Effortless Action

Author : Edward Slingerland
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199874573
Total Pages : 365 pages
Book Rating : 4.76/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Effortless Action written by Edward Slingerland and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-05-24 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a systematic account of the role of the personal spiritual ideal of wu-wei--literally "no doing," but better rendered as "effortless action"--in early Chinese thought. Edward Slingerland's analysis shows that wu-wei represents the most general of a set of conceptual metaphors having to do with a state of effortless ease and unself-consciousness. This concept of effortlessness, he contends, serves as a common ideal for both Daoist and Confucian thinkers. He also argues that this concept contains within itself a conceptual tension that motivates the development of early Chinese thought: the so-called "paradox of wu-wei," or the question of how one can consciously "try not to try." Methodologically, this book represents a preliminary attempt to apply the contemporary theory of conceptual metaphor to the study of early Chinese thought. Although the focus is upon early China, both the subject matter and methodology have wider implications. The subject of wu-wei is relevant to anyone interested in later East Asian religious thought or in the so-called "virtue-ethics" tradition in the West. Moreover, the technique of conceptual metaphor analysis--along with the principle of "embodied realism" upon which it is based--provides an exciting new theoretical framework and methodological tool for the study of comparative thought, comparative religion, intellectual history, and even the humanities in general. Part of the purpose of this work is thus to help introduce scholars in the humanities and social sciences to this methodology, and provide an example of how it may be applied to a particular sub-field.

Author : Brian Bruya
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262013843
Total Pages : 459 pages
Book Rating : 4.40/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Effortless Attention written by Brian Bruya and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2010-04-09 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The phenomena of effortless attention and action and the challenges they pose to current cognitive models of attention and action.

Author : Jason Gregory
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620557142
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.43/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Effortless Living written by Jason Gregory and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2018-03-13 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide for achieving an enlightened mind through the art of non-doing • Details meditation practices, focused on stillness of the mind, along with Patanjali’s yoga methods to maintain a consciousness referred to as “being in the zone” • Builds on Taoist, Confucian, and Hindu principles along with scientific findings to support wu-wei--the art of non-doing, non-forcing--as a way of life • Explains how wu-wei practitioners cultivate intelligent spontaneity and effortless action to allow the natural harmony of the cosmos to prevail The practice of non-doing, non-forcing is an essential aspect of Taoism known as wu-wei. Attributed to the great sage Lao-tzu, the philosophy of wu-wei teaches you how to develop a natural state of consciousness not bound by thought or preconceived limitations. Experienced by the greatest artists, athletes, musicians, and writers, this heightened state of consciousness, referred to as “being in the zone,” is where intelligent spontaneity and effortless action flourish via a practice rooted in permitting the natural harmony of the cosmos to prevail. Merging Taoist philosophy, Hindu principles, and Confucianism along with scientific findings, Jason Gregory outlines the practice of wu-wei as a vehicle to realize our innate freedom, revealing that when we release our ego and allow life to unfold as it will, we align ourselves more closely with our goals and cultivate skill and mastery along the way. Equating “being in the zone” with a stillness of the mind, Gregory shares meditation practices coupled with yoga exercises from Patanjali that allow you to approach life with a mastery of acceptance, releasing deluded beliefs of how to achieve success that make your mind “sticky” and poised for conflict. The author shows how practicing wu-wei paradoxically empowers you to accomplish all that you desire by having no intention to do so, as well as allowing you to become receptive to nature’s blueprint for expressing beauty. Revealing wisdom utilized by renowned sages, artists, and athletes who have adapted “being in the zone” as a way of life, the author shows that wu-wei can yield a renewed sense of trust in many aspects of your daily life, making each day more effortless. As an avid wu-wei practitioner, he provides keen insight on how you, too, can experience the beauty of achieving an enlightened, effortless mind while reveling in the process of life’s unfolding.

Author : Greg McKeown
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 0753558386
Total Pages : 148 pages
Book Rating : 4.86/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Effortless written by Greg McKeown and published by Random House. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'In a world beset by burnout, Greg McKeown's work is essential' -- Daniel H. Pink 'Effortless shows that achieving more doesn't have to be as hard as we make it out to be' -- Arianna Huffington NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER · A Times (UK) Best Book of the Year · From the author of the million-copy-selling Essentialism comes an empowering guide to achieving your goals. It all starts with a simple principle: Not everything has to be so hard. The intricacy of modern life has created a false dichotomy between things that are 'hard and important,' and those that are 'easy and trivial.' Everything has become so much harder than it ought to be. But, Greg McKeown, bestselling author of Essentialism, says, there is a third alternative. In Effortless, he offers practical tools for making the most essential activities the easiest ones, so you can achieve the results you want, without burning out. Honed over the better part of a decade, these strategies include: ·Turning tedious tasks into enjoyable rituals ·Preventing frustration by solving problems before they arise ·Setting a sustainable pace instead of powering through ·Making one-time choices that eliminate many future decisions ·Making relationships easier to maintain and manage ·And much more McKeown's philosophy of essentialism has helped thousands to recognise that the effortless way isn't the lazy way. It's the smart way. Not every hard thing in life can be made easy but we can make it easier to do more of what matters most. Effortless will show you how.

