Short Takes

by Nina Shengold, December 21, 2007

Finding the Still Point:
A Beginner’s Guide to Zen Meditation
John Daido Loori
Shambhala, 2007, $14
Compact and clear as a bell, this book and CD set (from a series that also includes Pema Chödrön’s Always Maintain a Joyful Mind) contains a practical introduction to zazen—sitting meditation practice—and a dharma discourse by the founder and abbot of Mount Tremper’s Zen Mountain Monastery.



The Painting Path:
Embodying Spiritual Discovery Through Yoga, Brush, and Color
Linda Novick
SkyLight Paths, 2007, $18.99
Kingston gallery owner and Kripalu yoga teacher Novick invites beginning and experienced painters to touch the divine through their art. Each chapter explores a spiritual theme and a different artistic medium, with guided art projects and yoga exercises to free the mind, body, and breath.



The Inner Glide:
The Tao of Skiing, Snowboarding, and
Skwalling
Patrick Thias Balmain
Destiny Books/Inner Traditions, 2007, $14.95
Inspiration for those who experience satori on top of Bellayre. The inventor of the skwal (front-facing snowboard) goes deep into the mind-body connection in search of “the inner glide” that creates true balance and harmony in motion.