INVITING SILENCE: Universal Principles of Meditation

A writer, therapist and meditation teacher, Norris pens an invitation and a challenge: be still. She writes for those who begin to experience spiritual yearning, as opposed to those who are already students somewhere along the spiritual path. As such, her instructions on beginning to meditate—becoming acquainted with and comfortable in silence—are simple and gradual. The material is logically organized, covering in friendly and flowing language what a beginner needs to know: Pay attention. Breathe. Sit up straight. Stick to it. Work with others to support a practice of silence. She rarely uses the term "meditate," as if that were too much spiritual jargon. This is paradoxically consistent with the best teachers of meditation, who know that the practice of paying attention is intended for everyday life as well as for the focused, intentional practice of meditation. A published poet, Norris chooses an evocative form for her words: a kind of spiritual blank verse, short unrhymed lines that themselves encourage slow reading and pausing to think and digest. ("In our present culture/silence is something like an endangered species....") This small, gift-sized book successfully gives a gentle nudge toward a demanding spiritual discipline. (Sept. 30)

FYI: BlueBridge is a new spirituality publisher, created by HiddenSpring founder Jan-Erik Guerth.