Author : Edward G. Slingerland
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 456 pages
Book Rating : 4.07/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Effortless Action written by Edward G. Slingerland and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Jason Gregory
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1620559242
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.46/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Emotional Intuition for Peak Performance written by Jason Gregory and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals a structured mind-body system for cultivating effortless action and intelligent spontaneity for peak performance • Details 4 fundamental habits and routines that are essential for developing peak performance and explains how to incorporate them into daily life • Explains the cognitive science behind the development of expert skills and how the teachings of ancient Eastern sages align with these scientific findings • Offers practices for cultivating physical and mental intelligence, fasting the mind, and harnessing creativity to achieve your desires Integrating the wisdom of the ancient sages with modern science, Jason Gregory explains how world-class artists and athletes reach peak performance--and how you, too, can harness this “lifestyle technology” to make your actions effortless, enjoy intelligent spontaneity, and reach optimal performance at a peak level. Drawing on modern cognitive science, Gregory explains dual process theory, which divides mental activity into two spheres: cold cognition, analogous with rational thought, and hot cognition, based on emotional intuition--a theory anticipated by ancient Eastern thought, especially the teachings of the Chinese sages. The author explains that peak performance is impossible to achieve by relying solely on cold cognition as it cuts you off from the energy reserves necessary to excel. He shows how the athletic concept of being “in the zone” is based on practices that have become energized by hot cognition and thus instinctive. Outlining a structured training system that blends hot and cold cognition, the author identifies four fundamental habits and routines that lay the foundation for a healthy embodied mind and mindful body and thus are essential for developing peak performance and success. He explains how these training methods are practical applications of ancient wisdom from Zen and Taoist traditions, such as wu-wei, as well as how they are supported by recent medical research. Building on the four fundamentals, he offers practices for cultivating physical and mental intelligence, fasting the mind, and harnessing creativity to achieve your desires. Gregory explains how, with regular practice, we can use the four fundamentals to create masterpiece days. And, as the masterpiece days compound, you build an unstoppable momentum where success is inevitable.

Author : Edward Slingerland
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0770437621
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.26/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Trying Not to Try written by Edward Slingerland and published by Crown. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A deeply original exploration of the power of spontaneity—an ancient Chinese ideal that cognitive scientists are only now beginning to understand—and why it is so essential to our well-being Why is it always hard to fall asleep the night before an important meeting? Or be charming and relaxed on a first date? What is it about a politician who seems wooden or a comedian whose jokes fall flat or an athlete who chokes? In all of these cases, striving seems to backfire. In Trying Not To Try, Edward Slingerland explains why we find spontaneity so elusive, and shows how early Chinese thought points the way to happier, more authentic lives. We’ve long been told that the way to achieve our goals is through careful reasoning and conscious effort. But recent research suggests that many aspects of a satisfying life, like happiness and spontaneity, are best pursued indirectly. The early Chinese philosophers knew this, and they wrote extensively about an effortless way of being in the world, which they called wu-wei (ooo-way). They believed it was the source of all success in life, and they developed various strategies for getting it and hanging on to it. With clarity and wit, Slingerland introduces us to these thinkers and the marvelous characters in their texts, from the butcher whose blade glides effortlessly through an ox to the wood carver who sees his sculpture simply emerge from a solid block. Slingerland uncovers a direct line from wu-wei to the Force in Star Wars, explains why wu-wei is more powerful than flow, and tells us what it all means for getting a date. He also shows how new research reveals what’s happening in the brain when we’re in a state of wu-wei—why it makes us happy and effective and trustworthy, and how it might have even made civilization possible. Through stories of mythical creatures and drunken cart riders, jazz musicians and Japanese motorcycle gangs, Slingerland effortlessly blends Eastern thought and cutting-edge science to show us how we can live more fulfilling lives. Trying Not To Try is mind-expanding and deeply pleasurable, the perfect antidote to our striving modern culture.

Author : Steven D'Souza
Publisher : Lid Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781911498490
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Not Doing written by Steven D'Souza and published by Lid Publishing. This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Given today's increasing pace of change and the constant, excessive busyness that results, it's not a surprise that so many people are struggling, feeling stretched beyond their limits, overwhelmed, and exhausted, besieged by the demands of complex projects and workplaces. They are engaged in a kind of "doing" that is more effort and struggle than the kind of "doing" that comes from a place of presence, openness, and aliveness. Not only is the latter method of "doing" ineffective and unsustainable, but ultimately leads to stress, anxiety, and burnout. Not Doing: The Art of Effortless Action examines these principles and more, offering solutions for readers to achieve the optimal kind of "doing" that they long for.

Author : Peter Ralston
Publisher : North Atlantic Books
ISBN 13 : 9781556433023
Total Pages : 214 pages
Book Rating : 4.26/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Cheng Hsin written by Peter Ralston and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 1999-01-29 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every once in a while you find a high impact book. Something that awakens something deep within and lasts forever. This is the one. It is a book that you can pick up time and time again and always gets something new out of it, or something deeper than you. Cheng Hsin is the best introduction for beginners to the internal practice of fighting. It is a seminal work that draws on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Aikido, and Pa Kua Chang and was written by the first Westerner ever to win the world championship in a full-contact martial arts tournament.

Author : Greg McKeown
Publisher : Crown Currency
ISBN 13 : 0804137390
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.93/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Essentialism written by Greg McKeown and published by Crown Currency. This book was released on 2014-04-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than one million copies sold! Essentialism isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. “A timely, essential read for anyone who feels overcommitted, overloaded, or overworked.”—Adam Grant Have you ever: • found yourself stretched too thin? • simultaneously felt overworked and underutilized? • felt busy but not productive? • felt like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist. Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter. By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us. Essentialism is not one more thing—it’s a whole new way of doing everything. It’s about doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Essentialism is a movement whose time has come.