Jacob Watson - Essence: The Emotional Path to Spirit

In Essence, Rev. Jacob Watson reveals ways we can attune to the spiritual side of life, and gain greater serenity, joy and fulfillment. This is a beautiful, gentle, and wise book a marvelous gift to a world that is in great need of its message. I know it will make the world a better place.

Larry Dossey, MD, author of Prayer is Good Medicine

Jacobs writing soars with holiness.

Gus Jaccaci, MAT, MFA, social architect

Essence is powerful and poignant. Jacobs subject matter is compelling: the link between our emotional and spiritual lives. I appreciate his sweet and user-friendly tone. Its very appealing.

Gregg Levoy, author of Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life

Masterful, with wonderful distillations of experiences. Powerful writing, as in such phrases as painted this communion.

Arthur Fink, photographer and writer

In Essence Jacob Watson synthesizes and brings into soulful unity all of who we are, giving grounded and practical methods and examples to realize our innate being. I love all the examples he uses and also his own prayers lovely! It is a work that will speak to many, being relevant to all spiritual traditions, or no tradition at all.

Megan Don, author of Meditations with Teresa of Avila: A Journey into the Sacred

Jacobs new book, which I highly recommend, shows how we can claim complete responsibility for our own spiritual development. Guiding questions offer focus; insight into establishing a time and place for spiritual practice offers inspiration; and powerful personal stories offer confirmation that crisis is a catalyst for spiritual progress.

Robert Atkinson, author of Mystic Journey: Getting to the Heart of Your Souls Story

Wonderful book! His stories are fascinating, amazing and instructive, and provide a lightness as well as a groundedness to the material he presents. He opens the book with falling into the water and getting caught with his pants down.

Robert Zucker, author of The Journey Through Grief and Loss: Helping Yourself and Your Child When Grief Is Shared

I have full confidence and trust in Jacob, who is one of my most beloved workshop leaders. If anyone can help, it is him.

Elisabeth Kbler-Ross, MD

A vital, valuable and important book; clear, simple and compelling. His message is unmistakable and moving: he describes catching fire in both literal and physical ways. His feelings blaze with authenticity and passion, some painful, some humble with grace.

Rev. Cindy Castleman, Hospice Chaplain

Jacob gets meditation just right: something that was already there. Most people are lost in thought while meditation is about being found in silence. He does a good job describing meditation as marvelous preparation for the activities of the day: that silence will tag along with us, especially after repeated practice. And I very much respond to the idea about ones emotional life leading naturally to ones spiritual life.

Dana Sawyer, professor of religion and philosophy at the Maine College of Art, author of Huston Smith: Wisdomkeeper

Essence is a gentle, sensitive, well-organized approach to communication with the divine that includes important but sometimes ignored elements of human emotions and the embodied self as expressions of prayer.

Rev. Corinne Martin

Jacob has drawn upon a lifetime of study and practice of wisdom traditions to synthesize, integrate, and present spiritual truths in a clear and useful manner. A wise and compassionate guide to novice and experienced seekers alike. A master teacher, Jacob offers gentle, direct, and understandable guidance on the path. There is a place of confluence of wisdom teachings and traditions. Jacob stands and speaks from that place.

Ron Feintech, PhD, Psychotherapist

His writing flows as gently as his voice, such a help for the heart! It takes us into another sphere where the dear heart is seduced into melting into Soul.

Phyllida Anam-ire, author of Let Love Heal: A New Consciousness for a New Age

Part memoir, part learned treatise, part practical manual, Essence captures the considerable wisdom that Jacob Watson has absorbed in his many years as a spiritual seeker, practitioner, teacher and mentor. It is deeply felt, gracefully expressed and pragmatically structured to enrich the hearts, minds and souls of readers. A worthy addition to every spiritual aspirants library of treasured books.

Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation: How Indian Spirituality Changed the West

First published by O-Books, 2015

O-Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., Laurel House, Station Approach,

Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK

www.johnhuntpublishing.com

For distributor details and how to order please visit the Ordering section on our website.

Text copyright: Jacob Watson 2014

ISBN: 978 1 78279 978 8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014957343

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Jacob Watson as author have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Design: Lee Nash

Diagrams: Marcie Watson

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY, UK

We operate a distinctive and ethical publishing philosophy in all areas of our business, from our global network of authors to production and worldwide distribution.

To my wife Kristine and our four children, Sarah, Kreschell, Alexis and Nate, and to our granddaughter, Adi. And to Zoey.

Preface

The knowing of essence is loves secret.

Rumi

Essence gets to the heart of things right away, just like poets. The Persian poet Jelaluddin Rumi is Americas best-selling poet, and the reason goes beyond the immense appeal of his ecstatic poetry of love and passion. Rumi was born in 1207 in what is now Afghanistan, and later lived in Iraq. He walked the streets of Baghdad. Surely as the Western powers, at great cost, have poured immense resources into this anguished region for nearly two decades, we can harvest fruits of a different kind than regional influence, opium and oil. Rumis vast writings in fact they were dictations shine forth profound teachings of love, forgiveness, wisdom and mercy. His passionate words shower us with permission to be free of rational restraints and encourage us to plunge into exuberance and ecstasy. The insanity of tribal and national warfare, and the greed and false promise of drug-induced ecstasy will fade into the past when we take up Rumis challenge to admit the Friend the Divine Presence knocking at our door, here and now. This book begins with Rumi because he infuses wisdom into such few words, and these words describe precisely my intention for writing this book.