Jim Leonard (Vivation)
Encyclopedia
Jim Leonard was an American
teacher
, author
and an early pioneer of modern day Breathwork
. He was the originator of Vivation
and author of three books and numerous articles on human potential.
In 1977 he left San Bernardino for San Francisco to study Rebirthing with Leonard Orr
at the Theta House. In 1979, Leonard Orr, Jim and others traveled to India looking for the most adept spiritual masters they could find. It was there that they discovered Haidakhan Babaji
, who went on to have great influence on all of them, including Jim.
After returning from India with his new found discoveries, Jim made the decision to devote the rest of his life teaching Integrative Rebirthing, which he later renamed Vivation
. He conducted more than 45,000 Integrative Rebirthing and Vivation sessions in 22 countries during his life. During the 1980s he conducted Integrative Rebirthing and Vivation seminars jointly with his wife, Anne Jill Leonard. They later divorced.
According to the official Vivation website, Jim's books on Vivation sold more than 250,000 copies and were translated into a dozen languages. Jim taught hundreds of people to be Vivation Professionals and founded Associated Vivation Professionals, the worldwide professional organization for Vivation.
Jim Leonard died in Tacoma, Washington, on September 23, 2008.
, a type of meditation and breathwork used to resolve negative emotions and attachments. First known as Integrative Rebirthing
, Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé (to fully embrace life).
Vivation integrates the essential principles found in yoga, breathwork
, and meditation into a unified process of healing and personal transformation. It has roots in kriya yoga
, Vipassanā
and modern breathwork
. The teaching of Vivation places strong emphasis on facilitating the emotional autonomy and self-realization of its practitioners. According to their official website, more than 100,000 people have learned the process, with hundreds of professionals teaching Vivation worldwide.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and an early pioneer of modern day Breathwork
Breathwork
Breathwork refers to many forms of conscious alteration of breathing, such as connecting the inhale and exhale, or energetically charging and discharging, when used within psychotherapy or meditation. Proponents believe breathwork technique may be used to attain alternate states of consciousness,...
. He was the originator of Vivation
Vivation
Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé...
and author of three books and numerous articles on human potential.
Biography
Jim Leonard was born in San Bernardino, California, on June 2, 1955. After discovering a book on yoga when he was 8, Leonard began his life-long quest for spiritual enlightenment and how to teach it to others. He spent his adolescence learning everything he could about how to permanently reach higher states of consciousness.In 1977 he left San Bernardino for San Francisco to study Rebirthing with Leonard Orr
Leonard Orr
Leonard Orr is an American best known for developing Rebirthing-Breathwork, a 'system' or technique of breathing that can help one to overcome the "trauma" of being born...
at the Theta House. In 1979, Leonard Orr, Jim and others traveled to India looking for the most adept spiritual masters they could find. It was there that they discovered Haidakhan Babaji
Haidakhan Babaji
Haidakhan Babaji, simply called "Babaji" or Bhole Baba by his students and devotees, was a teacher who appeared in northern India and taught publicly from 1970 to 1984...
, who went on to have great influence on all of them, including Jim.
After returning from India with his new found discoveries, Jim made the decision to devote the rest of his life teaching Integrative Rebirthing, which he later renamed Vivation
Vivation
Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé...
. He conducted more than 45,000 Integrative Rebirthing and Vivation sessions in 22 countries during his life. During the 1980s he conducted Integrative Rebirthing and Vivation seminars jointly with his wife, Anne Jill Leonard. They later divorced.
According to the official Vivation website, Jim's books on Vivation sold more than 250,000 copies and were translated into a dozen languages. Jim taught hundreds of people to be Vivation Professionals and founded Associated Vivation Professionals, the worldwide professional organization for Vivation.
Jim Leonard died in Tacoma, Washington, on September 23, 2008.
Vivation
Jim Leonard was best known for his creation of VivationVivation
Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé...
, a type of meditation and breathwork used to resolve negative emotions and attachments. First known as Integrative Rebirthing
Rebirthing
Rebirthing may refer to:*Rebirthing-breathwork, a form of alternative medicine mainly consisting of a breathing technique*Attachment therapy, a controversial category of alternative child mental health interventions intended to treat attachment disorders...
, Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé (to fully embrace life).
Vivation integrates the essential principles found in yoga, breathwork
Breathwork
Breathwork refers to many forms of conscious alteration of breathing, such as connecting the inhale and exhale, or energetically charging and discharging, when used within psychotherapy or meditation. Proponents believe breathwork technique may be used to attain alternate states of consciousness,...
, and meditation into a unified process of healing and personal transformation. It has roots in kriya yoga
Kriya Yoga
Kriya Yoga finds mention in the ancient spiritual texts of Patanjali Yogasutras "Tapah svadhyayeshvara pranidhani kriyayogah" . It was later revived by Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri in the 19th century. Subsequently Paramhansa Yogananda in his Autobiography of a Yogi reported the same for his...
, Vipassanā
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
and modern breathwork
Breathwork
Breathwork refers to many forms of conscious alteration of breathing, such as connecting the inhale and exhale, or energetically charging and discharging, when used within psychotherapy or meditation. Proponents believe breathwork technique may be used to attain alternate states of consciousness,...
. The teaching of Vivation places strong emphasis on facilitating the emotional autonomy and self-realization of its practitioners. According to their official website, more than 100,000 people have learned the process, with hundreds of professionals teaching Vivation worldwide.
Books
- Jim Leonard, Vivation: The Science of Enjoying All Your Life written with Phil Laut, Vivation Publishing Company, May 1991.
- Jim Leonard, Your Fondest Dream: How To Master the Power of Creativity, Vivation Publishing Company, February 1990.
- Jim Leonard, Vivation: The Skill of Happiness, March, 2001.