{"product_id":"the-art-of-everyday-ecstasy-isbn-9780767901994","title":"The Art of Everyday Ecstasy","description":"\"Ecstasy is about waking up and finding that you are in love with life.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost people think of ecstasy in terms of sexual ecstasy, which Tantric sex expert Margot Anand wrote about in her bestselling \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Sexual Ecstasy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e Now, in \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Everyday Ecstasy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e,\u003c\/b\u003e Anand expands our definition of ecstasy and shows how we can harness its energy to help us live, work, and love more passionately, joyfully, and with true spiritual focus.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOur modern, work-obsessed, stress-filled culture—what Anand calls the \"anti-ecstatic conspiracy\"—has dulled our spirits, thrown us off balance, and alienated us from meaningful everyday experiences. In this inspirational journey toward finding the healing nature of ecstasy, Anand explains how the two types of ecstatic experiences—the moments of epiphany called Ecstatic Awakenings, and Everyday Ecstasy, or the Ecstasy of Flow, a connection to our power and inner wisdom—can help us move beyond pain and doubt to reach our highest potential.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on the spiritual path of Tantra, Anand shows how to use the natural energy system of our bodies--the seven chakras—as a map to ecstasy. As she guides us through the chakras, she explains how each one plays an important role in transforming energy into erotic passion, healing, empowerment, compassion, creativity, insight, and gratitude. Blocked chakras manifest themselves in surprising ways; wholeness can be achieved  only when all of the chakras are open with energy flowing freely. By transforming negative behavioral patterns into positive ones and strengthening ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we can improve our health, sex life, career, relationships, and find profound meaning in everyday moments.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith personal anecdotes, exercises, meditations, and rituals, \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Everyday Ecstasy\u003c\/i\u003e shows us how to bring ecstatic energy into the body, mind, heart, and spirit—\"to embrace every moment in our totality, to respond bodily, feel from the heart, perceive with clarity, and be fully present to others and to life.\"Advance praise for \u003cb\u003eThe Art of Everyday Ecstasy:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ecstasy is an often misunderstood word and I admire Margot Anand for broadening its definition. I recommend \u003cb\u003eThe Art of Everyday Ecstasy\u003c\/b\u003e to anyone who wants to realize their ecstatic potential for living a life in which the spirit and everyday experience are intricately interwoven.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Deepak Chopra, author of \u003cb\u003eThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Success\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eAgeless Body, Timeless Mind\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With all the wisdom, humor, warm stories, and pleasure-filled exercises packed into one book, \u003cb\u003eThe Art of Everyday Ecstasy\u003c\/b\u003e is a real bargain.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Stella Resnick, Ph.D., author of \u003cb\u003eThe Pleasure Zone: Why We Resist Good Feelings\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eHow to Let Go and Be Happy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Margot Anand's inspirational book is a celebration of life that shows how to nurture creativity, healing, passion, and love within yourself and in your relationships.\"\u003cbr\u003e--John Gray, author of \u003cb\u003eMen Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Margot Anand guides us with clarity to where the music of the heart, body, and spirit sing in vibrant harmony.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Don Campbell, author of \u003cb\u003eThe Mozart Effect\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMargot Anand \u003c\/b\u003eis an internationally acclaimed authority on Tantra, bestselling author, and much-beloved teacher and founder of SkyDancing Tantra. Margot’s books, videos, CDs, and DVDs are widely regarded as the seminal teachings for integrating spirituality and sexuality and for cultivating the art of ecstatic living. Her popular books are available in numerous languages and include \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Sexual Ecstasy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Sexual Magic\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cb\u003eSeven Tantric Keys of Awakening\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe practices and rituals you will find here are doorways that reveal the inherent beauty and meaning of our ordinary moments.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSay yes to life in all its erotic passion.\u003cbr\u003eGo with the flow of the life force within and all around you.\u003cbr\u003eTrust yourself, and allow your personal power to manifest in life.\u003cbr\u003eOpen your heart in loving compassion to the self and others.\u003cbr\u003eAuthentically express your creativity and your truth.\u003cbr\u003eLook within to achieve clarity and insight in your life.