The Trouble Tree

The Trouble Tree - author unknown

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied." I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

He paused. "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

The story of The Trouble Tree reminds me of a sermon I remember from my childhood. The pastor of a parish in a small town was frustrated with his parishioners always complaining about their problems. He didn’t know how to help them. But, one day he had an idea. He asked everyone to write their problems out on a card and tie them to a tree. After everyone did this, he invited the townspeople to walk around the tree and pick any card off the tree that they wanted to. The idea was that they could trade their problems in for somebody else’s. I remember getting excited about this as a kid. I fantasized about trading in my imperfect world for the world of my dreams. I was dumbstruck when the priest said that after everyone walked around the tree and looked at everyone else’s problems, they realized that their lives were not so bad after all. Everyone had problems. This simple act made people remember to count their blessings and to be more compassionate with their neighbors, where before, they may have been envious of them.
This was a great lesson for a young girl and perhaps the beginnings of my life as seeker. What is your earliest memory of a great lesson you learned that has helped shape your life and who you have become?

Love yourself. Be compassionate with yourself on your journey. And always remember to be grateful that you have a journey to be travelling on.

Book Review – Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Bood Review - Can’t Hurt Me by David Giggins

I have enjoyed listening to all 13 hours and 38 minutes of David Goggins’ story in his book Can’t Hurt Me.  It describes how he pulled himself out of what he calls the sewer and becomes a Navy Seal.  He describes what he did to acquire the mental toughness to overcome the abuse he suffered from his father, how he overcame poverty and racial prejudice to achieve the goals he set for himself.  How he did not accept the victim mentality and let his life be defined by others.  He refused to become a statistic.

David Goggins  states that most of us live very comfortable lives and operate at only about 40% of our capability.  He writes in detail about how he went from weighing 305 pounds working a dead end job setting rat traps and spraying for roaches at night in restaurants for an exterminating company to becoming one of the Navy’s most elite and fit fighters.  He also became an elite ultra marathon runner and is now working as a wildfire firefighter in Montana.

While Davis’ book is inspirational, he doesn’t want the reader to simply be inspired by him, he wants the reader to recognize that they are capable of so much more.  While his book is a memoir, it is also a self-help book.  In it he outlines 10 steps, or challenges, for the reader to take on.  One of the reasons I liked this book so much is that it really describes the yogic path.  I know that some folks think that the yogic path is supposed to be soft and gentle.  I have always felt that the path of yoga always asks us to do the harder thing and not to take the path of least resistance.

1. Get real with yourself: Name the enemy.

   1.  Satya, or truthfulness.  In this instance, with yourself.

2. Check in with your accountability mirror daily.

   1. This is the principle of svadhyaya, or self-study.  Are you really walking the talk?

3. Visualize success.

   1. You have to know what you want in order to work towards it.

4. Don’t skip out on the last rep when you are training. Finish when you are done, not when you are tired.

   1. This is the yogic practice of abhyasa which means consistent practice over a long period of time. whether you feel like it or not.

5. Apply progressive overload not just in your workouts, but in your life.

   1. Again, this is abhyasa.

6. Celebrate your success with work.

   1. Don't fall of the path to celebrate.  Celebrate by staying on the path.

7. Know why you are in the fight to stay in the fight.

   1. The power of setting an intention.

8. Use your past successes to create your own second winds.

   1. Again, this is part of svadhyaya, or self-study.

9. You will feel alone. You will feel insecure.  Get over it.

   1. Patthabi Jois used to say that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.  Mostly it just consists of you, your mat and your life off of the mat.

10. The harder you try the harder your life becomes – to your benefit.

    1. This is the principle of tapas, which means to burn with zeal.  Medical intuitive and spiritual teacher Caroline Myss says that life is easier with your head in the sand.  Walking the spiritual path, with your eyes open is so much harder and so much more rewarding.

