the beginning and the advanced practitioner.

I have worked with a lot of body/mind techniques and philosophies...straight Zen and Vipassana meditation, Taoist meditation and chi kung, shamanic journeying, etc.--and have benefitted greatly from all of them. But, Reggie seems to really get where a lot of westerners are at right now--that is, very good at THINKING about their bodies and experiences, but not very good at FEELING them. I'm coming to realize how much that describes me as well, and am having pretty profound results using the techniques he offers. His book, Touching Enlightenment, has also become a source of many insights and inspirations for me.

To sum up, I would say that I think Reggie has described a kind of "blind spot" in the spiritual lives of many contemporary practitioners--mainly about the body being a neglected yet essential starting point for the cultivation of awareness of any kind. Buddhist tradition is by no means mum about this blind spot, it's just that many people have not looked at it with the lenses that would allow them to truly mine the riches that are available there. Reggie goes straight to this place, and I can only say that it resonates with me and that I have benefitted from it greatly. I am deeply grateful and obviously would recommend it highly to others.

PS I particularly enjoyed the buddhist spin he puts on "trauma"--that is, how any and all unfiltered experiences we have of raw reality will be traumatic to our egos, since their purpose is to help maintain our conceptual constructs of reality. It's not just the car crashes and abandonments that traumatize us...it's the bit of reflexive fear that accompanies any flash of light illuminating long-held shadow.

This set of CD's has had an impact in our lives. The way the narrator introduces the breathing exercises and meditation techniques is just great. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get in touch with their inner senses and learn how to meditate.

Reggie Ray is an incredible teacher of the dharma, and yet in listening to his talks and doing the practices you realize that there is not an ounce of dogma or religion in any of his teachings, and that they are applicable and purposeful to anyone. I do these practices every day now and feel much more in touch with my life. I am looking forward to getting volume 2.