Tag: breathing

Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing by Andrew Weil

Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing by Andrew Weil

Andrew Weil presents pranayama, Eastern breathing techniques for health and well being, for a Western audience. If you have never tried meditation or deep breathing before, this would be a good place to start.

Weil talks about how breathing is one of the only bodily functions that can be performed both consciously and automatically. That unique control allows for a bridge to be made between the conscious and subconscious minds. Ever notice how people who are upset breathe faster? There’s reasons for that.

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The first disc of this audiobook is almost unbelievable in Weil’s claims of healing mental and physical disorders through simple breathing, but I don’t think he’d lie about it. I guess our culture has always put so much belief in Western healing through the use of medicines and concrete therapies, that we haven’t always entertained other types of healing.

Of particular interest to me was Weil’s testimony about a patient of his with anxiety disorders that were so severe that they were causing heart palpitations. His patient was given medications to suppress the anxiety, but after awhile they stopped working and Weil’s patient was forced to find something else. He approached all manner of doctors and psychologists, but didn’t see any movement forward on his problems until he began to practice Weil’s breathing techniques.

I know a few people in my own life who might find that story interesting too. Couldn’t we all use tools to increase our inner peace and decrease those pesky anxieties?

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The second disc is half a dozen or so different breathing exercises. They’re all fairly simple and you can do them in minutes.

I listened to this audiobook years ago and, honestly, forgot everything I learned. But I explored it again last week and realized that it was never too late to get back on track. Recommended self help book for anybody who breathes. 🙂

Thanks for reading!

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris
10 happier

Dan Harris had problems, like all of us, but unlike all of us, he was beginning to experience some of the messier symptoms of his dysfunctional inner world in front of millions of people.

He sought help and jumped into the meditation world with both feet. I think its why most people find their way into spiritual practices- something isn’t working quite right in their life and they need to change from the inside out. So, they look for a process of inner change and run smack into meditation.

However, Dan isn’t drinking the kool-aid of the new age movement. He questions every practice for its practical benefits and searches for scientific experimentation to back up those benefits.

In essence, he brings the investigative skills that he applies to his job as a news anchor to the practice of meditation and it’s a delight to read.

I loved this. Dan had the same initial reaction to Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra that I did. One of them seems too mellow to be real and the other seems to market himself too well to be that spiritual.

Over time, I’ve come to love both of those authors/gurus for their wisdom, but they are both just out of this world. Harris isn’t afraid to point that out.

In conclusion, I’d recommend 10% Happier to anyone who wants to become 10% happier- isn’t that all of us?

Also, anyone who has read Eckhart Tolle or Deepak Chopra may also enjoy this, if only for the surprisingly accurate descriptions of their foibles. Anyone who wants to try meditation but feels like they don’t have time, couldn’t do it if they tried, or doesn’t know where to start may find some inspiration from this book.

And, finally, anyone who is fed up with the hippie-dippie-trippie feeling that most spiritual memoirs give them, will find a kindred soul in Dan Harris.

Thanks for reading!