Men’s Health magazine did a book review on Can’t Hurt Me and wrote in different detail about these 10 steps.  You can read the fleshed out descriptions here and also see some stunning before and after pictures of David Goggins.  They also used some great posts from his Instagram account.  Of course, you can find David Goggins yourself on Facebook or Instagram yourself.

https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a25429109/david-goggins-cant-hurt-me-book-review/

Note on adult language:  My mother couldn’t stand books or movies with curse words in them, maybe that is a different generation, but if that is you then don’t read this book.  Mr. Goggins curses like, well, a sailor and the text is filled with F bombs.  However, he writes the way that he speaks and he says that he is just keeping it real and raw, the way his life truly was.

Let me know how you enjoyed this book and what your best take away from it was by leaving a comment below.

Yoga Sutras 3.13 to 3.16 The Final Sutras on the Architecture of Change

Y.S. 3.13  Etena bhutendriyesu dharma laksana avastha parinamah vyakhyatah

Etena   By this
bhutendriyesu  the elements, body and sense organs
dharma propriety, law, duty, right, virtue, religion
laksana character, mark, sign, quality, description
avastha  condition, state, position
parinamah change, effect,transformation
vyakhyatah  visible, described, unfolded, enumerated

Through these three phases, cultured consciousness is transformed from its potential state (dharma) towards further refinement (laksana) and the zenith of refinement (avastha).  In this way, the transformation of elements, sense and mind takes place.

These three stages can be described using a clay pot as an analogy.  The dust that makes the clay is the potential state, the clay itself is the second stage of further refinement and the pot is the zenith of its refinement.  Everything has these same properties.  Can we learn to see these properties and know that everything is in one of these states and in the process of transitioning into the next state, as this process is cyclical.  

Y.S. 3.14  Santa udita avyapadesya dharma anupati dharmi

Santa  Appeased, allayed clamed, quietened, pacified
udita  rise, ascended, manifested
avyapadesya   not defined, latent, lying in potential form
dharma  propriety, usage, law, duty, religion, virtue
anupati  closely followed, common to
dharmi  virtuous, just, religious, characterized

The substrata is that which continues to exist and maintain its characteristic quality in all states whether manifest, latent or subdued.

Using the refinement of our yoga practice, we can train ourselves to perceive this.

Y.S. 3.15  Krama anyatvam parinama anyatve hetuh

Krama  Going, proceeding, advancing, regular course, method, order of sequence, succession
anyatvam  different, distinct
parinama   change, transformation, effect
anyatve  different, distinct, variant
hetuh  cause, reason

Successive sequential changes cause the distinctive changes in the consciousness.

Y.S. 3.16  Parinama matraya samyamat atita anagatajnanam

Parinama change, transformation, effect
traya  threefold
samyamat  integration, control
atita  past
anagata  future
jnanam  knowledge

By mastery of the three transformation of nature (dharma), quality (laksana) and condition (avastha), through samyama on the nirodha, samadhi and ekagrata states of consciousness, the yogi acquires knowledge of the past and future.

Know one thing and you can know everything.

Through the process of yoga and meditation we learn to still the mind and focus on one thing; this is called ekagrata, or one-pointed consciousness.  This is the direct opposite of multi-tasking which we are often engaged in.  Multi-tasking is not very productive and can often lead to mistakes or lapses of attention on one thing as attention is diverted to something else.  Yoga asks us to focus, laser-like on what we are doing.  The idea being that we can know everything by learning all we can about one thing.

It is similar to the analogy of digging one 100 foot deep hole rather than 100 one foot deep holes.  Sure, in the beginning you might want to look around for a bit to see which area you want to focus on but once you do, then dive in completely.  The analogy often given in the Yoga Sutras is that of being a potter and making clay pots.  If you put in the requisite 10,000 hours for mastery of your material, then you know the properties of the clay inside and out.  You are able to recognize the potential of the material to become a pot and to also recognize that eventually the pot will one day return to the dust from which the clay was made. This skill involves knowing the properties of the material and the effects of time and place on it.

The importance of these sutras can be demonstrated by the practice of asana, pranayama and meditation.  If we imagine the scattered dust cells of the body and scattered thoughts of the mind and we charge them so that they cohere like a lump of clay, we can feel their inner unity and transform body, breath and consciousness into the shapes of the various asanas as a potter turns a lump of clay into a pot.

