Arriving home from school at age 8 with a story I had written called The Mystery Artist, my mother asked, “Do you want to be a writer?” “Oh yes, and I want to be an actor too and travel all over the world!” Mom smiled and said, “Honey, I believe you will.” I’m now 79, healthy, and happy. Telling traditional and true stories on stages in schools, theatres, and churches, traveling to more than 40 countries, and writing multiple multicultural collections of tellable tales is a dream come true. And along the way, I’ve searched for Light and Life. The journey isn’t finished. There is always more to come.
A Spiritual Journey: Your life stories contain the pattern of your past karma unfolding in this life. Healing karma is possible and probable if you are willing to enter the darkest cave to find the greatest treasure. “A pioneer of the American storytelling renaissance,” Pleasant DeSpain, world traveler and author of 18 award-winning multicultural books, found a wealth of treasures along the way. Join him on this nine-chapter journey of true and traditional tales from around the globe celebrating light and life, healing, surrender, and happiness.
I was 28 years old and living in Seattle in 1971 when this "counterculture bible" was first published. Reading about meditation, dropping acid, and searching for my "true self," I decided it was time to take my spiritual journey seriously. Discovering Eastern philosophy, the power of breath, ancient yoga techniques, and "being here now" resonated strongly. A psychologist told me of a near-death experience that he, Ram Dass, and four others experienced with a small plane's engine failure while flying to an island off the Washington State coast. The psychologist and others knew fear. Ram Dass began laughing long and loud! "Isn't this great?" he yelled. "What a way to go!" They didn't crash, thank God.
Beloved guru Ram Dass tells the story of his spiritual awakening and gives you the tools to take control of your life in this “counterculture bible” (The New York Times) featuring powerful guidance on yoga, meditation, and finding your true self.
When Be Here Now was first published in 1971, it filled a deep spiritual emptiness, launched the ongoing mindfulness revolution, and established Ram Dass as perhaps the preeminent seeker of the twentieth century.
Just ten years earlier, he was known as Professor Richard Alpert. He held appointments in four departments at Harvard University. He published books, drove a Mercedes…
Initiated into Transcendental Meditation in 1972, I committed to meditating for 20 minutes twice daily. My stress was relieved, and I experienced intense feelings of hope. Reading and understanding the theory of the Unified Field of Natural Law theory forever changed my life. I realized I had access to pure Being wherever I was. Maharishi asked, "Are you a cave dweller or a householder?" Was I going to dawn a robe and sandals, or was I destined to live and work in society? I chose householder, and 50 years later, I'm a healthy and happy man.
In this classic book first published in 1963 and which has reached millions of readers, Maharishi unfolds his vision for "a new humanity developed in all life's values - physical, mental, material, spiritual." Now this book has been re-released with new appendices and an afterword by Dr. Bevan Morris, President of Maharishi University of Management.
Not long after Maharishi began his world tours, his students urged him to commit this great teaching to paper. In 1963 Maharishi offered to the world the Science of Being and Art of Living, which systematically unfolds for our scientific age the wisdom of the…
I encountered The Artist's Way by learning to be a professional storyteller in writing and oral presentations. Ms. Cameron combines creativity and spirituality in a logical step-by-step understanding that helped me meet the daily challenges of making a living while charting an unusual and unproven profession. She imbued in me that creative expression in all its forms is the natural direction in life.
"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks — write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example — The Artist’s Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyone’s got it."—The New York Times
"Morning Pages have become a household name, a shorthand for unlocking your creative potential"—Vogue
Over four million copies sold!
Since its first publication, The Artist's Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron's novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems…
An excellent and easy-to-read introduction to the brilliance of Ken Wilber. During our current times of distractions and divisiveness, I found this brief missive a place of reason and calm. His ability to explore the inner connectedness of our world by combining knowledge and human experience is most satisfying. This work led me to his Brief History of Everything, and I'm forever grateful.
This pop culture presentation of Ken Wilber’s Integral Approach—an inclusive, visionary framework for understanding human potential—is as an easy introduction to his work
What if we attempted to create an all-inclusive map that touches the most important factors from all the world’s great traditions? Using all the known systems and models of human growth—from the ancient sages to the latest breakthroughs in cognitive science—Ken Wilber distills their major components into five simple elements, ones that readers can relate to their own experience right now.
With clear explanations, practical exercises, and familiar examples, The…
Maintaining my meditation practice for over 50 years, I’ve learned the power of breath. If you control your breath, you control your life. Conscious breathwork enhances our mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. I’ve recommended these practices since I finished this brief and well-written guidebook. Momentary and lasting bliss is possible with breath. She is the master to follow.
Often the simple act of breathing is overlooked, even by those who practice yoga, but this is the body's most fundamental physical process. Join renowned yoga and meditation teacher Swami Saradananda as she expertly shows you how to enhance your life through the power of breath, making Pranayama (the formal yogic practice of controlling the breath) accessible to everyone. Boost your energy and confidence, reduce stress and anxiety, and address a wide range of health concerns with a wealth of inspiring exercises and tips. Explore all five types of breathing in the Eastern tradition - each related to a particular…
I am a highly experienced outdoorsman, musician, songwriter, and backcountry guide who chose teaching as a day job. As a writer, however, I am a promoter of creative and literary nonfiction, especially nonfiction that features a thematic thread, whether it be philosophical, conservation, historical, or even unique experiential. The thread I used for thirty years of teaching high school and honors English was the thread of Conservation, as exemplified by authors like Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Edward O. Wilson, Al Gore, Henry David Thoreau, as well as many other more contemporary authors.
I have woven numerous delightful and descriptive true life stories, many from my adventures as an outdoorsman and singer songwriter, into my life as a high school English teacher. I think you'll find this work both entertaining as well as informative, and I hope you enjoy the often lighthearted repartee and dialogue that enhances the stories and experiences.
When I started teaching in the early 1990s, I brought into the classroom with me my passions for nature, folk music, and creativity. This book holds something new and engaging with every chapter and can be enjoyed by all sorts of readers, particularly those who enjoy nonfiction that employs wit, wisdom, humor, and even some down-to-earth philosophy.
Creativity, Teaching, and Natural Inspiration follows the evolution of a high school English teacher as he develops a creative and innovative teaching style despite being juxtaposed against a public education system bent on didactic, normalizing regulations and political demands. Doherty crafts an engaging nonfiction story that utilizes memoir, anecdote, poetry, and dialogue to explore how mixing creativity and pedagogy can change the way budding students visualize creative writing: A chunk of firewood plunked on a classroom table becomes part of a sawmill, a mine timber, an Anasazi artifact...it also becomes a poem, a song, an essay, and a memoir. The…
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