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Effortless Living

Wu-Wei and the Spontaneous State of Natural Harmony

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Effortless Living

By: Jason Gregory, Damo Mitchell - foreword
Narrated by: Jason Gregory
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About this listen

A guide for achieving an enlightened mind through the art of non-doing.

  • Details meditation practices, focused on stillness of the mind, along with Patanjali’s yoga methods to maintain a consciousness referred to as "being in the zone"
  • Builds on Taoist, Confucian, and Hindu principles along with scientific findings to support wu-wei - the art of non-doing, non-forcing - as a way of life
  • Explains how wu-wei practitioners cultivate intelligent spontaneity and effortless action to allow the natural harmony of the cosmos to prevail

The practice of non-doing, non-forcing is an essential aspect of Taoism known as wu-wei. Attributed to the great sage Lao-tzu, the philosophy of wu-wei teaches you how to develop a natural state of consciousness not bound by thought or preconceived limitations. Experienced by the greatest artists, athletes, musicians, and writers, this heightened state of consciousness, referred to as "being in the zone", is where intelligent spontaneity and effortless action flourish via a practice rooted in permitting the natural harmony of the cosmos to prevail.

Merging Taoist philosophy, Hindu principles, and Confucianism along with scientific findings, Jason Gregory outlines the practice of wu-wei as a vehicle to realize our innate freedom, revealing that when we release our ego and allow life to unfold as it will, we align ourselves more closely with our goals and cultivate skill and mastery along the way. Equating "being in the zone" with a stillness of the mind, Gregory shares meditation practices coupled with yoga exercises from Patanjali that allow you to approach life with a mastery of acceptance, releasing deluded beliefs of how to achieve success that make your mind "sticky" and poised for conflict. The author shows how practicing wu-wei paradoxically empowers you to accomplish all that you desire by having no intention to do so, as well as allowing you to become receptive to nature’s blueprint for expressing beauty.

Revealing wisdom utilized by renowned sages, artists, and athletes who have adapted "being in the zone" as a way of life, the author shows that wu-wei can yield a renewed sense of trust in many aspects of your daily life, making each day more effortless. As an avid wu-wei practitioner, he provides keen insight on how you, too, can experience the beauty of achieving an enlightened, effortless mind while reveling in the process of life’s unfolding.

©2018 Jason Gregory (P)2019 Inner Traditions Audio
Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts Personal Development Philosophy Taoism Physical Exercise Inspiring

Critic Reviews

"Immersing yourself in the origins and underpinnings of this ancient way of thinking and being will definitely help usher you into the Intuition Age with its interconnected, holographic perception. This book is brimming over with gems and overall wisdom. It’s a comprehensive weaving of many threads that makes for a fascinating - and useful - read." (Penney Peirce, author of Leap of Perception and Frequency)

"In the West, people say, 'where there’s a will there’s a way,' by imposing your will over nature. More often than not this backfires. In ancient China, the wise ones discovered that the best way is wu-wei, 'doing nothing,' and thereby getting everything done by letting nature take its course. In this book you’ll learn how that’s not-done." (Daniel Reid, author of The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity and The Tao of Detox)

"In Effortless Living, Jason Gregory explains in clear and simple terms the Taoist concept of wu-wei and reintroduces a model of contemplation much needed in the world today. He describes how wu-wei (literally 'not forcing' or 'allowing') can facilitate communion with the Tao - the timeless flow from which everything else we perceive is but a reflection. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I learned so much from it. My humble thanks to Jason Gregory for facilitating my own understanding of the Tao and, in doing so, allowing me to apprehend the inner silence and to listen to its wordless wisdom." (Anthony Peake, author of The Infinite Mindfield and Opening the Doors of Perception)

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A good read. Philosophical but not practical.

Although the wisdom in this book is quite deep, it fails to go into depth on the techniques used on how to live aligned with the universe. It simply mentions to practise breath meditation and Vipassana (insight) meditation (which is correct) but does not expand any further on these techniques. I would advise reading Ajahn Brahm - Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond which actually details step by step on how to practise breath meditation.

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Effortless Living

Jason wrote of many of my own questions and shined a light on the beauty of Wu-Wei. I'm very thankful to have read this book.

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