Zen Body-Being: An Enlightened Approach to Physical Skill, Grace, and Power

By Peter Ralston and Laura Ralston

Book Overview

A Zen-inspired "physical education" program for martial arts practitioners and anyone interested in mind-body transformation

Using simple, clear language to demystify the Zen mindset, Ralston draws on more than three decades of experience teaching students and apprentices worldwide who have applied his body-being approach.

More of a transformative guide than a specific list of exercises devoted to any particular physical approach, Zen Body-Being explains how to create a state of mental control, enhanced feeling-awareness, correct structural alignment, increased spatial acuity, and even a greater interactive presence.

Exercises are simple, often involving feeling-imagery and meditative awareness, which have a profound and sometimes instant effect. Areas of exploration include:

- Beginner's Body-Being
- Three aspects of body awareness
- Five principles for an effortlessly effective body
- Opening a door--five steps to transformation
- Fourteen points on structural alignment

Where similar guides teach readers what to do, this book teaches readers how to be.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583941592
• ISBN13: 9781583941591
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

"It" in a Book

Level: Beginner to Advanced I have got to get to a Peter Ralston seminar... I've always admired Ralston's attempts at capturing the essence of internal martial arts-- that is, that "secret" component to achieving effortless power. His "Principles of Effortless Power" is on my "must read" list for those aspiring, as I am, to attain that magical ability to absorb/redirect/emit force, and make it seem effortless. But it's a dense read, and it's largely a conceptual framework without practical exercises. Still, it always made me believe that Ralston knew what he was talking about. His "Art of Effortless Power" is a further expounding on more esoteric concepts, then a techniques book that shows exercises that Ralston has adapted from aikido, Tai Chi, and Ba Gua, primarily. They're sensitivity exercises best employed with a partner who has also developed some sensitivity. But in Zen Body-Being, Ralston has made a breakthrough. A fabulous, clear book wherein he returns back to the important basics, and describes how he understands "it"-- that magical body-sense-- that we are all striving for. His wife, Laura, has clearly helped him articulate his ideas in terms we can understand. Even better-- a goodly number of exercises that help us expand our awareness, and give us a direction to follow in forwarding our internal development. The magic of this book is its clarity. At last, Ralston has found a muse we can understand clearly, with exercises and practices that we can relate to. A strength of this book is that it is geared for everyone-- not just the martial artist. The exercises are do-able by anyone, and relate what Ralston is trying to convey about his conceptual framework-- his understanding. It isn't magic. It's fine-tuning what he calls "feeling-sense", "body awareness", and "body-being" among other concepts. It's turning our attention inward, and letting it just go-- living in real time, and doing it. Anyway, I've already started using his exercises in my martial arts/Tai Chi practice. Yes, I was doing something like it all along-- but somehow, another way of trying it, another perspective, always helps. And Ralston's has really helped me. This book is great for the yogic practitioner, any athlete, dancers and other performing artists-- musicians! And those who just want to meditate! Bravo! Read this book, then do it, then read it again.

Being present to your own body.

Why would you want to buy this book? I am assuming that you have browsed the Table of Contents, Excerpt and Back cover, if not please do so they will add greatly to your information. Although Peter's linage is in the Martial Arts this book was written for anyone who wanted to move well in their own body. This book is for anyone who wants to increase their conscious awareness of who and how they are; in the world, in their body, in their mind. Peter with the help of his wife Laura clearly and precisely communicates Principles of body/mind movement that are so for all human beings. He has won World Championships and created a martial art using these Principles. Although this book has intellectual information you will have to practice the Principles in this book in your daily life. I assure you, from my own experience that if you practice the Principles in this book in your life the results will be an increase in your conscious awareness. I teach these Principles to between 100 and 150 students a week depending on how many people show up to my regular 15 classes a week. My students range from 50 to 94 years old. They all benefit from this material. What better gift could you give to yourself then to be more grounded, relaxed, centered, unified and calm in your body/mind?

A must have user's guide to the human body

As with Mr. Ralston's other work, Zen Body-Being is a truly profound approach to the topic it covers: how to use your body effectively and effortlessly. Far from being your ordinary book on physical exercise or posture, however, it challenges the reader to go way beyond the obvious in matters of what you actually experience. If taken to heart, it is a powerful tool for personal transformation and opens up realms of being that are rarely noticed in everyday life. Reading Mr. Ralston's books and working with him personally for only a few months has radically changed the way I approach any physical activity (among many other things). As a trainee in the field of public health and being acutely aware of the considerable burden of musculoskeletal diseases and accidental injuries worldwide, I would vote for making this book (or an appropriate adaptation of it) required reading for every elementary school child just learning to use his/her body. Deep stuff presented in a readable way with simplicity and humor. If you're interested in Peter Ralston's work, make sure to check out his other books: Cheng Hsin: Principles of Effortless Power Cheng Hsin Tui Shou: The Art of Effortless Power Reflections of Being: To `I` or not to `I` Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit: Investigations Into the Nature of `Being`

Zen Body Being: An Enlightened Approach to Physical Skill, Grace & Power

This book gives the reader an enlightened approach to movement, interaction, being and so much more. The principles and body being posture points are not solely for those on any martial journeys - they are applicable in every facet of life. Highly recommended!

Very readable and excellent

Peter has written several books. Because of the broad and profound scope of his agenda it is difficult to communicate it in writing. Thanks to the editing of his wife, this is the first readable book that covers his excellent material. Start here - do not get any of his other books first. He covers basic principles such as relaxation, centering, and rooting that are necessary for any martial art or complex physical/relational activity. His emphasis on mental/awareness training is an important contribution to the field.