Sally Kempton

Part inspirational memoir, part philosophical teaching, part practical application, this book is an accessible, actionable guide to the true Tantra -- not the sex-focused version that popular culture promotes. Todd Norian, founder of Ashaya Yoga and international spiritual teacher, brings to life Nondual Śaiva-Śākta Tantra, the revolutionary philosophy that has been misunderstood and largely hidden... until now. Often regulated to the realm of theological history and academia, Nondual Śaiva-Śākta Tantra is an ancient, powerful path of heart-centric learning, and Todd is the perfect guide to that path. Since his first encounter with it more than 25 years ago, he has sought to understand, teach, and apply its lessons, creating an entirely new Tantra-based yoga lineage along the way. By steadfastly following his heart, Todd has lived an uncommon life: living like a monk for 13 years at the then-ashram Kripalu in Massachusetts; going overboard on meditative practices and ending up in a psych ward; and overcoming the heartbreak of being spiritually betrayed by beloved teachers -- not once, but twice. Now, writing with gentle, compassionate authority, he shares the life-changing philosophy that taught him how to embrace all of it -- the pain, disillusionment, and suffering -- as the gift it was always meant to be. "Here's the quintessential Tantric attitude: everything in life is for your awakening. The alternative - that some things are for your awakening, but others are not - imply that some things should not have happened. You must have failed in some way or made a mistake; you must have zigged when you should have zagged on the spiritual path. But if you believe that everything is for your awakening, light and dark, then you are empowered to make meaning that uplifts your life. This is the yogic journey that has seen me through every one of my dark episodes. In Nondual Śaiva-Śākta Tantra, when the night sky is the darkest, that's when the stars shine the brightest." By setting down on paper his remarkable journey, woven together with Tantric teachings, Todd gives seekers the tools that have changed his life forever for the better - not by lecturing in a scholarly way, but by bringing Tantra to life with humor and day-to-day relevance. Who are those "seekers"? There are 36 million active yogis in America. That number grew by 50% in four years... and it's still growing. They practice yoga to get more flexible, to heal an aching back, to reduce stress. Yet in time, many of these practitioners want more. They want to go deeper. Yes, yoga makes me feel better, but what lies underneath? How can I be happy? How can I live a meaningful life? Relatable, funny, candid, Todd has written this book for those individuals, the ones who are looking for a heart-centered path to life fulfillment. It will inspire readers to access their own hearts, leading them from the unknown to the known, from darkness to light, and from fear to love as they walk their own paths of hope, happiness, and true transformation.

Tee matka sisimpääsi ja löydä todellinen naiseuden voimasi! Intialaisessa tantraperinteessä Suuri Jumalatar on kaikkeuden laajin ja syvin symboli. Se ilmenee meissä kaikissa yksilöllisinä jumalattarina, jotka edustavat omia sisäisiä energiakenttiämme. Kirja ohjaa sinut lempeästi omien, ehkä vielä tunnistamattomienkin naiseuden voimavarojesi äärelle. Meditaatioharjoitteiden löydät itsestäsi shaktin, naispuolisen jumalallisen energian aarteet. Yhdysvaltalainen Salli Kempton on mediaation ja tantrisen filosofian opettaja sekä menestysteoksen Meditation for the Love of It kirjoittaja.

Creation and Transformation through the Divine Feminine Everything new that comes into our lives—every change that unfolds—emerges out of Shakti, the universal force of creation and transformation. Shakti Meditations provides an immediate way to experience the many gifts of this divine feminine power. Taught by expert meditation teacher Sally Kempton, these guided inner practices use India’s goddesses of yoga as gateways for discovering and inviting the many dimensions of Shakti. Like rivers flowing through us, each deity carries its own unique energies to help empower and guide us in our spiritual, relationship, career, and creative paths. As we meditate upon them, their virtues and energies begin to arise in such forms as: Durga for strength, protection, and action • Lakshmi for abundance and self-compassion • Kali to ignite our courage and clear inner obstacles • Saraswati to spark creative inspiration and clarify communication • Maha Devi to draw us closer into spacious and liberated consciousness For yoga practitioners, healers, meditators, and anyone who needs to call on the power of the feminine, Shakti Meditations gives listeners a powerful method to explore this limitless source of light and energy within us.

How do you live a life of spiritual awakening as well as outer abundance, inner freedom as well as deep intimacy? How do you serve the world selflessly, yet passionately celebrate your life? The sages of Tantra have known for centuries that when you follow the path of Shakti—the sacred feminine principle personified by the goddesses of yoga—these gifts can manifest spontaneously. Yet most of us, women as well as men, have yet to experience the full potential of our inner feminine energies. When you know these powers for what they are, they heighten your capacity to open spiritually, love more deeply and fearlessly, create with greater mastery, and move through the world with skill and delight. In Awakening Shakti, you will learn how to recognize and invite: Kali, bringer of strength, fierce love, and untamed freedom • Lakshmi, who confers prosperity and beauty • Saraswati, for clarity of communication and intuition • Radha, who carries the divine energy of spiritual longing • Bhuvaneshvari, who creates the space for sacred transformation • Parvati, to awaken creativity and the capacity to love With a wealth of meditations, visualizations, mantras, teachings, and beautifully told stories, Awakening Shakti provides a practical guide for activating the currents of the divine feminine in every aspect of your life.

Meditation is like a love affair with your innermost self. At times it can be ecstatic and entrancing, other times simple and still—and sometimes you might not even feel its profound effects until later. Now with Meditation for the Love of It, Sally Kempton shares practical secrets to help us turn meditation into an unconditional embrace of the fullness of our experience—on and off the meditation cushion. With the gentle wisdom and compassion of one who understands the nuances of practice, she opens us to the joy of exploring the deep and mysterious inner landscape of the heart, mind, and body. Drawing on her 40 years as a teacher and a fellow meditator, Sally teaches us how we can connect to our inner longings and creative shakti energy to allow the transformative gifts and blessings of meditation to unfold. With playfulness and devotion—two key attitudes in sustaining a daily practice—she shares indispensable guidance for this voyage of self-discovery, including: How to tune in to your own “meditation channel,” a bandwidth of tranquillity, energy, and joy • Why you don’t need a quiet mind to meditate • How the force known as Kundalini can fuel your practice • Connecting to your ever-present Inner Beloved to let go of conditioned ideas about yourself and make space for the True Self to come forth • Ripening your practice beyond technique into the “sweet mysterious expanse of spontaneous meditation” • More than 20 practices for bringing the peace and insight of meditation into your daily life “Remember: what you seek in meditation is your own Beloved, your own inner intelligence, your own Awareness, and your own Truth,” teaches Sally. Meditation for the Love of It points us back to our own intimate heart of hearts, our own deepest experience, and the bliss of existence itself.