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East West Book Reviews
 Living with Your Heart Wide OpenHow Mindfulness & Compassion can Free You from Unworthiness, Inadequacy & Shame Steve Flowers, MFT and Bob Stahl, PhD "If you talked to others the way you talk to yourself, you would have few friends," state the authors in the book's introduction. We have a constant stream of commentary in our heads, much of it self-critical, which shapes our identity. Steve Flowers, founder of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, and Bob Stahl, co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, offer a path to break free from feelings and thoughts of inadequacy and open our hearts to the loving-kindness within and around us. Based on concepts from Western and Buddhist psychology, the mindful practices in this book help us uproot the cause of the fictional stories we create about ourselves, defuse judgment, be  a witness to our emotions without getting hijacked by them, and cultivate compassion for ourselves and others. The authors lead us step by step from simple practices to meditations that provide deeper insight, and a more formal practice that we can continue on our own. This book is a journey, one to be experienced and savored.New Harbinger Publications, $16.95 $16.95 in trade paperback from eastwest.com  The Four DesiresCreating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity, and Freedom Rod Stryker We all crave happiness, but do we know what it is our soul desires, how to attain it, or find satisfaction and fulfillment if we don't? This book presents a process to navigate through these challenges, drawing on ancient yogic traditions that claim we have four desires: • The desire to become who we were meant to be • The desire for the means (money, health, security) to fulfill our purpose • The desire for pleasure • The desire for spiritual realization and ultimate freedom I n The Four Desires, Rod Stryker, considered one of the top yoga and meditation teachers in the country, provides techniques to help us pinpoint our specific longings and develop a life strategy to realize our full potential. Presented like a live seminar, each chapter includes specific exercises, real-life examples, a meditation practice and a yoga pose that embodies the theme of the discussion. Stryker provides the knowledge we need and invites us to apply it.Delacorte Press, $26.00$24.00 in hardcover from eastwest.com  Dolphin DiariesMy 25 Years with Spotted Dolphins in the Bahamas Dr. Denise L. Herzing Denise Herzing, founder and director of the Wild Dolphin Project, is the Jane Goodall of the dolphin world. She began studying these wild creatures off the Bahamas in the 1980s with the idea of attempting interspecies communication, and has lived in their world "witnessing births, deaths, and everything in between" for twenty-five years. This is her account of how one of our planet's most intelligent creatures develop, learn behaviors, communicate, share responsibilities, grow families, resolve conflicts, and mate, and how the environment is impacting them and their future. Herzing takes the reader on an engaging undersea journey, beginning with her first eye contact with a spotted dolphin, describing the realities of life at sea, and sharing the stories of three generations of dolphins, their similarities to humans and their mysteries. Highlighted with beautiful color photographs, this book is a testament to the importance of ensuring that dolphins remain free to live in their world, on their terms.St. Martin's Press, $26.99$12.99 as an immediate download from eastwest.com  A Life Worth BreathingA Yoga Master's Handbook of Strength, Grace, and Healing Max Strom Max Strom teaches that a life worth breathing is one where we are connected to our spirit, living a life fulfilled. A widely-recognized yoga and spiritual teacher, Strom experienced a profound transformation through the practice of yoga at the age of thirty-five, and went on to teach a method that incorporates the postures of Hatha Yoga, breathing, and meditation, with the wisdom from the teachings of Buddhism, Sufism and Taoism. His Three Pillars of Transformation is a system designed to integrate the body, mind and emotions." Nearly all or our problems," he says, "stem from chaos in one or more of these parts of ourselves." He discusses the importance of setting a daily intention, and offers exercises to help us identify our purpose, reassess our life, and reconnect with our soul. Skyhorse Publishing, $24.95$15.22 as an immediate download from eastwest.com |