\u003cbr\u003eSurrender to your Source and know gratitude, spiritual peace, and a new capacity to live at your maximum potential in every moment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese seven Tantric keys can open us up to our essential selves and unleash in us that abundant, joyous energy--EveryDay Ecstasy--that allows us to be all that we can be as human beings with our partners and our children and in our work, our community, and the world. In the process, we discover the meaning of \u003ci\u003eelegance,\u003c\/i\u003e the art of achieving maximum results with minimum effort. Elegant people are in love with life. And their love calls them to make contributions beyond the call of mere duty, to participate fully, to share their joys, pains, gifts, and truths with others. And, by their example, they remind us that beyond our apparent differences, we are connected in Spirit, We are One.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy own spiritual journey, which led me to the path of EveryDay Ecstasy, began in Paris, when I was eighteen years old. I was wildly in love with my boyfriend; and the first time we made love, at the peak of orgasm, my consciousness expanded until, suddenly, unexpectedly, nothing was left but the absolute certainty that I was utterly and totally free and that this absolute freedom was, for me, the secret of life. This realization set the course of my life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis may seem like an unusual beginning to many people. Yet most of us have enjoyed one unforgettable peak moment that leaves us with a yearning for that sense of ecstasy, wholeness, or exquisite peace. Unfortunately, our culture does not teach us the value of such experiences or the skills to cultivate them. But after this first ecstatic moment, I knew I wanted to discover how to integrate spirituality with sexuality in my daily life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy studies and degrees in psychology and philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris did not bring any answers to my quest. Later, my practice as a therapist failed to satisfy my hunger for experiential wisdom. I turned to the study of bodywork therapies and self-development groups: bioenergetics, encounter groups, rolfing, Gestalt, Arica, integral yoga. And still I found no direct answers that explained the connection between sexuality and spirituality. I set out on a journey to explore the traditions of sacred sexuality around the world. I soon was introduced to the ancient Eastern science of Tantra; like yoga, Zen, and Sufism, Tantra is a spiritual path to enlightenment. But unlike most mystical paths, Tantra includes sexuality as a doorway to ecstasy and enlightenment. The essence of the Tantric teachings can be summarized as this: Choose with awareness what gives you joy, and it will lead you to Spirit. A particularly attractive approach, I thought, for us Westerners so deeply influenced by the puritanical Judeo-Christian tradition, which conceives of pleasure not as a door to heaven but rather as a shortcut to hell!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough this book is not about sexuality, as my other books have been, the Tantric perspective has greatly influenced my work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat Is Tantra?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany people today mistakenly believe that Tantra is a spiritual bastardization of sexual therapy, an excuse to indulge in sensual games, an addiction to hours of sexual orgasms. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Tantric path teaches us to embrace and unify the ordinary, the erotic, and the sacred dimensions of life, which all have their roots in Spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe beauty and wisdom of Tantra is that it embraces sexuality as a doorway to the \"ecstatic mind of great bliss.\"  Truly, at the peak of orgasm, we pierce through the illusion of fragmentation and separation, and glimpse the unity and interconnectedness of all beings. And through the other--our partner--we fall in love with life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause sex holds this great potential for opening our being to the experience of ecstasy, Tantra has for millennia taught the cultivation of sexual love as an art, as a skillful spiritual practice. Then, as now, Tantra challenges the belief promoted by most spiritual and religious paths that we must suppress or transcend our sexuality to practice meditation or awaken our Spirit. Tantra arose in rebellion against these ascetical and life-negating creeds. It acknowledges that sex is at the root of life and that to make human sexuality and erotic union a form of worship and meditation is to practice reverence for life, leading us directly through the pleasure of the senses to spiritual liberation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTantra teaches that we master desires not by avoiding them but by immersing ourself in them. Once known and experienced deeply, they can be transcended. In fact, Tantra teaches that \u003ci\u003enothing\u003c\/i\u003e is to be excluded from our understanding of reality. We need not suffer by sacrificing pleasures. We can cultivate them as opportunities for awakening. Tantra teaches us to embrace every moment in our totality, to respond bodily, feel from the heart, perceive with clarity, and be fully present to others and to life. In this book, we will explore ways to bring such energy, passion, and awareness to all our seemingly ordinary, and extraordinary, moments and to make our everyday life a journey of awakening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTantra\u003c\/i\u003e is a Sanskrit word derived from the root \u003ci\u003etan,\u003c\/i\u003e \"to expand.\"  In the process of my study and practice of the Tantric arts, I developed this definition: Tantra is the art of weaving the often contradictory aspects of our self or personality into a unified whole, for the purpose of expanding our consciousness. Scholar Ajit Mookerjee defines Tantra as \"knowledge of a systematic, scientific, and experimental method which offers the possibility of expanding man's consciousness and faculties, a process through which the individual's inherent spiritual powers can be realized.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCreate an Ecstatic Life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if you began each day from a state of creative awareness, with a clear vision of what you want and how it can be achieved?  For example, when you want to create a perfect dinner party for good friends, you begin with a vision of a warm gathering filled with intimate friendship, laughter, and good food. You begin, first imaginatively, then actually, to feel and create the atmosphere--you choose a menu, the lighting, the dishes you will use, the music or games you will play. You feel the enjoyment of the evening itself as you prepare for it and anticipate it throughout the day. Below is a ritual for starting your day with clarity, by opening all your centers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Ritual for Beginning the Day\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePurpose\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo remind yourself that each day represents a brand new opportunity to taste the sacredness of life; a chance to be nurtured by the mystery; a chance to relate lovingly, happily, and even with laughter to everyone around you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreparation\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHave on hand a candle, incense, and matches.\u003cbr\u003ePrepare a good sound system with slow, meditative music. (Be sure to pick music that will not interfere with your thoughts and that will not run out before the ritual is completed.)\u003cbr\u003eSit on a comfortable pillow.\u003cbr\u003eWake up fifteen minutes earlier to allow yourself the time to perform this ritual without feeling rushed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePractice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs you wake up, open your eyes slowly, and close them. Then open them again, this time with awareness. Take a few slow, deep breaths and remind yourself that you wanted to get up early this morning to perform this ritual.\u003cbr\u003eGet up, put on a robe (make sure you're warm and comfortable), and stretch slowly or shake your body loose from the night's sleep.\u003cbr\u003eLight a candle and stick of incense to begin creating your sacred space.\u003cbr\u003ePlay your music.\u003cbr\u003eSit on your meditation pillow, in a comfortable position. If you are doing this ritual with a partner, sit opposite each other, holding hands.\u003cbr\u003eRelax for a few moments, eyes closed, watching the movement of your breath. When you feel calm and quiet, go on to the next step.\u003cbr\u003eBegin to focus gently and effortlessly on the day ahead, breathing slowly and deeply. Go through the day, envisioning each moment. See if one difficult challenge presents itself (for instance, you have too much to do today and not enough time to do it, or your child is home sick from school). Look at the thoughts as you would look at a passing landscape through a car window. Let the thoughts come and go.\u003cbr\u003ePay attention to your body. How does your body react to these thoughts?  Do you feel any tight spots?  A constriction in your chest, stomach cramps, heart palpitations, a simple tensing of the muscles of your jaw and neck?  Zoom in on the part of your day's vision that is causing your body pain. This is what you will transform in the ritual. (If you find more than one painful area, take them one at a time. Don't try to do too much at once.)\u003cbr\u003eKeep breathing calmly and deeply. Create a mental picture of the difficult moment that you're dreading in your day to come. (We'll use the example of a stressful project at work, one you have to work on with difficult people.) Now release the image, let it travel through your \u003ci\u003echakras,\u003c\/i\u003e allowing the energy of each \u003ci\u003echakra\u003c\/i\u003e to transform it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Root of Creation\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in the first \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e in your genitals. Relax your genital muscles into the earth and allow them to feel vibrant, ready, grounded. Here is where you will generate the vision.\u003cbr\u003eSee the difficult situation existing inside your first \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e let it resonate, and begin the transformation.\u003cbr\u003eSay (to yourself or out loud), \"There is enough time, money, trust, love, understanding to heal this situation.\"\u003cbr\u003eEnvision the scene filled with a sense of abundance and resolution. Feel that this is already true, that it has happened. You should not feel pressure to \u003ci\u003emake\u003c\/i\u003e it happen. When you have this vision firmly in mind, go on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Flowing Stream\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in your navel area. Breathe into your belly and soften the muscles.\u003cbr\u003eSee the difficult situation existing inside your second \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e and surround it with a sea of fluidity and flexibility.\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I am open to change.