In asana, if the energy of the body is harmonized into a single point while in a state of tension, we reach precision.  This single pointed attention indicates the point of balance and harmony at which we can unlock and liberate the knotty confusion of matter and emotion.  It also conveys the importance of finding the exact center of the meeting points of vertical extension and horizontal expansion in body, breath and consciousness.    This is yoga in action.

Chapter 3 verses 9 to 12 The First Four Sutras on the Architecture of Change

 Y.S. 3.9  Vyutthana nirodha samskarayoh abhibhava pradurbhavau nirodhaksana cittanvayo nirodha parinamah

Vyutthana  outgoing, emerging
nirodha   control, restraint
samskarayoh  conscious imprints
abhibhava  overpowering
pradurbhavau to manifest, appear
nirodha control, restraint
ksana instant, moment
cittanvayo  connected with consciousness
nirodha control, mastery
parinamah   development

Study of the silent moments between rising and restraining subliminal impressions is the transformation of consciousness towards restraint.

Y.S. 3.10  Tasya prasanta vahita samskarat

Tasya   Its
prasanta   peaceful
vahita  flow
samskarat  subliminal impressions

The restraint of rising impressions brings about an undisturbed flow of tranquility.

Y.S. 3.11  sarvarthata ekagratayoh ksayodayau cittasya samadhi parinamah

sarvarthata  on all objects
ekagratayoh  single-pointed focus
ksaya  destruction
udaya  to rise
cittasya  of the mind
samadhi   absolute absorption
parinamah  transformation

The weakening of scattered attention and the rise of one-pointed attention in the citta is the transformation toward Samadhi.

Y.S. 3.12 Tatah punahsantauditau tulya pratyayau cittasya ekagrata parinamah

Tatah  Then
punah again
santa  subsiding state, quiescent state
uditau  rising state
tulya  similar
pratyayau cognitions, means of actions, cause
cittasya  ­of consciousness, mind
ekagrata  one-pointedness
parinamah  transformation

When rising and falling thought processes are in balance, one-pointed consciousness emerges.  Maintenance of awareness with keen intensity from one-pointed attention to no-pointed attentiveness is ekagrata parinama.

 Commentary

The mind is made up of samskaras (subliminal imprints).  There are two types of imprints: outgoing samskaras that propel the mind into any kind of activity and restraining samskaras which are activated in meditation and restrain the outgoing samskaras.

When we are too distracted by our sensory experience desire, frustration and anger can arise.  These bring disorientation, dissatisfaction and a sense of being ungrounded. Through the practices of  These are all external means of restraining consciousness or the samskaras, whether we focus on God, or the breath, or in asana by learning to direct and diffuse consciousness.

When the restraining samskaras are in effect, the outgoing samskaras lay dormant and vice versa.  In the process of turning inward for meditation, we need to be able to change the normal state of our consciousness from one which is outwardly focused to one that is more internally focused.  We begin this process by practicing the limbs of yoga: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama and pratyhara,  in order to learn to control the effects of external stimuli.

A meditation practice to help restrain the outgoing mind.

This takes tapas (effort).  We sit and make a commitment to stay still.  One practice that helps to turn the mind inward is the practice of following the breath.  In every breath there are four parts: inhalation, pause, exhalation, pause.  During meditation, one can practice by focusing on the easy rise and fall of the breath.  Without trying to change or shape the breath consciously, you simply begin to notice the length of each inhalation and exhalation and allow them to become even.  After a few breaths draw your attention to the slight pause between the breaths.  This pause is often termed “the gap”.  Without grasping for the gap, notice its presence between the breaths.  Sometimes it is possible to slip into that gap in meditation.  Then you are in the state of restraining the samskaras.  This is an early state of meditation and of the experience of Samadhi.  You may experience this pause for a fraction of a second.  And as soon as you notice you are in the gap, it disappears.  But it is a beautiful moment when the mind is still.  Often it is hard to tell how long you may have been in this gap; it could be seconds or minutes.  It is the experience of the present moment just as it is.  This is called ekagrata parinama.  You have succeeded in transforming the mind from being distracted into one-pointed concentration.

Follow this guided meditation for relaxing the body and getting into the gap between the inhalations and exhalations where the mind is still.

Bibliography for Sweet Surrender

This year’s theme for my 9th Annual Women's Yoga Retreat was “Sweet Surrender.” One of the hardest spiritual practices is letting go. Letting go of all the would haves, could haves and should haves. Letting go of having to have the universe act according to my own preferences. Letting go of irritations. Letting go of stuff!

For the basic idea of de-cluttering of your stuff, I recommend Marie Kondo’s book The Magical Art of Tidying Up. In it, she not only gives you tips and techniques for getting rid of your extra stuff, but she also tells you that by getting rid of your stuff, you will discover exactly what you need to do in your life. I find this very interesting, because the Yoga Sutras promise the same thing. In her translation of Aparigraha, Swami Nirmalananda says that “Becoming established in non-greediness gives you knowledge of the how and why of your birth.” Y.S. 2.39

For those of you who don’t think that having too much stuff is a problem. I recommend that you consider the correlation of weight/wait and stuff/time. Caroline Myss, a medical intuitive, talks about the psychic weight of having too much stuff and how the more weight you carry around as stuff, the longer it will take you to evolve, or or change. She says:
That constant irritating voice telling you to clean out the closet or organize photographs or any of those tasks that relate to cleansing “stored stuff” is actually a very sophisticated intuitive directive that is a prelude to change. All of your “stored stuff” should be considered psychic anchors that keep your world psychically heavy and slow moving. People always remark that they feel “lighter” after they have cleared out closets and basements – that is a psychic lightness, a cutting of ties to countless past times zones that have been hanging in your energy field literally like “psychic weight”, adding “waiting” time to everything in your life. Thus, your ideas feel more and more like unattainable fantasies because you do not have the energy required to transform an idea from “thought into form”. Even holding on to “stuff” that needs to be shed requires energy; never mind all the psychic energy that goes into to holding on to wounds. Combine all the many forms of psychic weight that a person holds on to and the end result is that a person ends up postponing more and more of his or her life because even the simplest task – like clearing out a closet – looks to be overwhelming. I’ve said so often to people, “How can you hope to pursue your highest potential when you are not even managing half your potential now?”
I also recommend her book: “Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can.” Where she talks more about our desire to change, but our inability to give certain things up. It is this inability to let go, or surrender, that keeps us stuck.

And finally, Michael Singer’s book, “The Untethered Soul,” is one of the best books for learning about letting go of your small “s” self and finding your capital “S” Self. I read from his book about removing your inner thorns. This was about how, when something catches us or irritates us, rather than letting go, we tend to hang onto the “thorn.” We tend to worry it, irritate it and build a protective apparatus around it rather than pulling it out and letting it go.

Chapter 3, Sutras 7 & 8 The Context of Internal and External

Y.S. 3.7 Tryam antargaram purvebbhyah
Tryam these three
antar internal
anga limbs
purvebhyah than the previous ones

These three practices, or limbs of yoga: dharana, dhyana and Samadhi, are more internal than the previous ones.

The border between what is internal and external is relative to the depth of our practice. To the novice, the external world is that which is outside their skin. The adept yogi will suggest that even your body is external. What’s more important than identifying a border is knowing the direction of internal. Morals are external. Actions are external. More inward than these is the pose we hold. The breath is more internal than the pose. Letting go is more internal than the breath. Focus, meditation and Samadhi are the most internal, but just for now. When you abandon the “I”, the “actor”, then we find ourselves at the beginning of a much deeper internal. Where even the act of completely dissolving the soul is an external reality, because the abandoned soul is some specific soul, and who you are is something far greater, far more pervasive than just this infinite soul. Even souls come and go. Think of what peace a falling leaf would hold if it knew it was the tree it fell from.

Y.S.3.8 Tadapi bahirangam nirbijasya
Tadapi that which also
bahir external
anga limb
nirbija seedless Samadhi

But even these eight limbs of yoga are external to seedless Samadhi
There are two faces to enlightenment. One is the one we see and celebrate like the Buddha’s image, the parables of Jesus, performing acts of charity and practicing together. The other is one we can’t see and will never fully understand because of the limitations of human perception. This is like the Zen koan that has no answer, or devotion without reason, or the absolute uncertainty of presence. These latter examples are seedless because there is no face to them. They exist just a fraction ahead of our ability to understand them. Love is the best example of these two sides. On one side, we see the object of our love and why we love them. But the seedless side of love is how true love is unconditional. Just like a mother doesn’t askher chid for anything in return. Just like the sun never says to the moon, “You owe me”. (Hafiz) Seedless love is more internal. It’s more primordial. The more internal the perception, the more universal it is to all things. The more available it has been and will be throughout time.

Chapter 3, Sutras 4 to 6 The Technique of True Perception

 Y.S. 3.4  Tryam ekatra samyamah

Tryam  these three
ekatra   jointly, together
samyamah  defining, holding together, integration

These three together: dharana, dhyana and Samadhi, constitute integration or samyama

Samyama is a technical word defining the integration of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption (absorption)

The following analogy shows the organic relationship between dharana, dhyana and Samadhi.  When one contemplates a diamond, one at first sees with great clarity the gem itself.  Gradually one becomes aware of the light glowing from its center.  As awareness of the light grows, awareness of the stone as an object diminishes.  Then there is only brightness, no source, no object.  When the light is everywhere, that is Samadhi.

Y.S.3.5  Tajjayat prajnalokah

Taj  from that
jayat by mastery, by attainment, conquest
prajna  awareness, wisdom, judgement, discrimination
alokah  light, luster, insight 

From mastery of samyama comes the light of awareness and insight

Y.S. 3.6  Tasya bhumisu viniyogah

Tasya   Its (samyama)
bhumisu  degree, step, stage
viniyogah application

Samyama may be applied in various spheres to derive its usefulness

This sutra affirms that no-one can expect success or mastery without regular practice, and also warns one not to jump to higher stages of practice without first establishing a firm foundation through the primary steps of yoga.

Chapter 3, Vibhuti Pada, The Powers of Yoga. Sutras 1 to 3

This chapter describes the capacity of the mind which can achieve a state free from distractions. Such a mind can probe deeply into objects and concepts into dimensions previously unknown. This knowledge, or power, can become a source of distraction and can prevent a person from reaching the highest state of being. When we put our whole heart and soul into achieving a goal on our path, gratifying rewards and results incidentally come our way. We can easily become so enamored of what we have accidentally achieved that we mistake it for the goal itself. These are the powers that yoga is said to bestow on a serious practitioner, but they are not to be confused with the true state of yoga.Imagine a young person who wants to be a great actor, a worthwhile goal. On the way he acquires fame, and if he is not steadfast in his purpose, he makes fame alone his new goal. The siddhi, or power, of renown has beguiled him and swallowed him up. In this example, the young man has let himself be side-tracked, has substituted an agreeable and merited by-product of his efforts for the real goal. At best his progress is stopped, at worst he is consumed and illusion has displaced reality.

Verses 1 to 3 Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi – the last three rungs on the ladder of yoga.

Y.S. III.1 Desa bandhah cittasya dharana
Desa - place
bandhah - bound
cittasya - of the mind, consciousness
dharana - concentrationFixing the consciousness on one point or region is concentration.

Y.S. III.2 Tatra pratyaya ekatanara dhyanam
Tatra - there, then
pratyaya - idea, concept
ekatanata - one continuous flow
dhyanam - meditation

A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation.

Y.S. III.3 Tadeva arthamatranirbhasath svarupasunyam iva samadih
Tad - that, hence
eva - the same, actually
artha - object
matra - alone, only
nirbhasa - luminous, shining forth
svarupa - own naturesunyam - empty, devoid ofiva - as if, like
samadih - state of enlightenment

Samadhi is when one loses themselves completely and exists only within this point of focus.

To get to these last stages of yoga, you kind of have to start at the beginning. In order to have peace of mind, your conscience has to be free of guilt and worry. The yamas are practices for how to treat others: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation and non-hoarding. The niymas describe practices for yourself: cleanliness, contentment, effort, self-study and surrender. Asana is the third limb and helps our bodies to be strong and limber, enabling us to sit comfortably. Pranayama is the practice of breath control to help us learn to control our energy , which effects our mental state. Pratyhara is the next stage. It means the withdrawal of the senses. This means that we can sit still and not fidget or keep jumping up to do things. If we can sit still, we might be able to concentrate. If we can concentrate, dharana, we might be able to meditate, dhyana. If we are able to meditate, we might be able to reach the final and highest goal of yoga: samadhi, freedom from disturbance of any sort at any time.

Chapter 2 – Sadhana Pada: The Chapter on Practice. Yoga Sutras 54 & 55 – Pratyhara

Pratyhara means withdrawal of the senses. It is the fifth limb of yoga and the last of the external components in the quest. The last three limbs involve the internal quests, which are concentration, meditation and Samadhi (also known as enlightenment, absorption or yoga). General wisdom is that it is hard to sit still for concentration if your mind is disturbed by negative emotions, the body is not comfortable, the breath is not steady and the mind is easily distracted

.Y.S. 2.54 Svavisaya asamprayoge cittasya svarupanukara iv endriyanam pratyaharah
Sva – their own
visaya – sense object
asampra yoge – not coming into contact with
cittasya – of the mind
svarupa – our nature
anukara - imitation
eva - like
endriyanam – of the senses
pratyaharah- withdrawal of the senses.

Pratayhara, which means withdrawal of the senses, is the fifth limb of yoga. It occurs when the mind is able to remain in its chosen direction and the senses disregard the different objects around them and faithfully follow the direction of the mind.

Y.S. 2.55 Tatah parama vasyata indriyanam
Tatah - From this
parama - highest
vasyata – mastery, control
indriyanam – of the senses

Then the senses are mastered and they cooperate in the chosen inquiry instead of being a cause of distraction. The restraint of the sense cannot be a strict discipline. It develops as the obstacles to perception within us are cleared up.

Books I Love and Recommend

Students have often asked me for book recommendations.  This is my first stab at it.  There are so many books that I love and have read and will continue to re-read.  Rather than get overwhelmed by it, I thought I'd just get started.  I'm sure I'll get reminders of books I have recommended that haven't made it to this list, yet.  But, I will edit and add to this list as I go.

29 Gifts by Cami Walker
At age thirty-five, Cami Walker was burdened by an intensified struggle with multiple sclerosis, a chronic neurological disease that left her debilitated and depressed. Then she received an uncommon “prescription” from South African healer Mbali Creazzo: Give away 29 gifts in 29 days.29 Gifts is the insightful story of the author's life change as she embraces and reflects on the naturally reciprocal process of giving. Many of Walker's gifts were simple—a phone call, spare change, a Kleenex. Yet the acts were transformative. By Day 29, not only had Walker's health and happiness improved, but she had created a worldwide giving movement. 29 Gifts shows how a simple, daily practice of altruism can dramatically alter your outlook on the world. 

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor
On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover.For Taylor, her stroke was a blessing and a revelation. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter." Reaching wide audiences through her talk at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference and her appearance on Oprah's online Soul Series, Taylor provides a valuable recovery guide for those touched by brain injury and an inspiring testimony that inner peace is accessible to anyone.

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert’s books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work,  embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.

