World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down


Christian McEwen - 2011
    Over the course of ten years training teachers to write their own poems in order to pass the craft along to students, McEwen realized that nothing comes easily when life is conducted at a high rate of speed. She draws not only on personal experience, but on readings ranging from literary anecdote and poetry to Buddhism, anthropology, current news, and social history, all supplemented by interviews with contemporary writers and artists. This is a real reader’s book, one that stands up as both sustained narrative and occasional inspiration.McEwen espouses the pleasure to be found in slowing down, both for the ease and comfort of the thing itself (taking time to go for a walk, to write down one’s dreams, to read, to talk, to pray), and for its impact on creativity. There are chapters on walking, talking, drawing, dreaming, on “making space,” on pausing/praying, on telling stories. World Enough & Time is aimed at the educated general reader, could be used as a creative primer, and will be of interest to creative writing students and artists in every genre.

Meditation for Dummies


Stephan Bodian - 1999
    While over 5 million Americans meditate regularly, millions more remain unaware of the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being that can result from such a simple practice. "Meditation For Dummies" guides you down the road to increased awareness and inner peace. It also covers the historical origins and traditional wisdom behind modern meditation practice. Relax, take a deep breath, and we'll do the rest.

Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga


Amy Weintraub - 2003
    But the side effects of popular prescription drugs may seem nearly as depressing as the symptoms they’re meant to treat. Veteran yoga instructor Amy Weintraub offers a better solution—one that taps the scientifically proven link between yoga and emotional well-being as well as the beauty of ancient approaches to inner peace.Addressing a range of diagnoses, including dysthymia, anxiety-based depression, and bipolar disorder, Yoga for Depression reveals why specific postures, breathing practices, and meditation techniques can ease suffering and release life’s traumas and losses. Weintraub also reflects on her own experience with severe depression, from which she recovered through immersing herself in a daily yoga routine. Yoga for Depression is the first yoga book devoted exclusively to the treatment of these debilitating conditions. Amy Weintraub will help readers see their suffering and themselves in a vibrant new light.

True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart


Tara Brach - 2013
    Though these old, conditioned attempts to control our life may offer fleeting relief, ultimately they leave us feeling isolated and mired in pain.   There is another way. Beneath the turbulence of our thoughts and emotions exists a profound stillness, a silent awareness capable of limitless love. Tara Brach, author of the award-winning Radical Acceptance, calls this awareness our true refuge, because it is available to every one of us, at any moment, no exceptions. In this book, Brach offers a practical guide to finding our inner sanctuary of peace and wisdom in the midst of difficulty.   Based on a fresh interpretation of the three classic Buddhist gateways to freedom—truth, love, and awareness—True Refuge shows us the way not just to heal our suffering, but also to cultivate our capacity for genuine happiness. Through spiritual teachings, guided meditations, and inspirational stories of people who discovered loving presence during times of great struggle, Brach invites us to connect more deeply with our own inner life, one another, and the world around us. True Refuge is essential reading for anyone encountering hardship or crisis, anyone dedicated to a path of spiritual awakening. The book reminds us of our own innate intelligence and goodness, making possible an enduring trust in ourselves and our lives. We realize that what we seek is within us, and regardless of circumstances, “there is always a way to take refuge in a healing and liberating presence.”Advance praise for True Refuge   “Tara Brach writes from the heart to the heart. With candor and calmness, she shares her own and others’ struggles to overcome our deep and constant human dilemmas. Whenever I read Brach, I feel more peaceful and hopeful. I trust myself and the universe more. I feel more connected and grounded in what the Lakota Sioux call Wakan Tanka, The Great Mystery. True Refuge is itself a refuge and I thank the author for it.”—Mary Pipher, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of The Green Boat and Reviving Ophelia   “There is something very special about this exquisitely written book—its clarity, beauty, simplicity, and humanity practically sing to you. Inspiring and uplifting to read, it also has eminently practical, implementable, step-by-step guidance to practice and live by. And the fifteen brief, powerful guided meditations offer an easy, gentle entry toward inner peace and wisdom. While turning the pages, I thought of a half dozen people who could really use this book as a friendly, loving reference point—myself included!”—Belleruth Naparstek, author of Invisible Heroes and creator of the Health Journeys guided imagery audio series

The Art of Happiness


Dalai Lama XIV - 1998
    And he makes everyone else around him feel like smiling. He's the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, a Nobel Prize winner, and an increasingly popular speaker and statesman. What's more, he'll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is towards happiness." How to get there has always been the question. He's tried to answer it before, but he's never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand. Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement. Together with Dr. Cutler, he explores many facets of everyday life, including relationships, loss, and the pursuit of wealth, to illustrate how to ride through life's obstacles on a deep and abiding source of inner peace.

Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic


Darren Main - 2002
    Some practice Iyengar yoga, while others practice vinyasa or restorative yoga—almost all who practice yoga have touched something deep within themselves and had their lives transformed by this ancient practice. In Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, Darren Main offers a fresh, down-to-earth approach to the time-tested practice and philosophy of yoga. He shows us the way to apply the ancient wisdom of India to every aspect of life. From work and relationships, to death and dying—allowing even our busiest days to become powerful and mystical adventures, filled with all the wonder and magic that was once reserved for those living as monks and nuns. This is not a book about perfecting yoga asanas or pranayama breathing techniques. It is a book about changing the way we see the world—transforming every experience and relationship into a yoga practice unto itself. Since teachers like Swami Vivakananda and Paramahansa Yogananda brought yoga to the West, yoga students and teachers alike have sought to integrate the practice and philosophy of yoga into modern life. Find out why this best-selling yoga book has been used in yoga teacher training programs the world over and has become a modern spiritual classic.

The Yogi Code: Seven Universal Laws of Infinite Success


Yogi Cameron Alborzian - 2017
    The knowledge and techniques of The Yogi Code can unleash your power to manifest your full potential, every day. In this succinct yet illuminating book, Yogi Cameron demystifies seven thousand years of ancient wisdom into accessible language, regardless of your familiarity or ability with yoga. You’ll learn to balance daily demands while achieving a higher level of consciousness and self-knowledge. Your new routines will build a strong foundation for centering yourself and being guided by your intuition, ultimately leading you to gain mastery over your fears and to achieve your highest goals. With carefully crafted chapters and practices expertly created to fit into your fast-paced days, these “lucid teachings from a compassionate teacher” (Publishers Weekly) will bring order to your life and point you in the direction of your eternal purpose.

Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill


Matthieu Ricard - 2003
    Wealth? Fitness? Career success? How can we possibly place these above true and lasting well-being? Drawing from works of fiction and poetry, Western philosophy, Buddhist beliefs, scientific research, and personal experience, Ricard weaves an inspirational and forward-looking account of how we can begin to rethink our realities in a fast-moving modern world. With its revelatory lessons and exercises, Happiness is an eloquent and stimulating guide to a happier life.

Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World


J. Mark G. Williams - 2011
    Danny Penman reveal the secrets to living a happier and less anxious, stressful and exhausting life. Based on the techniques of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, the unique program developed by Williams and his colleagues, the book offers simple and straightforward forms of mindfulness meditation that can be done by anyone--and it can take just 10-20 minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed.

Notes to Each Other


Hugh Prather - 1990
    Prather subtitled the book, "My struggle to become a person." It was the deeply felt record of his journey to a state of heightened self-knowledge and spiritual flowering. It became a perennial best-seller, and continues to enlighten, comfort, and amuse to this day.Notes to Each Other bravely explores the heart of a relationship that has lasted for 35 years—the relationship between Hugh and Gayle Prather. With remarkable candor, one couple traces the emotional route traveled to reach the coveted place where genuine communication, cooperation, and compassion dwell. First published 10 years ago, the book has here been updated and enlarged by the greater wisdom that comes with the experience of raising children and growing older together.Although drawn from two hearts, the book speaks with one voice, asking the questions all couples ask, from "Did I choose the right person?" to "How can you stand me?" Let it speak to you.

