The Great Failure: A Bartender, A Monk, and My Unlikely Path to Truth


Natalie Goldberg - 2004
    They had signed up for this lovely New Age weekend down in Florida -- what was going on with this Natalie Goldberg? I knew only a handful had read any of my books. How was I going to leap over this mess smoothly and talk about writing practice, where I was on solid ground? I mentioned the horses from the seminar title -- ahh, relief on their faces -- they had come to the correct lecture hall after all.Then everything dropped away. I had nothing to say.•••So begins the journey by one of America's favorite writing teachers. Natalie Goldberg has inspired millions to write to develop an intimate relationship with their minds and a greater understanding of the world in which they live. Now, through this honest exploration of her own life, Goldberg puts her teachings to work.In this wry, nimble memoir, Natalie Goldberg candidly depicts her father, Ben, an old-fashioned man's man who knew no boundaries -- a trait that was at once his greatest strength and most profound weakness. In capturing the essence of this larger-than-life Jewish bartender, she reveals the intricacies of a precarious father-daughter relationship. The tenuous bond with her father leads her in many directions and ultimately to Dainin Katagiri Roshi, a dynamic, celebrated Zen master. In light of an eye-opening discovery that shakes her ideal of this beloved teacher, Goldberg revisits her many years of loyal practice under Roshi's guidance.Elegantly weaving these tales together, this story is finally a search for truth when there are no easy answers. Filled with Goldberg's trademark gifts for both humor and teaching, The Great Failure touches our hearts and minds as we come to recognize the ways in which we fail to confront our illusions.

Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon - Survival of Bodily Death


Raymond A. Moody Jr. - 1975
    Originally published in 1975, it is the groundbreaking study of one hundred people who experienced “clinical death” and were revived, and who tell, in their own words, what lies beyond death.Life After Life introduced us to concepts—including the bright light, the tunnel, the presence of loved ones waiting on the other side—that have become cultural memes and have shaped countless readers notions about the end life and the meaning of death.

Learn to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment


David Fontana - 1999
    Shows how to develop a personal meditation style through twenty-three step-by-step exercises that can lead to enhanced creativity and a secure sense of place.

Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal


Rachel Naomi Remen - 1996
    In the form of a deeply moving and down-to-earth collection of true stories, this prominent physician shows us life in all its power and mystery and reminds us that the things we cannot measure may be the things that ultimately sustain and enrich our lives. Kitchen Table Wisdom addresses spiritual issues: suffering, meaning, love, faith, courage and miracles in the language and absolute authority of our own life experience.

Mindful Work: How Meditation Is Changing Business from the Inside Out


David Gelles - 2011
    For the past few years, mindfulness has begun to transform the American workplace. Many of our largest companies, such as General Mills, Ford, Target, and Google, have built extensive programs to foster mindful practices among their workers. Mindful Work is the first book to explain how all sorts of businesses and any kind of worker can benefit from meditation, yoga, and other mindful techniques. As a business reporter for the New York Times who has also practiced meditation for two decades, David Gelles is uniquely qualified to chart the growing nexus between these two realms. As he proves, mindfulness lowers stress, increases mental focus, and alleviates depression among workers. He also offers real-world examples of how mindfulness has benefited companies that have adopted it — from the millions of dollars Aetna has saved in health-care costs to the ways Patagonia has combined leadership in its market with a pervasively mindful outlook. Gelles's revelatory book picks up where bestsellers like Thrive and 10% Happier leave off, by detailing how mindfulness works in and for the companies that adopt it, revealing the profound impact mindfulness can have on the world of work. Mindful Work goes beyond other books on the subject by providing evidence for the practical benefits of mindfulness and showing readers how to become more mindful themselves.

Chakra Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras


Margarita Alcantara - 2017
    Each chakra holds the potential for immense healing and restoration. However, learning how to harness the chakra system’s amazing power can be challenging when so much of the information available is dense and academic or subjective and hard to trust.In her successful New York practice, energy healer, acupuncturist, and Reiki master Margarita Alcantara addresses the most common ailments people experience today. She's successfully taught her clients a wide range of different healing techniques for removing energy blockages and balancing their chakras. Through practical instruction and compassionate guidance, Margarita shows each client how to find the self-healing chakra technique that resonates best for their own unique needs.In Chakra Healing Margarita brings these powerful techniques for chakra healing to anyone who wants to better their emotional, physical, and spiritual health through: A THREE-PART CHAKRA HEALING APPROACH to identify your ailment, discover the affected chakra, and select from an array of effective chakra healing techniques A VARIETY OF THERAPEUTIC METHODS TO CHOOSE FROM including Meditations & Visualizations, Crystals, Essential Oils, Yoga, Food & Diet, Behavioral Changes, and more HELPFUL ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOS of chakra locations, yoga poses, and crystals for easier than ever application of these self-healing techniques The chakra techniques offered in Chakra Healing address a wide array of ailments and concerns, such as: Asthma and Allergies, Back Pain, Fatigue, Guilt, Anger, Digestive Issues, Neuropathy, Disconnection from Self and Others, Skin Issues, Headache, Loneliness, and more.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience


Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - 1990
    During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up


Jerry Colonna - 2019
    Now, this venture capitalist turned executive coach shares his unusual yet highly effective blend of Buddhism, Jungian therapy, and entrepreneurial straight talk to help leaders overcome their own psychological traumas. Reboot is a journey of radical self-inquiry, helping you to reset your life by sorting through the emotional baggage that is holding you back professionally and, even more important, in your relationships.Jerry has taught CEOs and their top teams to realize their potential by using the raw material of their lives to find meaning, to build healthy interpersonal bonds, and to become more compassionate and bold leaders. In Reboot, he inspires everyone to hold themselves responsible for their choices and for the possibility of truly achieving their dreams.Work does not have to destroy us. Work can be the way in which we achieve our fullest self, Jerry firmly believes. What we need, sometimes, is a chance to reset our goals and to reconnect with our deepest selves and with each other. Reboot moves and empowers us to begin this journey.