Into the Magic shop by James Doty
Growing up in the high desert of California, Jim Doty was poor, with an alcoholic father and a mother chronically depressed and paralyzed by a stroke. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, of which the Dalai Lama is a founding benefactor. But back then his life was at a dead end until at twelve he wandered into a magic shop looking for a plastic thumb. Instead he met Ruth, a woman who taught him a series of exercises to ease his own suffering and manifest his greatest desires. Her final mandate was that he keep his heart open and teach these techniques to others. She gave him his first glimpse of the unique relationship between the brain and the heart.Doty would go on to put Ruth’s practices to work with extraordinary results—power and wealth that he could only imagine as a twelve-year-old, riding his orange Sting-Ray bike. But he neglects Ruth’s most important lesson, to keep his heart open, with disastrous results—until he has the opportunity to make a spectacular charitable contribution that will virtually ruin him. Part memoir, part science, part inspiration, and part practical instruction, Into the Magic Shop shows us how we can fundamentally change our lives by first changing our brains and our hearts.

The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
The Biology of Belief is a groundbreaking work in the field of new biology. Former medical school professor and research scientist Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., presents his experiments, and those of other leading-edge scientists, which examine in great detail the mechanisms by which cells receive and process information. The implications of this research radically change our understanding of life, showing that genes and DNA do not control our biology; instead, DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts. This profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics has been hailed as a major breakthrough, showing that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking.

Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert
Why do we feel the way we feel? How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from each other or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system?In her groundbreaking book Molecules of Emotion, Candace Pert provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries.Her pioneering research on how the chemicals inside our bodies form a dynamic information network, linking mind and body, is not only provocative, it is revolutionary. By establishing the biomolecular basis for our emotions and explaining these new scientific developments in a clear and accessible way, Pert empowers us to understand ourselves, our feelings, and the connection between our minds and our bodies -- body-minds -- in ways we could never possibly have imagined before.Molecules of Emotion is a landmark work, full of insight and wisdom and possessing that rare power to change the way we see the world and ourselves.

The Alphabet versus the Goddess by Leonard Shlain
This groundbreaking book proposes that the rise of alphabetic literacy reconfigured the human brain and brought about profound changes in history, religion, and gender relations. Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology, Dr. Shlain shows why pre-literate cultures were principally informed by holistic, right-brain modes that venerated the Goddess, images, and feminine values. Writing drove cultures toward linear left-brain thinking and this shift upset the balance between men and women, initiating the decline of the feminine and ushering in patriarchal rule. Examining the cultures of the Israelites, Greeks, Christians, and Muslims, Shlain reinterprets ancient myths and parables in light of his theory. Provocative and inspiring, this book is a paradigm-shattering work that will transform your view of history and the mind.

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world. Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. A major advance in our understanding of human societies, Guns, Germs, and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history.

Healing Back Pain by Dr. John Sarno
I went to see Dr. Sarno in the mid 80's for back pain.  His theory cured me.  Because of what the medical profession has ingrained in us about the fragility of our spine, most people don't believe it will work for them.Dr. Sarno's program has helped thousands of patients find relief from chronic back conditions. In this New York Times bestseller, Dr. Sarno teaches you how to identify stress and other psychological factors that cause back pain and demonstrates how to heal yourself--without drugs, surgery or exercise. Find out:

• Why self-motivated and successful people are prone to Tension Myoneural Syndrome (TMS)

• How anxiety and repressed anger trigger muscle spasms

• How people condition themselves to accept back pain as inevitable

With case histories and the results of in-depth mind-body research, Dr. Sarno reveals how you can recognize the emotional roots of your TMS and sever the connections between mental and physical pain...and start recovering from back pain today.

The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
I think Stephen Pressfield sums up the difficulties encountered on the path of most creative endeavors.A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul.What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do?  Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?  Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline.  Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself. 

Sugar Blues by William Dufty
Even though this book was written in 1986, it is still relevant today.  I have read more recent books about sugar, but this one helps me keep my sugar cravings in check.  Lots of interesting facts about the sugar in our food.It's a prime ingredient in countless substances from cereal to soup, from cola to coffee. Consumed at the rate of one hundred pounds for every American every year, it's as addictive as nicotine -- and as poisonous. It's sugar. And "Sugar Blues", inspired by the crusade of Hollywood legend Gloria Swanson, is the classic, bestselling expose that unmasks our generation's greatest medical killer and shows how a revitalizing, sugar-free diet can not only change lives, but quite possibly save them.