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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 613
EAN: 9780809140565
ISBN: 080914056X
Label: Paulist Press
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 319
Publication Date: 1995
Publisher: Paulist Press
Sales Rank: 229259
Studio: Paulist Press
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Product Description:
If you're looking for clear links between Christian faith and the practice of yoga and meditation, this book is for you. Prayer of Heart and Body will help you integrate teachings from the Christian contemplative tradition into your practice and encourage a new appreciation for the role of the body in prayer. 'Yoga,' says the author, is 'meditation in motion, a way to pray with one's whole being--body, mind and spirit. It was originally designed to prepare people for sitting meditation.' The two work powerfully together.
Quoting extensively from such authors as Ignatius, John of the Cross, Rahner and Merton, Ryan explains what is distinctive about Christian meditation compared to some eastern forms, and looks at reincarnation and kundalini energy in the light of Christian faith, respecting the authenticity of other world religions and drawing from their wisdom traditions where appropriate. 'Through this, Ryan integrates all that is beautiful, wise and holy in other traditions,' says Jean Vanier in his Foreword, for a book that is 'unifying and pacifying.'
The final section gives explicit instructions on beginning yoga. Using easy-to-follow diagrams, it covers breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, and the postures, including benefits, precautions and contraindications for each. In all, the basic aim of this beautifully written book is to assist the millions of Christians who today are practicing meditation or yoga or both, to consciously integrate them into their Christian spirituality as effective instruments for their personal development in prayer and daily living.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Meditation is for Christians
When I tell believers that I am a Christian who meditates they either get excited and interested or a puzzled look comes on their face. Unfortunately, we have been led to believe that Christianity and meditation don't complement each other. Yet, the Bible is filled with scriptures that not only encourage but admonish us to meditate on God. I am thankful for Father Ryan's book that helps to take the mystery out of Christian meditation so that believers can embrace a practice that can truly change their lives. Christian Meditation and Relaxation Four Cd Set
Rating: - Great Book!
I am new to Christianity (I was baptized a little over a year ago) and wasn't sure how to incorporate yoga and meditation into my prayer life. This book was very helpful. I'm interested in reading other books from this author.
Rating: - Prayer of Heart and Body
Fr. Ryan and written an excellent introduction to the contemplative life for Christians who know little about it. His style is easy to read as he presents some fairly deep topics. I particularly appreciated his abbreviated history of meditation in various religious disciplines. I found his presentation of yoga as a valid part of the meditative process very sane and doable for the novice. I highly recommend this book for anyone or any group wanting to explore what the contemplative life is all about.
Rating:  - Not really Christian meditation
I'm not sure what Thomas Ryan, in Prayer of Heart and Body, is saying about whether the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are necessary for our salvation. The internal logic of his statements seems to contradict a Christian theology:
1) On page 22, apparently from his own voice and his own conviction, he states, "Most of us don't realize this Spirit within because we are living in a fallen, illusory state of sin."
2) Later, on page 33, he says, also apparently in his own voice, "There is no getting around the fact that Christianity is a religion for those who are aware that there is a deep wound, a fissure of sin that strikes down to the very heart of our being. It is a spiritual path for those who have tasted the sickness that is present in the inmost human heart estranged from God by guilt, suspicion and self-seeking. If that sickness is an illusion, then there is no need for the cross, the church, and the sacraments."
3) On page 113, in his conclusion for Part I of the book, he seems to take the position that the Cross is not necessary when he states, "There are many different ways of meditating taught in the religions of the world. But if one wishes to go deep, it is important to choose one's path and be faithful to it. Many Christians have found it necessary until recently to seek life-giving disciplines for their journey from teachers in other faiths because they did not find them in their life in the church. As I have tried to expose in these ... Read More
Rating: - Very Intriguing
3 Types of people need to read this book:
1) Christians who are just beginning (or thinking about beginning) a yoga practice; especially if they have ever worried that practicing yoga was somehow practicing Hinduism.
2) Yoga practitioners who either don't take time for meditation, or who have trouble focusing during meditation
3) People who are looking to enhance their prayer life.
Ryan does a great job of addressing the concerns that many in the Christian Church feel towards Yoga and other Eastern spiritual practices in addition to giving detailed guidelines for using meditation as a part of your prayer life. His writing is intelligent and direct- there is no "Christian-ease." Rather than spouting his own opinions about meditation, he quotes heavily from the teachings of Thomas Merton and John of the Cross, among others. Definitely worth reading.
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