DBT Skills Training: Manual


Marsha M. Linehan - 2014
    Linehan--the developer of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)--this comprehensive resource provides vital tools for implementing DBT skills training. The reproducible teaching notes, handouts, and worksheets used for over two decades by hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been significantly revised and expanded to reflect important research and clinical advances. The book gives complete instructions for orienting clients to DBT, plus teaching notes for the full range of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills. Handouts and worksheets are not included in the book; purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print all the handouts and worksheets discussed, as well as the teaching notes. The companion volume is available separately: DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition. New to This Edition *Handouts and worksheets (available online and in the companion volume) have been completely revised and dozens more added--more than 225 in all. *Each module has been expanded with additional skills. *Multiple alternative worksheets to tailor treatment to each client. *More extensive reproducible teaching notes (provided in the book and online), with numerous clinical examples. *Curricula for running skills training groups of different durations and with specific populations, such as adolescents and clients with substance use problems. *Linehan provides a concise overview of "How to Use This Book." See also DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, a spiral-bound 8 1/2" x 11" volume containing all of the handouts and worksheets and featuring brief introductions to each module written expressly for clients. Plus, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, the authoritative presentation of DBT. Also available: Linehan's instructive skills training videos for clients--Crisis Survival Skills: Part One, Crisis Survival Skills: Part Two, From Suffering to Freedom, This One Moment, and Opposite Action.

Zen in the Art of Archery


Eugen Herrigel - 1948
    It is an honest account of one man’s journey to complete abandonment of ‘the self’ and the Western principles that we use to define ourselves. Professor Herrigel imparts knowledge from his experiences and guides the reader through physical and spiritual lessons in a clear and insightful way.Mastering archery is not the key to achieving Zen, and this is not a practical guide to archery. It is more a guide to Zen principles and learning and perfect for practitioners and non-practitioners alike.

Mindfulness, Meditation and Mind Fitness


Joel Levey - 1999
    Given how many people needlessly suffer from overwhelm, exhaustion, and preventable stress-related illness, the Leveys’ wisdom is needed now more than ever! This book is an inspiration for complete beginners, long-time meditators, and everyone in between, who seek to deepen and expand their practice.Dr. Joel and Michelle Levey were among the very first to bring mindfulness and mind-fitness teachings to mainstream organizations beginning in the 1970s. They have taught tens of thousands of people in hundreds of leading corporations, medical centers, universities, sports, government, and military arenas – including Google, NASA, World Bank, Intel, M.I.T., Stanford, and World Business Academy. They are the founders of Wisdom at Work (http://wisdomatwork.com).Originally published in hardcover as Simple Meditation and Relaxation (Conari Press, 1999) and in paperback as Luminous Mind (Conari Press, 2006), this book has been endorsed by a who's who of experts on mindfulness, relaxation, stress reduction, and healing, including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Daniel Goleman, Joan Borysenko, Larry Dossey, M.D., Ram Dass, and many more.

The Sage's Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for the Second Half of Life


William Martin - 2000
    As Martin writes, sages are the "primary keepers and transmitters of wisdom, culture, values, and spirituality." Martin's free-verse interpretation captures the ancient spirit of Lao Tzu's text, yet speaks directly to modern readers. The text is accompanied by a visual interpretation of the Tao in more than 50 original ink-brush drawings. Like the Parent's Tao and Couple's Tao before it, the Sage's Tao has the hallmarks of a classic. "You have ceased trying /To tie up all loose ends./You have discovered/That life does not need to be neat/You have more questions than answers,/And this is a great delight to you./You trust the mystery of life/Without having to possess it." - from the book

How Will You Measure Your Life?


Clayton M. Christensen - 2012
    Christensen gave a powerful speech to the Harvard Business School's graduating class. Drawing upon his business research, he offered a series of guidelines for finding meaning and happiness in life. He used examples from his own experiences to explain how high achievers can all too often fall into traps that lead to unhappiness.The speech was memorable not only because it was deeply revealing but also because it came at a time of intense personal reflection: Christensen had just overcome the same type of cancer that had taken his father's life. As Christensen struggled with the disease, the question "How do you measure your life?" became more urgent and poignant, and he began to share his insights more widely with family, friends, and students.In this groundbreaking book, Christensen puts forth a series of questions: How can I be sure that I'll find satisfaction in my career? How can I be sure that my personal relationships become enduring sources of happiness? How can I avoid compromising my integrity—and stay out of jail? Using lessons from some of the world's greatest businesses, he provides incredible insights into these challenging questions.How Will You Measure Your Life? is full of inspiration and wisdom, and will help students, midcareer professionals, and parents alike forge their own paths to fulfillment.

The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti


Jiddu Krishnamurti - 1995
    365 daily meditations on freedom, personal transformation, living fully, and much more, from the man the Dalai Lama described as "one of the greatest thinkers of the age."

Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being


Martin E.P. Seligman - 2011
    Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr. Seligman has led for fifteen years, is different—it’s about actually raising the bar for the human condition. Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about. While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others, to feel pleasure, and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish? “Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or Positive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—or PERMA, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment. Thought-provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy—the very fabric of society—Flourish tells inspiring stories of Positive Psychology in action, including how the entire U.S. Army is now trained in emotional resilience; how innovative schools can educate for fulfillment in life and not just for workplace success; and how corporations can improve performance at the same time as they raise employee well-being. With interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and aims, Flourish is a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. On the cutting edge of a science that has changed millions of lives, Dr. Seligman now creates the ultimate extension and capstone of his bestselling classics, Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism.