From Publishers Weekly
"How do you maintain balance in an environment that promotes imbalance, comparison, and competition?" Yoga instructor Jeon offers readers a dharma, or way, to cope with the commotion, stress and accelerated pace of modern life in this warm, entertaining spiritual guide for urban dwellers. He examines the aspects of our lives that often cause the most stress: encounters with people made rude by routine hustle, the trap of "keeping up with the Joneses," the monotony of jobs and/or love lives, and violence in our society. Jeon uses his personal experiences (including the devastating theft of his computer and finished manuscript) to illustrate the path to a peaceful and happy life amidst chaos and challenges. Rather than looking outward to spiritual leaders, Jeon suggests opening ourselves to what is happening now, being awake and in the moment. He says that too many Americans work harder and longer days in an eternal quest for more luxurious possessions—and while Americans may have bigger houses than our European counterparts, the stress of making more money ultimately reduces our life expectancy and negatively affects our relationships with others, he argues. Being awake to the "NOW," as Jeon writes, revives us from the rat race so that we maintain a calm perspective on what matters most. Although written for city folk and high-powered suburbanites, this book should delight anyone living anywhere. Unlike self-help books that ask you to change part of yourself to become a better you, this dharma simply asks you to be a bit more considerate of who you already are.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist
Is your nightly commute a nightmare? Do you suffer from SUV envy? Are headlines giving you the heebie-jeebies? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it's quite possible your dharma is deeply disturbed. Dharma, an Eastern concept, is the manifestation of one's basic outlook on and approach to life, from the trivial to the monumental, the personal to the global. Whether it's the ubiquitous chirping of cell phones or the unctuous posturing of coworkers, potential pitfalls to personal peace abound everywhere. Within today's supercharged, security-conscious society, there are many who seek a more peaceful, less stressful way of navigating the world. Incorporating strategies based on painful experience and honed from years of personal practice, Jeon crafts a soothing strategy for reevaluating our internal responses to external stimuli such as road rage, status seeking, and other unnerving behaviors. Straightforward, sensitive, and sassy, Jeon's approach offers effective methods for turning down that annoying voice in your head from a wail to a whisper. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
