Table of Contents and Testimonials

This is the table of contents. You can read the whole dang book at

"I've read this book, and it is the most comprehensive and easy to understand meditative resource I've ever found.  Thanks Tom for your excellent work." 

 -Todd Schaefer, author of The Acceptance Guidebook

 

 

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- Bernie Siegel MD, author of Love, Medicine and Miracles and other bestsellers 

Table of Contents

Introduction to the Integrative Tuning Approach ……………………………………………………………….…....7

What is Meditation (and What the Hell is Yoga for That Matter)? ………………………………………..11

Is Meditation Religious? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....12

Monkey Business ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13

Benefits of Meditation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14

Preliminaries ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..14

Regularity and Consistency …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…14

Avoid Spiritual Materialism ………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..15

Meditation and Food …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….16

Momentum …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…16

The Five Minute Intertwine …………………………………………………………………………………………………..….17

Posture ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...17

            Standing Posture ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…17

                Sitting Posture on a Cushion …………………………………………………………………………………………….…….……18           

                Sitting Posture on a Chair …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..….19

Breathing Preliminaries �" Two Fundamental Breaths …………………………………………………………….…19

            Diaphragmatic Breathing …………………………………………………………………………………………………….……....19

                The Yogic Full Breath …………………………………………………………………………………………..………………..……..20

                The Theravada Buddhist Breath ……………………………………………………………………………..……………….……20

Detoxification Reactions ………………………………………………………………………………………………….………..21

Fixing Bad Habits ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..22

More Preliminaries for Deeper Meditation ………………………………………………………………………………….22

Mindfulness and Relaxing Into the flow …………………………………………………………………………………….22

            LSD  �" Love Surrender Devotion …………………………………………………………………………………………………22

Rising and Falling ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..24

Sensory Orientation .........................................................................................................................24

            Inner Awareness Exercise ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….24

                Sensory Orientation Exercise: Practicing Presence with Others ………………………………………………..…..25

Going Deeper Yet ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….26

Your Magic Portal(s) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….26

Levels of Personhood ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………26

The Four Styles of Information Processing ……………………………………………………………………………….…27

Warmups “Tune” the Mind and Body for Meditation ……………………………………………………………..….28

The Five Minute Intertwine Revisited ………………………………………………………………………………………….28

Developing a Routine ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....28

Movement into Stillness, Form into Spirit ………………………………………………………………………….……….28

Projection of Energy �" Prayer, Healing, Manifesting, Action …………………………………………..………….30

“Bathing” �" Basking in the Peace ………………………………………………………………………………………..………33

 Integration �" Integrating Meditation into the Sensory World …………………………………………………..33

                Authentic Connection Breath or “Integrating Breath” …………………………………………………..……………….33

A Word about the Imagination ………………………………………………………………………………………………………...34

“Symbolitus” …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….34

The Role of the Imagination in Meditation, Intuitive Development and the Law of Attraction ...36

The “7+1 Tuning Method” - Some Warmup Exercises ……………………………………………………..………….37

                Inner Smile �" Qigong’s Most Obvious Secret ………………………………………………………………………..…..…37

            Clench and Release �" A Gem from Hatha Yoga ……………………………………………………………………..……..38

            Stretch and Release ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………38

Exercises for the Muscles and Soft Tissues ……………………………………………………………………………..…...39

                Stretching and Compressing the Spine …………………………………………………………………….…………………..…39

                Shake Up ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..40

                Twist Up …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……40

                Eye Exercise ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………...….41

                Toe Touching, Spinal Bounce …………………………………………………………………………………….……………….……41

                Spinal Twist ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….....42

                Yoga Stretch ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….42

                Heat Massage .....................................................................................................................................42

                Core Awareness Exercise ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..….43

                Breath of Fire …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...43

                Belly Bounce ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…44

                Slapping and Wiping ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….44

                Ploughing the Thighs ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………45

                Gather Chi into your Navel Tan Tien …………………………………………………………………………………………45

                Self Massage …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………46

Energy and Nature Exercises ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….47

                Gathering Chi ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..48

                Glowing Skeleton ……………………………………………..………………………………………………………………..…49

                Condensing Breath ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..50

                Inner Fire ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..50

                Earth Scan Preliminary Exercise ……………………………………………………………………………………………...51

                Earth Scan ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…51

                More Hand Sensitization Exercises ……………………………………………………………………………………….…52

                Chi Cocktails ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...53

                Kinesthetic Exercise for Concentration and Focusing Chi ………..……………………………………………….…53

                Chakra Clearing ...........................................................................................................................54

Exercises for the Imagination ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..….56

                Black Box of Roses ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……56

                Ocean ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..57

                Meet Your Soul ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…57

                Ecstatic Waterfall of Light ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…58

                Grounding into Earth and Sky ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………59

            Exercises for the Intellect …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….60

            Exercises for the Emotions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..60

                                Steps for Effective Chanting …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…60

                                Sanskrit Chants ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…62

                                Other Chants ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….64

                                Global Smile …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………65

                                Spoken Metta ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………66

                                Radiant Light …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..66

            Breath Exercises …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….67

                                Alternate Nostril Breathing Pranayama ……………………………………………………………………………………………...67

                                Ujjayi Pranayama and Chi Circulation �" Beginning and Advanced …………………………………………………….…68

            Magic Portal Exercises ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………70

 Meditation Techniques ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………70

                Body Scan …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………71

                Vipassana (Mindfulness) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….72

                Breath Counting …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…73

                Presence Meditation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….74

                Inner Light and Sound Meditation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………75

                Third Eye Meditations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..76

                Om Meditation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………77

                Cathartic Meditation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..77

                Binaural Beats …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..78

                Progressive Relaxation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………79

                Mantra and Prayer Meditations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..79

                Sensual Meditation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………80

                Walking Meditation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..80

                Concept Meditation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….81

Grounding Meditation into Everyday Life …………………………………………………………………………….82

Bonus Appendix: Resolving Conflict with our Whole Being …………………………………………………..84

Suggestions for Further Reading ………………………………………………………………………………………….94

 

 

Author's Note

This book is both available online and as a paperback.