Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart

Brian Luke Seaward

Description

"Reading Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart is like eavesdropping on a conversation between Lao Tzu and Joseph Campbell--a pure pleasure to read!"
--Deepak Chopra, M.D., coauthor of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga and author of The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire

"Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart is an enchanting piece of wisdom that combines ancient insights with practical solutions to the stress epidemic that permeates our culture. Brian Luke Seaward is a master teacher, skillful guide, and true healer."
--Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words and Reinventing Medicine

"The perfect antidote for these acceleratingly stressful post-9/11 times with fearmongers accosting us everywhere, Quiet Mind, Fearless Heart artfully and wisely blends stress relief with spirituality. Keeping us constantly uplifted and engaged, this book is filled with witty sayings, practical, powerful exercises, and personal stories that ring with heartfelt authenticity."
--Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., author of Molecules of Emotion

With graceful wisdom and gentle humor, Dr. Brian Luke Seaward helps you see past the limitations of the ego to the highest potential of the human spirit at the core of your very being. Through a unique alchemy of the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism and the timeless insights of the visionary Joseph Campbell, Seaward shows you how to harness this potential so that you may find the courage to be a victor, not a victim of life's problems. Through the realization of this alchemy you will become the hero at the center of your own mythical life journey.

Using simple but powerful exercises, meditations, and self-exploration techniques, you will learn to reconnect and harmonize with the universal spirit energy, or Tao, that flows through you to achieve inner balance, the joy of life, and optimal health. This book gives you the tools and skills to overcome adversity, resolve the emotional and psychological obstacles keeping you from realizing your potential, and vanquish stress, bringing peace to your heart and soul. Featuring the insights of renowned spiritual luminaries and philosophers from around the world and throughout the ages as well as many inspirational stories from women and men just like you, this powerful motivational guide shows you how to cope with everyday stress, embrace your divinity, and find true harmony in your life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

INTRODUCTION: The Best of Times, the Worst of Times.

PART I: Into the Unknown.

1. The Winds of Change Are Brewing.

2. Under Pressure.

PART II: Crossing the Threshold.

3. Stand Like Mountain, Move Like Water.

4. Move a Mountain, Walk on Water.

PART III: Life in the Balance.

5. The Human Equinox: Six Ways to Bring Balance into Your Life.

6. The Health of the Human Spirit: Twenty-one Strategies for Letting Go of Stress.

PART IV: Back Home Again.

7. The Winds of Grace.

EPILOGUE: Sacred Spaces and Divine Inspiration.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES.

INDEX.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Bien-être émotionnel
• Bien-être émotionnel
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Bien-être
• Joseph Campbell
• Chinese philosophy
• Taoism
• Self-help
• Self-Management
• Stress Management

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 07 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781118040270
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents
 
Also by Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
 
PART I - Into the Unknown
 
Chapter 1 - The Winds of Change Are Brewing
 
A Lesson from Churchill
The Hero’s Code
Brave New World Revisited
The Way of the Tao
A Sage Named Lao Tzu
A Crazy Little Thing Called Stress
Where There’s Unresolved Stress, There’s Ego
Stressed Mind, Angered Heart
Fight, Flight, or Delight?
Wired for Stress, Programmed for God
Mountains and Molehills
A Time for Heroes
The Hero’s Journey Revisited
More Than Fictional Heroes
The Power of Myth
The Rules for Being a Hero
A Time to Remember
 
Chapter 2 - Under Pressure
 
Nothing New Under the Sun?
Uncomfortably Numb
Breaking the Spell of Limitations
Mind Over Matter Every Time
Ego This!
A Lesson from Jane Goodall
The Gilded Cage Is Rusting
The Pause That Refreshes: Breaking Free and Moving On
What’s So Bad about Feeling Good?
Out of a Rut, into a Groove
A Final Story about Moving On
 
PART II - Crossing the Threshold
Chapter 3 - Stand Like Mountain, Move Like Water
 
Of Mountains and Water
Stress and Spirituality
A Spiritual Hunger?
Waking from a Spiritual Slumber
The Three Pillars of Human Spirituality
Spirits on a Human Path
The Path and the Journey
One Destination, Many Paths
Profiles of Spirituality
The Will of the Human Spirit
The Seasons of the Soul
On Being a Good Mystic
A Final Thought on Mountains and Water
The Call to Love
 
Chapter 4 - Move a Mountain, Walk on Water
 
A Leap of Faith
Mountain Movers
High on a Mountaintop
The Muscles of the Soul
 
PART III - Life in the Balance
Chapter 5 - The Human Equinox
 
The Rules of Subtraction
The Human Equinox Realized
 
Chapter 6 - The Health of the Human Spirit
 
A Healthy Spirit Means Letting the Chi Flow
A Change for the Better
 
PART IV - Back Home Again
Chapter 7 - The Winds of Grace
 
Of Attempted Suicide and Service
The Never-Ending Story (Laughing Again and Again)
The Germination of Seeds
Reason for Hope: Breaking Bread with Jane Goodall
The Winds of Grace
 
