Michael Stone

"Michael Stone leads Centre of Gravity. He is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, Buddhist teacher, author and activist, committed to the integration of traditional teachings with contemporary psychological and philosophical understanding. The components of his practice include Yoga postures, breathing techniques, meditation and textual study. Over the years, his goal has been to cultivate long-term relationships with people who want to deepen their understanding of Yoga and Buddhist teachings and practice while bringing these practices into conversation with medicine, economics, ecology and mainstream media. He maintains a dedicated workshop and retreat schedule in communities internationally, and is a Guiding Teacher for True North Insight, a Vipassana Centre.

"His research and teaching explore the intersection of committed spiritual practice and social action.

"Michael teaches courses and workshops to clinicians (doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, palliative care workers, psychotherapists) that integrate Buddhist teachings and meditation practices with contemporary approaches to clinical work. He ran the well-respected Leading Edge Mindfulness for Clinicians Course in Toronto, as well as training retreats. Michael's academic background includes studies in psychology, psychoanalysis, philosophy and comparative religion. Michael is a respected Buddhist (Vipassana) teacher and his mentor is Norman Feldman. He is also a student of Zen - his teacher is Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara. His primary yoga teacher is Richard Freeman.

"His yoga teaching method is to slow down the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Krama sequences in order to bring deeper awareness to the subtle aspects of postures, balancing attention to alignment with meditative awareness. His meditation teachings integrate traditional Vipassana and Zen forms with insights from Yoga and Mahayana Buddhism, without losing the integrity of each tradition.

"Michael is a father and lives in Toronto with his partner Carina Lof, his newborn son Olin, and his 9 year old son Arlyn. These days you can find him working on a documentary film called "Reactor," a new book of the same title, teaching, and also giving talks at conferences and in community."

Selected Books

 * FREEING THE BODY, FREEING THE MIND: WRITINGS ON THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN YOGA & BUDDHISM By Michael Stone; Foreword by Robert Thurman
 * YOGA FOR A WORLD OUT OF BALANCE: TEACHINGS ON ETHICS AND SOCIAL ACTION By Michael Stone; Foreword by B.K.S. Iyengar
 * THE INNER TRADITION OF YOGA: A GUIDE TO YOGA PHILOSOPHY FOR THE CONTEMPORARY PRACTITIONER By Michael Stone; Foreword by Richard Freeman

Related Sourcewatch

 * Mindfulness
 * Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream ‎