Posts from the ‘Books’ Category
The other morning, I walked downstairs to an interesting sight:
My father standing in the dining room, and this on the table…
The conversation went like this:
Me: Dad, what’s that?
Dad [looking hesitant]: A container.
Me: Mmm hmm. Where’d you get it?
Dad [gives up the act]: I had to go there and get a fruit cup because I didn’t have time to make breakfast this morning before I left.
Me [smiling, so proud]: Oh, ok. I guess that’s acceptable.
Dad: Yeah, I also got a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and as I walked over to sit down, I dropped it and the whole thing spilled out onto the floor.
[At this point I start to get really excited because of course, I think this story is turning into a big sign from the Universe]
Dad continues [laughing]: So I walked back to the counter and the girl gave me a new one!
[Ok. Maybe not a sign.]
I surprised myself by taking a deep breath, and laughed along with him. Everything in moderation, right?
Since coming back into my parents’ house in October, I have been doing a lot of the cooking and subtly trying to help them make healthier eating choices. (Ok, maybe not that subtly.) I’ve been through my own journey in and out of veganism, but still maintain a vegan diet about 98% of the time. I do it for many reasons, but when it comes to my family, my #1 concern is their health.
Now is a good time to give a little bit of background here. I come from a family of doctors, scientists and generally left-brained thinkers. I’ve always been the more creative, free-spirited one, and ever since my journey into holistic health and yoga, to say I’m the odd one out is an understatement.
DISCLAIMER: I love my family dearly and they have been nothing but supportive in my decision to follow this path. But when it came to influencing healthier change in their own lifestyle habits, I never seemed to make much headway.
Not that my parents are “unhealthy” in the standard sense. Quite the contrary. For the most part they always ate well-balanced meals and keep very active. But I know first-hand how good it feels to go from your standard “well-balanced American diet” to a mostly plant-based diet rich in whole foods. Better digestion, immunity, energy levels, clearer thinking…the list goes on! And that’s just what we see and feel. There is a whole host of other things happening (or not happening) at a cellular level that we don’t even notice. Disease prevention being benefit numero uno!
What better way to approach my logic-based parents with health information than with the results from a big, widely respected study? Enter The China Study.
The take-home message of the study is that by eating a plant food/vegan diet, you minimize or even reverse the development of chronic diseases. One of the most memorable findings from the book is that a diet consisting of 5% or more animal protein activates pre-cancerous cells in the body, leading to higher cancer rates, and therefore death rates.
While traveling last year, I emailed my Dad to check out this book. He wrote me back an email a few days later that said “You’ve got me convinced. I’m going vegan.” I was so proud, but this was short-lived, as my Mom was the one doing the cooking. He did, however, change his breakfast habits and started eating tons of fruit. Baby steps, right?!
Actually, there have been a lot of baby steps. This past summer in Michigan, both my parents came to my weekly Yin Yoga class. At first I thought they were just being supportive, until I realized how helpful the practice was for each of them. (Of course it was! Yin is so powerful.)
Sometimes, though, the most influential people are your peers. My mother found out their life-long friends – also in their late-60s – recently went vegan and have never felt better. They’d made the decision after reading The China Study. Hmm…sounds familiar!
My mother promptly bought the book and her chemist-brain was instantly hooked. The book, dog-eared and marked up, finally made its impact. So now, with my help, my parents are slowly transitioning to a mostly-vegan diet and I couldn’t be more proud. To see them making changes like this at their age shows that people can always make positive changes, no matter their situation. And as my mother sends emails to family members about the undeniable findings presented in this ground-breaking book, I’m already seeing a ripple effect. My sister is the latest one on-board, which means both her young children are following suit.
I’m reminded of the mission statement of my school, The Institute For Integrative Nutrition:
“Our mission is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.”
Cheers!
I’m hanging up my nomad hat. Retiring my gypsy skirt. Clipping my butterfly wings.
Ok, that’s a little dramatic. But I am, after over a year of wanderlusting around the world, settling down moving into an apartment of my own and staying in one place…for a while.
Destination: Denver!
About a year and a half ago, as the urge to leave New York City grew stronger and stronger, I had an intense cross-country romance with an awesome guy in Denver, who I oh-so-creatively nicknamed “Denver”. After one visit, I was hooked on Denver (the city), but not the guy (sorry G!). With the notion of leave NYC becoming more and more real, I realized that I needed a bigger change and started dreaming up a serious plan, starting with India. I had no idea where I’d end up, and I didn’t really care. There was a part of me that still loved the idea of moving to Denver, but I was open to anything and everything that could happen in the next year or two. So off I went to India, armed with one bag and a heart full of adventure.
Those seven months around Asia were beyond amazing. Setting foot in India, Thailand and Bali, I knew I’d be coming back. Along the way I met incredible people, many of whom were perpetual travelers. These people, these professional wanderers, intrigued me to no end. They live their life differently. Why not?
Back in the US in June, I was not ready to make any long-term decisions. I setup shop in my family’s summer cabin in the woods of Northern Michigan. Three inspiring months of teaching yoga, doing Thai Massage, cycling and spending time with family. It was perfect.
Come end of July, I started hopping around again with Michigan as my base. First stop: Wanderlust Festival in Lake Tahoe. Wow. This yoga/music festival was pretty much life-changing in more ways than one. Most notably, I fell madly in love with someone I thought was my soulmate. All of the sudden, all bets were off and we wanted nothing more than to be together. Which would require me to shift some big plans I’d made and move to Salt Lake City. Suddenly, the idea of settling down and growing some roots was very attractive. But not yet. I had another two months of traveling ahead of me.
In short, those months went like this: Tahoe –> Michigan –> Salt Lake City –> Michigan –> New York City –> Upstate NY –> New York City –> Michigan –> St. Louis –> Salt Lake City –> St. Louis –> Chicago –> St. Louis.
I know, it’s exhausting to even think about. I was done. In more ways than one.
In the course of that whirlwind, my heart was broken, my health was slipping and I had no clue where to go. I ended up back in my parent’s house in St. Louis, Missouri. For the first time in ten years I was back in the comfort of my childhood home, enjoying the freedom of doing nothing. So naturally, two weeks of sleeping ensued.
I am a big believer of the Universe sending us lessons. All the time. It’s up to us to learn from them.
Sometimes we are fortunate enough to experience and learn a valuable lesson in a considerably short time frame. Other times, we are not so lucky, drawing out wrong relationships and situations for years, even decades.
I somehow managed to fall madly in love, experience a bliss I never knew existed, proceeded to lose myself in that love, experience heartbreak, and go through the grieving process…all in ten weeks. Holy lessons learned!
[Enter Denver. Again.]
In the course of that beautiful love affair, I decided not to move forward with plans to go to massage school in Costa Rica. I was done with traveling to foreign countries for 4 months at a time. Plus, I wasn’t convinced a traditional massage school was the right path for me. I do Thai Yoga Massage and want to continue learning that craft, but I also want to study Western therapeutics and get my massage license. Well, it just so happens that the only school in the country (to my knowledge) that offers an integrative approach to massage – Thai Yoga Massage practicum + Western therapeutics training – is located in Denver. And classes start January 2012. I found all this out the day it was clear Salt Lake City was no longer happening. As usual, the timing is impeccable.
So here we are. I just returned from a quick Denver trip, visiting the school and securing an apartment. The place is perfect, the school exactly what I’m looking for. And the Denver yoga community is so inviting. I couldn’t be more excited. Finally, setting down roots, teaching long-term and starting my practice: exactly what I’ve been yearning for these past few months.
A kitchen. A studio space. A backyard with planter boxes. A hammock. Even a storage shed.
I’m trying not to be attached to these things, but, my goodness! After living out of a suitcase for over a year, they sure make things so very comfortable.
As my teacher told me, all this moving around from place to place creates a feverishness inside. It is true. Being physically grounded naturally lends itself to being mentally and emotionally grounded, as well.
Although, today I just finished reading Tales Of A Female Nomad. And find myself dreaming of my next chance to get away, take off with one bag and immerse myself in something totally new and foreign…
Namaste brave souls.
When it’s 62 degrees and not a cloud in the sky in mid-October, I immediately find myself staking out the nearest park and sitting down with a great book for a while, soaking in information, inspiration, brilliant sun, and people watching all at the same time. With one of the best parks in the world at my front door, I do this fairly often. Central Park lends itself to so many activities – so much hustle bustle with tourists, runners, bikers, children, etc. – so sometimes sitting with a book is a little challenging, but once you get in the zone nothing can distract you. Throughout my journey so far, I’ve read a number of books on countless topics: nutrition, meditation, Buddhism, management and leadership, finance, self-care, and so much more. However, there are three books that I keep going back to. Three books that will forever be engrained in my mind for their lessons and I’m happy to share them with you today. Be warned: read any one of these and your life just might be changed forever.
1) The Magic Of Thinking Big:
Ask any entrepreneur his top three books and this will invariably be on the list. Originally written in 1959 by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D., it’s certainly a classic. For anyone looking to realize their goals and take dedication and confidence to a whole new level, this is definitely the book for you. From lessons on destroying fear, cultivating a better attitude, dealing with defeat and thinking like a leader, this book breaks everything down in simple, executable terms. Schwartz give easy-to-follow tips like carrying a self-promoting “commercial” in your wallet, where you essentially sell yourself to yourself and read it for daily inspiration.
There are tons of people out there with big ideas and little action, who end up defeated thinking “I don’t have what it takes to accomplish this.” I know, because I used to be one.The truth is that those people who have succeeded in creating thriving businesses and reaching their goals are no smarter than you and me. They are not richer and did not happen to “get lucky”. Luck happens with preparation meets opportunity. Nothing more, nothing less. So prepare for the best, visualize yourself succeeding, and you will find the Universe lining things up for that exact goal to happen. The key here — and this book continually drills this point home — is confidence. If you truly believe you can make something happen, then it will be done. If you allow fear to lead you, then you will not succeed. Pretty simple stuff, right? So no matter where you are in your life, this book will help you learn to THINK BIG, build mega-confidence and realize any and all of your short- and long-term goals.
2) Many Lives, Many Masters:
Oh boy. I’ve been waiting to write about this book for so long, and it’s finally here. I will do my best to properly communicate how downright powerful this book is and how it’s changed my entire outlook on life. Written in 1988 by leading psychologist Dr. Bryan L. Weiss, this book blends traditional psychiatry and hypnotism with metaphysics and past-life soul searching. In the early 1980s, Weiss was a classic clinical psychiatrist treating patients in Miami, often using popular hypnotic regression tactics to help patients sort out deeply rooted issues from childhood. When one particular client comes to him with a host of intense phobias, he finds himself leading her not into childhood, but into a past life, where she revealed in shocking detail her day-to-day experiences and ultimate death. This continued for 87 different past lives, each in a different time and place. As he leads Catherine through these lives and deaths, she miraculously releases her phobias one by one.
Weiss is a trained scientist and was very skeptical when this started, but after a few sessions he knew this was not a hoax. Catherine’s recountings of her past lives was excruciatingly detailed. She would sometimes speak in different languages, languages she never learned or even heard before. In each life, she explored her soul’s purpose and relationships with others. As she endured each death, her soul would life from that body and go back into a sort of “limbo” where the soul is not embodying any physical state. In that place, that Masters come out. The Masters are a group of “spirit guides”, higher souls that speak to Weiss using Catherine as a channel, and their teachings specifically are what have had profound impact on me. I’ll leave the details of these for another post.
According to most writers exploring souls and past lives, groups of souls tend to reincarnate together again and again, working out their karma (debts owed to others and to the self, lessons to be learned, etc.) over the span of many lifetimes. So you know that family member or best friend that you have an inexplicable connection with? You probably were together in a past life. Terms like kindred spirits, soul sister, soul mates; they all explain this phenomenon. The most fascinating thing about this book for me was this: in each lifetime our souls have one large lesson to learn, one debt to fill. Why just one? Well, seeing that our lives are infinite, we literally have all the time in the world to learn. One of the Masters said that time is not as we actually view it, but is measured in lessons learned. How beautiful is that?
This book will put so much in perspective for you, including the fear of death. At the end of the day, there is no better way to live life than by continually cultivating your soul. Karma truly exists and you choose your soul’s path. I’ll leave with this quote:
We will all have a dominant trait. This might be greed, or it might be lust, but whatever is determined, you need to fulfill your debts to those people. Then you must overcome this in that lifetime. You must learn to overcome greed. If you do not, when you return you will have to carry that trait, as well as another one, into your next life. The burdens will become greater. With each life that you go through and you did not fulfill these debts, the next one will be harder. If you fulfill them, you will be given an easy life.
So you choose what life you will have. In the next phase, you are responsible for the life you have. You choose it.
3) The 4-Hour Work Week:
Tim Ferriss is a fierce teacher and a total rockstar. The 4HWW is for anyone (whether entrepreneur or employee) who wants to learn the art of living life on your own terms and realizing your dreams. The ultimate goal of this book is “lifestyle design” — empowering you to live the life you want right now, rather than waiting until retirement (yikes!) to do and see all the things you’ve hoped and dreamed of. You’ll quickly find out that it doesn’t take a millionaire to live overseas and travel multiple times per year. It just takes a different midset, setting boundaries between life and work, and a whole lotta passion.
Who doesn’t wish there were more hours in a day? I don’t know one person who is holding off on doing something because they “don’t have enough time”. This book will teach you to use time to your advantage, harnessing all the hours in a day in the most effective way. Not necessarily so you can do more, but do things in the most efficient way so that you can ENJOY your precious time doing the things you love. Don’t have a hobby? This will help you find your passion. Have too many hobbies? This will help you find ways to make your passions a part of your everyday life and even make money doing it!
Ok…yes, I mentioned making money. This book focuses a lot on building a self-sufficient “auto-pilot” business to fund what Ferriss calls your “dreamline”. But this is not a “get rich quick” book by any means. Instead, it is a roadmap for anyone looking to release themselves from the never-ending grip of emails, senseless meetings, obligations, etc. and make time for more important things like friends, travel, learning, etc. I read this with less than two months to go before leaving for my trip, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I now have much clearer goals for business ideas (“muses” as Tim calls them) and I will be traveling with those in mind. No matter where you are in life – physically, financially, or otherwise – this book will give you tools to take control over your life and enjoy it to the fullest.
I’m off to sit in Central Park with a book.
Go find some passion!
Amy Carole
Amy Carole