Epilogue
REFERENCES AND RESOURES
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE ONE QUIET NIGHT CD AND EVERSOUND MUSIC
Also by Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D.
Hot Stones and Funny Bones: Teens Helping Teens Coping with Stress and Anger
Health of the Human Spirit; Spiritual Dimension for Personal Health
The Art of Calm: Relaxation through the Five Senses
Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward: Rising above Life’s Challenges with Humor, Hope, and Courage
Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water: Reflections on Stress and Human Spirituality
Health and Wellness Journal Workbook (second edition)
Managing Stress: A Creative Journal (third edition)
Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-being (fourth edition)

Copyright © 2005 by Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. All rights reserved
 
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey Published simultaneously in Canada
 
The author gratefully acknowledges the following for permission to quote from: page 34, If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules: Ten Rules for Being Human by Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott, Broadway Books, © 1998; page 91, translation from Tao Te Ching courtesy of Josh Zhou; page 117, “Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water” by Brian Luke Seaward, © Health Communications Inc. Reprinted with permission; page 165, “Beauty Poem” from In One Era and Out the Other by Samuel Levenson. Copyright 1996 by Samuel Levenson; page 226, “The Winds of Grace” by Brian Luke Seaward, © Inspiration Unlimited. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone].
 
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
 
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].
 
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .
 
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Seaward, Brian Luke.
Quiet mind, fearless heart : the Taoist path through stress and spirituality / Brian Luke Seaward. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-67999-2 (pbk.)
1. Spiritual life. 2. Stress (Psychology)—Religious aspects. 3. Taoism. I. Title.
BL624.S4226 2004
299.5’144—dc22
2004014378
For Donna and Scott Mefford
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank Susan Lee Cohen of the Riverside Literary Agency, who, upon seeing my FedEx package one summer day, opened it, read the contents, and immediately signed me on. Susan, you are truly a gift, and I thank the universe for having our paths cross. I look forward to many more literary ventures with you. Special thanks go to Tom Miller, my editor at John Wiley & Sons, who has been a blessing to work with—Tom, thanks for holding the vision and sharing your wisdom, which enabled this book to reach its greatest potential. I am forever indebted to my friend and colleague Deepak Chopra, who is the divine manifestation of infinite possibilities. A big bear hug to Larry Dossey, M.D., Nien Cheng, and Candace Pert, Ph.D., for their wonderful endorsements of this book as well. Special thanks to Sean Hepburn Ferrer, you’re the best! Long live the spirit of your mom, Audrey Hepburn. Words of gratitude go to my personal assistant, Marlene Yates, who read the manuscript more times than she ever thought possible but also told me that the content was so rich, she got more out of it with each reading. A fortune cookie’s gratitude to my friend Josh Zhou for his translation of the Tao Te Ching passage. My deepest gratitude to the special people who shared their stories with me, which added vitality and color to this book. Special thanks goes to Mark S. Johnson. You are one good hombre for touching up my photos. Pura Vida ! Heart-felt thanks to Peter Vegso and Gary Seidler at Health Communications Inc., who gave the book Stand Like Mountain a home years ago. Gratitude to Javier Saws at Eversound Music too. Thanks to the spirit of Lao Tzu, Joseph Campbell, and all the wisdom keepers whose insights are woven into this book. As always, special thanks to my friends, family, and fans, too numerous to mention, who have been so generous with their support over the years. Thanks for making this a better world in which to live.
Introduction
The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

Y our joy is your sorrow unmasked . . . the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain . . . Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

  —KAHLIL GIBRAN , THE PROPHET
It’s likely that Charles Dickens was not well versed in the Taoist philosophy when he began his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities with the now infamous paraphrased line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The truth is, you don’t have to study Taoism to appreciate the concept of balance. Balance is an inherent aspect of life. It’s ubiquitous throughout all cultures and has been expressed in the wisdom of every language since the dawn of humanity. Words such as inner peace , equilibrium , stability , homeostasis , coherence , and steadiness all speak to the philosophy of Taoism. Lao Tzu just happened to be the first to describe this philosophy—quite eloquently, I might add—more than two thousand years ago in his book Tao Te Ching . Dickens’s phrase, however, strikes a harmonic chord in the heart of almost everyone, because deep down inside, we know that both good and bad moments can coexist, for better or worse, on any given day and sometimes in the same situation.
With the rapid changes taking place in our society today, you might find it hard to acknowledge, let alone appreciate, the positive aspects of life, particularly if you watch the nightly news. Current research suggests that over one-third of the American public takes antidepressants. Sixty-three percent of the American population is overweight. The average American carries approximately $8,000 of credit card debt, and, sadly, episodes of violence at grade schools and colleges across the nation have not decreased since the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. Yet stress is not just