Good Old Book Reviews

Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle
I recently read Eckhart Tolle's follow up to The Power of Now, entitled Stillness Speaks. Written in short, sutra-like capsules, this pocket-sized volume is so simple yet so profound. For me, it was a great companion to a struggling meditation practice and a huge assistance in conquering a serious bout of depression. I highly recommend picking up a copy at your local bookstore or library. I have pulled out several choice excerpts which I will share with you over the span of the next few weeks, starting now.

"Nothing that comes and goes is you (boredom, anger, sadness, fear). You are the knowing, not the condition that is known."
This is a beautiful thing to realize. When I am in the depths of depression, it's nearly impossible to remember that there are any other feelings but listlessness, confusion, despair. I look back at snapshots from happier times and see myself as a completely different person. I cannot identify with joy or even mediocrity. Yoga and meditation practice help tremendously. I notice my thoughts, I turn inward and notice how I feel at each sitting. The depressed individual can find a million reasons why lying around, worrying or moping is superior to sitting in meditation or doing hatha yoga poses. My thoughts are scary. I can't control them. I can't concentrate, I'd think. But on good days and bad, whether I'm bouncing or dragging myself to my mat, meditation and stillness are the doorway to serenity, self-esteem and acceptance of the present moment.

"Knowing yourself as the awareness beyond the voice is Freedom."
Tolle talks a lot about connecting with stillness and realizing that we are much more than our personalities in this life. Yes, of course, we have day-to-day tasks to achieve and long-term goals and responsibilities for ourselves, our families, our pets, our communities. But transcending the ups and downs, the dramas of life, can happen in a split-second, simply by taking a deep breath, reveling in consciousness as members of the human race with a little seed of the Divine in us all.

"Surrender comes when you no longer ask, 'Why is this happening to me?' "
We all do it from time to time: take a starring role in the movie of life as The Victim. It's an ego trick that's easy to fall for, especially when multiple things seem to be going "wrong" all at once. It's exacerbated by comparing yourself to others -- friends, acquaintances, strangers, the rich and famous -- who all seem to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. It's the biggest relief to drop all that, those useless comparisons, irrational worries, vicious self-talk cycles. Instead of why is this happening to me, ask, "How is this perfect for me in this moment?" Sometimes it isn't possible to see for a while, but with practice, hindsight and understanding quickly come along with much greater immediacy.

"Whatever you accept completely will take you to peace, including the acceptance that you cannot accept, that you are in resistance."
To me, this is the single most helpful concept for handling change, dealing with anxiety and depression, grieving and the like. I often wonder, when in the midst of big life changes, why I'm not better at dealing with them. I mean, I'm in my mid-twenties, reasonably intelligent and responsible, fun-loving and easy going. Why on earth does change knock me over? When oh when am I going to learn how to flow with change, which I know is inevitable. We humans are creatures of habit and we all attached to our routines and loved ones and prized possessions. So when tough changes occur, that seem undesirable or even impossible to handle, the number one thing to do is recognize and embrace your resistance. It's okay that I'm feeling resistance. It's natural. This too shall pass but in the meantime, I'm not going to resist my resistance. That would just be plain silly.

Stillness is your essential nature. It is the essence of all galaxies and blades of grass; of all flowers, trees, birds and all other forms
This can be a comforting thing to remember -- we are all children of the universe, and we are meant to be here in this moment doing exactly what we are doing, whether it seems meaningful, meaningless or even pitiful. Beyond that, we thrive on stillness. That's why meditation is so transformative. Even just a couple of minutes of sitting with your breath in the morning and evening, or whenever fits your schedule, can make a world of difference in day-to-day life. I can't explain it, there is just something magical about setting time aside every day to consciously do nothing.

Wisdom comes with the ability to be still
Wisdom is much more than age plus intellect. It can be attained by all who have the patience and insight to cultivate stillness and peace in themselves and those they touch. (By the way, in meditation, thoughts are not to be stopped -- that's impossible -- or pushed away -- that's counter-productive. Of course, we aim not to attach to thoughts and let them carry us away from our meditation practice. We simply notice them and watch them drift by like clouds in the sky.)

Don’t take your thoughts too seriously
This is sometimes easier said than done, I know. But next time you're really caught up in a train of thought about a worrysome situation, simply notice those thoughts and you're on your way to dis-identifying with them. They will still be there, but as an objective observer of your "serious" and "all-important" thoughts, you'll rest in the comfort that they will pass and you will regain lightheartedness and joy.

Spiritual awakening is awakening from the dream of thought
We need to transcend the notion that all we are is an accumulation of our endless stream of thoughts. Thoughts are great and help us get through life, but try to start revelling in the delicious moments of the silent gaps between thoughts, the open and empty mind, the serenity of absolute stillness.

Living Your Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater

Each chapter is a heartfelt, easy to read and intelligent analysis of the philosophical aspects of yoga.

My favorite affirmations from the book:
* I commit to living my life fully in this moment.
* My yoga practice is discipline in action.
* This moment is the perfect moment to let go.
* I am perfect just as I am.
* I am choosing to let go of my self-judgment now.
* I have the courage to act from my heart and the compassion to stay open.
* Courage is the willingness to act in the face of the unknown.
* I have compassion for myself. I have compassion for others.