Inprint - New Books of interest by Jeanne Spiro

Soul to Soul: Harnessing the Power of Your Mind by Vernon Kitabu Turner Roshi. (Hampton Roads, $14.95, Paperback.)

No matter what you believe about the creation of life, whether you put your stock in science or religion, there is at least one faith we all have: we all believe in the mind. Like God, the mind cannot be seen, its origin is a mystery, its powers are awesome, and its boundaries unknown. In Soul to Soul, American Zen master and martial arts legend Vernon Kitabu Turner Roshi takes readers on a journey into realms of the mind that few of us ever explore, in the process of imparting his own awakened wisdom for taming it.

According to Turner, the fragmented mind does not convey true communication. The only true communication is from soul to soul, but before this is possible, we must learn to tune into our own soul. Turner shows how to focus the mind, stilling it so that it becomes a mirror of the Ultimate.

Many books promise to give readers the power to control their destinies. However, the current chaotic, unbalanced state of the world proves that mankind has little idea what to do with such power. If your computer broke down, you could opt to return it to its original factory settings. However, people fear to do the same with their minds, so they function with active “viruses” sabotaging their perceptions. There are millions of people who dream of heaven when they die. To the Realized Soul, earth and heaven are branches of the same tree. “Do you want to help the world?” asks Turner. “Tame your mind first. Something extraordinary will happen.”

The Book of Comforts: Simple, Powerful Ways to Comfort Your Spirit, Body, and Soul by Patricia Alexander and Michael Burgos. (Blue Epiphany, $19.95, Hardcover.)

Comfort is more than a craving shared by people of all ages, races, occupations, lifestyles, and religious beliefs. It’s a universal need. Sadly, in today’s world of relentless demands, pervasive pressures, and looming doom, comfort has been reduced to a superficial quick-fix: junk food, alcohol, meaningless sex.

But authentic, healthy, meaningful comfort is within easy reach of anyone in need, even in the most hectic and stressful times. The Book of Comforts is a welcome, accessible source of comforting insights and comforting ideas. More than a collection of cheery aphorisms, this book offers sound comforting advice and instantly useable tips based on the life experience of a wide range of real people.

Writer Patricia Alexander and marriage and family counselor Michael Burgos asked men and women from all walks and stages of life, “How do you comfort yourself?” Along with the refreshing and down-to-earth answers, the authors reveal their own trusted strategies and inspirational stories. The Book of Comforts focuses on bringing relief and restoring balance to the three vital areas of our humanity. It is divided into balms and energizers for the spirit, body and soul. Beautifully illustrated, it contains practical pointers and uplifting quotes.

Karmic Healing: Clearing Past-Life Blocks to Present-Day Love, Health, and Happiness by Djuna Wojton. (Crossing Press, $16.95, Hardcover.)

Whether it’s a challenging childhood, a problematic boss, or a failed relationship, we all have our baggage. Unresolved issues can manifest as pain or illness as well as blocks to personal fulfillment and accomplishment. Often, these issues are karmic carryovers from other lifetimes. It is part of our soul’s mission to heal them in order to grow.

In Karmic Healing, hypnotherapist Djuna Wojton outlines a four-step plan for recognizing karmic patterns to heal the body, mind, and spirit and truly live in the present. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience in past-life therapy, she provides detailed strategies for fine-tuning your psychic senses, retrieving past-life baggage, clearing karmic clutter, healing family and romantic relationships, and undertaking a spiritual makeover. Going beyond standard regression therapy, she explains how to resolve past-life issues using a variety of holistic treatments, including visualization, meditation, flower essences, yoga postures, tarot cards, collages, drawing, and more. Djuna also shares inspiring stories from her clients who have overcome addiction, physical pain, nightmares, anxiety, marital problems, and other karmic blocks.

Using the techniques of karmic healing, you’ll learn to recognize and overcome destructive emotional patterns and self-defeating attitudes to gain clarity, achieve goals, improve relationships, and align with your greater purpose.

The Woman’s Belly Book: Finding Your True Center for More Energy, Confidence, and Pleasure by Lisa Sarasohn. (New World Library, $15.95, Paperback.)

More than half of American women are on a weight-loss regime and four out of five girls start a diet by the age of ten. Why? Typically because they are trying to trim their tummies. In a woman’s war against her body, her belly is often the focus of her shame and self-hatred.

The Woman’s Belly Book offers a new and refreshing perspective on just how important women’s bellies truly are. Author Lisa Sarasohn says “A woman’s belly is anything but shameful; it’s the site of her soul-power.”

With a friendly and light-hearted approach, the Woman’s Belly Book reveals practical, pleasurable ways women can reclaim the body’s center as the source of vitality. You’ll discover it’s your best friend for boosting creativity, enhancing intuition, releasing stress, relieving insomnia, and a host of other benefits. Drawing on her expertise as a yoga instructor and bodywork therapist, Sharasohn offers a rich array of playful yet provocative activities designed to develop and direct the creative power concentrated in the body’s center. They range from writing prompts, to art making, to a sequence of belly-energizing moves called “The Gutsy Women’s Workout.” She offers helpful tools for peeling away layers of negativity and finding the treasure that’s already inside: the energy, confidence, and pleasure you’ve always desired but didn’t know where to find.

Pathways to Joy: The Master Vivekananda on The Four Yoga Paths to God edited by Dave Deluca. (Inner Ocean Publishing, $18.95, Paperback.)

Many American yoga enthusiasts are unaware that the introduction of yoga to the American public had a moment of origin. On September 11, 1893, a young monk from India by the name of Swami Vivekananda took the stage at the World Parliament of Religions here in Chicago and brought the crowd to their knees with his powerful message of Oneness. His speech opened hearts to the spiritual traditions of India and helped launch a spiritual dialogue between East and West that continues to this day.

Pathways to Joy, edited by Vedanta teacher and devotee Dave Deluca, is a thoughtfully selected compilation of 108 sacred teachings of Swami Vivekananda. These teachings explore the four classical Yoga paths that lead to a deeper relationship with our own True Nature and the One. With a message that continues to ring true today, these teachings have the power to transform our world and bring peace throughout regions torn apart by religious conflict. As our world is faced with chaos, Swami Vivkananda’s message—that there is truth in all religion, a oneness of existence, and divinity of the soul—couldn’t be more vital.

The Divine Declaration: Awaken to Your Divine Inner Power, Your Life Depends on It by W. Jane Robinson. (Infinite Endeavors, $14.95, Paperback.)

Everyone is seeking divine inner power. We hope and pray that we wake up one day and figure out how to tap into the incredible energy and life forces we know are inside us and all around us.

Jane Robinson knows from her own experience that spiritual energy is in and around everything and is also the power inside us awaiting our awakening. In spite of the adversity she faced growing up in the foster care system, she tapped into her own emotional power and freedom. This connection changed her life and she teaches us how to open this connection within and understand that without a definitive declaration for the direction in our lives we often make life choices by default and create consequences that are not what we really desire.

With chapters in affirmative prayer, meditation, treasure mapping and creative visualization, The Divine Declaration shows how to live authentically and allow the Universe to support and direct our life.

Living Reality: My Extraordinary Summer with “Sailor” Bob Adamson by James Braha. (Hermetician Press, $19.95, Paperback.)

After thirty years of seeking liberation, James Braha had nearly given up on finding fulfillment. His mind began to change, however, when he encountered the Hindu/Vedic philosophy of non-duality. Upon reading “Sailor” Bob Adamso summer of 2004, Bob and his wife stayed with the Braha family at their home in Florid n’s book What’s Wrong With Right Now Unless You Think About It? James invited Bob to come from Australia to share his knowledge with Americans. For five glorious weeks in thea. Spiritual talk with possibly the greatest non-duality teacher alive continued from morning ’til night, as friends and spiritualists from around the country joined the investigations into the truth of reality versus the illusion of appearance.

This is a story of liberation, friendship, humor, and love as Sailor Bob takes spiritual aspirants beyond the need for help, just as Nisargadatta Maharaj did for him thirty years ago. It is a warm and heartfelt treatise on non-duality.