\"\u003cbr\u003eSee yourself enjoying the flow of conversation. See everyone finding the place of flexibility in the situation, being open to changing opinions and positions, adapting effortlessly to the currents of energy that your vision carries. When you have an image of the situation transformed by openness and possibility, go on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Radiant Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in your solar plexus. Breathe into your solar plexus, feel it expanding, relaxed, and powerful.\u003cbr\u003eSee the difficult situation existing inside your third \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e and infuse it with energy and power.\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I have all the energy I need to complete this project.\"\u003cbr\u003eSee yourself and all the people in your image feeling alive and on purpose. You make correct choices, you are innovative and responsible. Your authority is respected. When you have an image of the situation transformed through positive action, go on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Pulse of Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in the center of your chest, in your heart area. Open your chest, relaxing the muscles that surround your heart. Feel your heart opening to receive.\u003cbr\u003eSee the difficult situation existing inside your fourth \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e and surround the image and everyone in it with love and acceptance.\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I am ready to create a common ground.\"  Don't dwell on successes or failures, or petty antagonism, but simply appreciate what everyone has done so far.\u003cbr\u003eLet yourself see how much happier everyone is when they feel acknowledged, how much more motivated they are toward positive results. When you have an image of the situation transformed by love and acceptance, move on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Song of the Soul\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in your throat. Relax your throat, your jaw.\u003cbr\u003eSee the difficult situation existing inside your fifth \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e and allow everyone in the vision to express their truth in a creative way.\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I enjoy sharing my creative ideas and hearing others express theirs.\"\u003cbr\u003eSee the comical side of the situation. Exaggerate the image if you need to. See everyone dancing a jig around the office, diving off desks, flying paper airplanes over cubicle walls. See thought balloons coming out of their heads, filled with brilliant, witty, outrageous ideas. When your image is transformed by laughter and creative expression, go on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Full Moon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in your third eye, the area between your eyebrows.\u003cbr\u003eFeel the eye opening, taking in the scene with great objectivity. See the difficult situation existing inside your sixth \u003ci\u003echakra,\u003c\/i\u003e and envision everyone in the scene feeling connected, integrated between body, mind, and Spirit.\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I act to realize my vision with intention and purpose. I am clear in my action and make the right choices.\"\u003cbr\u003eNow you see the big picture; you are no longer bogged down by details or identifying with criticism. You are witnessing the situation but are not lost in it. You have achieved a balance between understanding the context and listening to your intuitive guidance. Move on to the next \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Open Sky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLet your awareness dwell in the top of your head. Relax the muscles of your scalp and allow this \u003ci\u003echakra\u003c\/i\u003e to open, like a cup waiting to be filled. See the newly transformed situation existing as pure potential inside your seventh \u003ci\u003echakra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSay to yourself, \"I am ready to receive what I need to heal this situation.\"\u003cbr\u003eSee yourself linked with everyone in your image at a soul level. Your Spirits are connecting. You all have a role to play in this situation, and you all know exactly what needs to be done to move the project further. See all of you surrendering your ego needs (\"I know better\") to your greater purpose: harmony. You become one Spirit. You respect each other. All is well. When you have created this joyous image, let it go out of the top of your head and into the universe, knowing that it has already been accomplished. Move into your day with calm and certainty of success.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCompletion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview your meditation. Have you created a joyous, harmonious day?  Do you feel ready to move into your day with ease and confidence?  If you're not quite ready, move through the \u003ci\u003echakras\u003c\/i\u003e again to heal any remaining block.\u003cbr\u003eTake a moment to center yourself. Breathe calmly and deeply for a few more moments, and allow yourself to come back to the present moment. If you are working","brand":"Harmony","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305365819621,"sku":"NP9780767901994","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780767901994.jpg?v=1767738153","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-art-of-everyday-ecstasy-isbn-9780767901994","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}