The Amato Method
A path from awakening to inner harmony.
The Amato Method grew from Peter’s doctoral research into how people awaken. It offers a path through the states of consciousness and the stages of growth, toward a closer alignment of thoughts, behaviors and emotions.
It brings together three traditions he has practiced for more than thirty years: the “I Am” teaching of Advaita and Zen, Mahayana mindfulness, and the yogic science of the five koshas.
The “I Am” teaching
The self-inquiry of Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, and the directness of Zen: one question, “Who am I?”, asked honestly.
Mahayana mindfulness
From his ordination in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh: attention to this breath, this step, this moment.
The five koshas
From his years with Gurudev Amrit Desai: the layers of body, breath, mind, discernment and bliss around a self that simply is.
The research
The Theory of Awakening
His doctoral dissertation at Saybrook University (2016) describes the change that happens as a person searches for, experiences and develops a genuine connection between thoughts, behaviors and emotions.
It maps four states of consciousness, four stages of developmental awareness and thirteen behavioral patterns across the journey of awakening.
The Theory of Awakening: A Classic Grounded Theory. ProQuest dissertation 10137548.
In practice
The Inner Harmony Approach
The language, path and manual inside the Amato Method. In Peter’s words, it is a program to:
- AwakenThe first honest look at what is happening, and who it is happening to.
- RegulateSettle the nervous system, so that look can be held without flinching.
- RealignFind a renewed sense of meaning and purpose in life.
- EliminateClear the emotional turbulence that keeps pulling you back.
- IntegrateBuild more congruent patterns of behavior, day by day.
- EmbodyLive Inner Harmony, rather than only understand it.
Where it leads
Your I AM.
The destination is simple to say: meeting your true self, the witness of your thoughts, often for the very first time.
Anyone willing can begin, with as little as fifteen minutes a day. The full teaching, research and practitioner training live at Harmony Mountain Institute.
The Amato Method is wellness education and contemplative practice. It is not a substitute for medical or psychological care, and it works alongside the care you already receive.