Inprint - New Books of interest

1,001 Ways to Relax: An Illustrated Guide to Reducing Stress by Mike George. (Chronicle Books, $9.95, Paperback.)

1,001 Ways to Relax is a compact and handy guide for combating stress and its harmful impact on our lives. Palm-sized, it offers tips to relaxation in all its forms — from quick fixes for tense moments to ideas for building self-acceptance and peace of mind.

Organized by type of solution, the book includes an array of techniques: small things that make a difference, stress-busting affirmations and meditations, visualization exercises, mental and physical workouts, tips for dealing with difficult people, and wisdom from ancient cultures. Headings include: Mornings, Dealing With Stress and Emotions, Positive Change, Mind and Spirit, Body, The Peaceful Home, Work, People, Creativity and Play, and Evenings. “Just as it takes all kinds of people to make our world so various and so beautiful, so too it takes many kinds of relaxation to create rest and renewal at each level of our being and in each area of our lives.” —From the introduction.

#64 under “Mornings” tells us about the Sardine Meditation for those traveling in a crowded train. “Imagine that you are all sardines, packed together in one small tin. Rather than resenting those around you, you recognize that essentially you are all alike in nature and share the same predicament. This will give you a sense of fellow-feeling with all the other commuters. #344 under “Mind and Spirit” reads, “Be Kind to yourself. As the Buddha wisely said, ‘If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.’ Be aware of the judgments that you cast upon yourself and gently see to dismantle them.”

1,001 Ways to Relax offers techniques for battling an entire lifetime’s quota of pressures, tensions, gripes, disappointments, and burdens.

Turning the Mind into an Ally by Sakyong Mipham. (Riverhead Books, $14.00, Paperback.)

In his new book, Turning the Mind into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham tells how to strengthen our minds and bring peace into our lives through the simple practice of sitting meditation.

Speaking directly to the restless and the disheartened, Sakyong explains the art and practice of sitting meditation — or “peaceful abiding.” Pure and simple, but not always easy, this way of meditating requires sitting still, focusing on the breath, and grounding the mind in the present moment. In peaceful abiding, the mind is free of distractions, anxieties, and turbulent emotions. With ongoing, committed practice, the mind grows calm, stable, and strong. Clarifying self-perception while increasing awareness of the real world and mindfulness of loved ones and strangers, peaceful abiding opens the way to becoming a wiser and kinder person.

Sayong says, “Training our mind through peaceful abiding, we can create an alliance that allows us to actually use our mind, rather than be used by it. If we want to undo our own bewilderment and suffering and be of benefit to others and the planet, we’re going to have to be responsible for learning what our own mind is and how it works, no matter what beliefs we hold. Once we see how our mind works, we see how our life works, too. That changes us.”

At every step, Sakyong Mipham shares lively, illuminating stories from his own spiritual journey, as well as his instructive experiences as a skilled equestrian, avid golfer, dedicated worker, and devoted son. Turning the Mind into an Ally is a guide for anyone grappling to make sense of our uncertain world and live life with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Learn to be an Optimist: A Practical Guide to Achieving Happiness by Lucy MacDonald. (Chronicle Books15.95, $18.95, Paperback.)

Never before have the benefits of “counting your blessings” been so highly praised or well documented. The connection between an upbeat attitude and our physical health and mental wellbeing cannot be over-emphasized. Learn to be an Optimist is a guide for bringing the benefits of positive thinking into every aspect of daily life.

Featuring practical, easy-to-follow exercises, such as maintaining an Optimism Jar and Optimism Journal, the book gently coaxes readers to recognize the nature of optimism and identify and reframe negative thoughts and self-fulfilling prophecies. Self-proclaimed pessimist Lucy MacDonald is living proof that one can learn to be an optimist. She leads readers in the opposite direction of learned helplessness and passive resignation, offering in their place confident-self-awareness and the satisfaction of being able to make a difference. Learn to be an Optimist will help readers approach difficult, potentially stressful situations with their glasses happily and healthfully half-full.

God’s Messengers: What Animals Teach Us About the Divine by Allen & Linda Anderson. (New World Library, $14.95, Paperback.)

Throughout history, people have searched for answers to life’s most perplexing questions. They have prayed for guidance or divine intervention and yearned for miracles. In our modern high-tech, low-touch world, God has found a most ingenious way of delivering comfort in troubled times. Furry, fuzzy, flying and flowing friends have been given the job of letting us know that no matter how it may appear, we are never abandoned or alone. Due to their willingness to serve and the fact that they share millions of our homes and backyards, animals are effective vehicles for bringing hope, peace, and purpose into our daily lives. Often people are blinded by pain or deadened by despair and cannot accept or recognize God’s love. It takes a dog, cat, horse, bird, ferret, hamster, or deer to break through the heartache and deliver a message that is custom-designed for their spiritual needs.

Allen and Linda Anderson are a husband-and-wife writing team and clergy members. They have discovered and now articulate the overlooked spiritual process of communication between God and humans via the animal kingdom. Since 1998 the Andersons have collected stories from around the world that illuminate and honor the spiritual connection between people and animals. They explore age-old questions about the healing power of love, the presence of God, and the interconnectedness of all life, and offer true stories abut animals that answer and affirm belief. Each story illuminates a dark corner of doubt or opens your heart to a new revelation of the divine. The book also contains meditations and exercises to provide readers with questions, quotes, and activities to help recall and reflect significant spiritual turning points in their own lives.

The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions by Jan Allegretti & Katy Sommers, D.V.M. (Celestial Arts, $24.95, Paperback.)

Most people probably don’t think about feeding their dog “donkey ears” to treat a bout of kennel cough. That’s because they don’t realize that this common herb, also known as mullein, contains a remarkable array of antiviral and antibacterial compounds that are very effective at easing a canine cold. Now there’s a reference to enlighten dog lovers about the benefits of natural health care.

The Complete Holistic Dog Book is a comprehensive and informative guide to the holistic health care of dogs. Delivered in a voice that resonates with respect and compassion, the book provides an alternative to harsh, invasive conventional treatments as well as options to turn to when vets have nothing more to offer or when allopathic medicine simply doesn’t work. For the happy holistic dog, this may include traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, herbal supplements, and a healthful diet filled with fresh, whole foods. The contents cover: recommendations for a holistic lifestyle that prevents illness, caring for a dying dog or dealing with grief or loss, tips for balancing alternative and conventional treatments to promote wellness, ways to recognize and manage pain safely, and easy-to-prepare wholesome meals and guidelines for choosing the best commercially prepared alternatives.

The Complete Holistic Dog Book demonstrates that care can be given at home, where a dog feels most secure. It complements veterinary medicine with a broad range of options and nurturing advice to support canine well-being far beyond the physical.