Kamalamani, from Triratna’s UK Bristol Buddhist Centre, writes with news of her just-published book, ‘Meditating with Character’, a new and unusual approach to personal meditation practice. She says - “This book breaks new ground in weaving together important threads from meditation, body psychotherapy, and Buddhism, encouraging the reader to be more present with their experience of being an integrated body-mind. The book invites the reader to get really curious about what goes on in their meditation practice, through understanding their embodying and disembodying habits. These habits and patterns are explored through the lens of character positions, a body of knowledge taken from post-Reichian psychotherapy.
“The tone is warm, immediate and accessible, reflecting my enthusiasm for meditation and life. Reflection exercises are included, supporting the reader to make sense of their unique approach to being a body with their particular history and life strategies. These reflections can help both new and seasoned meditators to either deepen or revive their connection with their practice.
“Meditating with Character is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in meditation or being more at home in their own skin, both on and off the meditation cushion”.
On Kamalamani’s website there’s a blog post offering her more personal thoughts on the ‘Birth of a book’, where she says “‘Meditating with Character’ started life as a sudden and immediate waking urge to write about meditation and embodiment - on the last morning of the last session of a training I was doing in Embodied-Relational Therapy. Almost three years on I’m close to holding a book in my hand. It’s strange and exciting”.
Kamalamani’s been practising Buddhism since falling in love with meditation and the Dharma in her early twenties, and was ordained in 2005. She enjoys meditating, leading practice, facilitating Buddhist study and reflecting upon the relevance of an age-old faith for life in the 21st century, particularly in the areas of eco-Dharma and the interface with ecopsychotherapy. Prior to training as a therapist and healer, she worked with small businesses on sustainable development projects throughout sub Saharan Africa. During the same period she also lectured at the University of Bristol and worked as a family business consultant. She continues to work at the coalface of small business through working with her brother as an active director in their family business.
Meditating with Character should be available soon from Triratna Centre bookshops, or if necessary via Amazon.