If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit


Hale Sofia Schatz - 2004
    But the next time you have dinner, what will you eat? With so much processed food in the marketplace, obesity in adults and children dramatically on the rise, and digestive problems increasingly more common, it's clear that we're facing a serious food crisis in this country. The answer, however, isn't just to go on a diet. Reducing the intake of refined and processed foods and increasing whole foods certainly can improve one's health. But we need more. We need to feed ourselves with a sense of purpose, self-respect, love, and passion for our lives. We need to nourish our spirits. Nourishment isn't a fad diet . . . it's a lifelong journey, and Haléofia Schatz is the ideal guide. Gentle, wise, and humorous, she shows us the way to the heart of nourishment--our own inner wisdom that knows exactly how to feed our whole self. A perfect blend of inspiration and practical suggestions, If the Buddha Came to Dinner includes guidelines for selecting vital foods, ideas for keeping your energy balanced throughout the day, a cleanse program, and over 60 recipes to awaken your palate. Open this book and nurture yourself as never before. You'll be fed in a whole new way.

Secrets of Meditation: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace and Personal Transformation


Davidji - 2012
    In Secrets of Meditation, davidji takes you there, demystifying the practice along the way and guiding the reader on an epic journey into your own consciousness. Whether you are new to meditation, a crisis meditator, or someone who has been meditating for years, Secrets of Meditation will take your practice, and your life, to the next level.      In this insightful book, davidji shares his own meditation journey along his own path to awakening and shares the impact it can have on your physical health, your relationships, your emotional well-being, and your spiritual life. As the secrets to an effortless meditation practice are revealed, you will unlock the door to your own personal journey and discover what is actually supposed to happen when you close your eyes.      davidji shares the wisdom of the ages in a very accessible and entertaining style—demystifying rigid commandments, revealing the five greatest myths of meditation, and illuminating the most powerful rituals to weave a practice into your day. Secrets of Meditation will have you meditating in minutes, setting powerful intentions for each day, and living a happier, easier, and more fulfilling life.

The Power of Meditation: An Ancient Technique to Access Your Inner Power


Edward Viljoen - 2013
    Drawing from his years of experience as a teacher, spiritual leader, and avid meditator, Edward Viljoen will guide readers down the path to enlightenment using wisdom such as:Mindfulness practices—Train yourself to become absorbed in a purposefully chosen activity Sitting practices—Reduce the use of mental and physical resources as much as possible by sitting still and silently Creative practices—Devices such as journaling, observing, and focusing on a favorite literary or spiritual passage   Peppered throughout with stories from the author’s spiritual teachings and personal anecdotes, this book goes beyond a simple how-to book and creates a wonderful reading experience that will help readers to live more wise and fulfilling lives.

Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self


Sarah Ban Breathnach - 1998
    Within these pages lie powerful truths that can change your life...and inspire you to settle for nothing less than Something More.You may have a beautiful home, a family you adore, and work that you enjoy. But why do you secretly sense that you need something more to be truly happy? Because it's true. The wisdom, warmth, compassion, and disarming candor of Simple Abundance has made Sarah Ban Breathnach's a trusted voice to millions of women. Now Sarah invites you on a bold, brave, and beautiful continuation of the journey to authenticity, the search for...Something More In this eloquent and evocative book, Sarah Ban Breathnach encourages you to become an archaeologist of your Self: to plumb your past with its unfulfilled longings, forgotten pleasures, and abandoned dreams, to "excavate" the authentic woman buried inside. Uncovering your authentic self will be challenging-but exhilarating. Assisting your personal "dig" will be hints and prompts from the lives of both celebrated and unknown women. These, in tandem with Sarah's own insights, will help you unravel your own mystery and recover the joy that has been missing from your life. Along the way, you will experience small but exquisite epiphanies that will help you come to terms with your past choices and reveal exciting new opportunities that lead to your destiny. Dare to begin the journey. Within these pages lie powerful truths that can change your life...and inspire you to settle for nothing less than Something More.

Awake in the World: Teachings from Yoga and Buddhism for Living an Engaged Life


Michael Stone - 2011
    Stone explains that the practices of yoga and meditation are not about escaping reality but about living fully in the here and now, opening to our experience, and gaining access to stillness within the flow of life. The essence of yoga and Buddhist practice is opening the heart—our own and the heart of the world. With that awareness, Stone encourages us to get involved in our communities, to speak out when we see wrongdoing, and to find ways of helping others.