ZEN IN MOTION by Neil Claremon
Lessons From a Master Archer on Breath, Posture, and the Path of Intuition
$12.95
Imagine galloping on horseback across the rocky terrain of northern New Mexico, drawing a bow, and sending an arrow to dead center of a distant target. Is it athletic prowess, or is it Zen? With simplicity, depth, and humor, Claremon tells the compelling story of his initiation into the mysteries of Zen archery under the instruction of a Japanese master. At once a fascinating glimpse of the interaction between spiritual master and disciple and a lucid analysis of the Zen path of awareness, his book describes techniques for breathing, standing, walking, concentrating, moving the mind, overcoming ego, healing the body, and finally, opening a "window of opportunity" in the space between stillness and motion that allows the expansion of time and consciousness.
Black-and-white illustrations of specific exercises and postures help readers visualize the training process -- from basic stance to shooting arrows from horseback. These same techniques can be adapted to any sport as well as to related areas of spiritual study, thereby refining the faculty of intuition and realigning the body and mind with ki -- the life force. Neil Claremon is a Zen archer and author of numerous works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, with a special interest in themes of Native America and the Southwest.