Self Esteem, Meditation, Stress, Confidence - book hunt

[Walnutshell]

I'm on a book one this week.

So, help me fill my Amazon cart... I would like some recommendations for books on self-esteem and meditation if anyone can make them,

Thanks x

[barking]

my top recommendation would be The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle - try not to be put off by the title as I was for a few years, it is by far the most life changing book I have ever read. His other books are very good too.
If interested in Buddhism, I would recommend 'Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen though you can't beat going to a meditation class - I stuck my head in books for years and the best thing I ever did was to find the courage to walk into a meditation class - I've been going for the last 2 years and have learnt so much and met the most lovely people.
power of now
buddhism plain and simple

[Walnutshell]

The Power of Now as opposed to Practising The Power of Now - or both perhaps?

Looks very very interesting, I am putting it into the Amazon cart for another look tomorrow. Trolley wheels now positively groaning. Thank you for your recommendations.

Hmm, so a meditation class? OK, that sounds good. I'll have a look to see if I can find something. Whether I'd have the courage to attend though...

[bobbiewickham]

Try 'The Joy Diet'.

Can't remember who it's by - I've lent it out, but it's an easy read and very life-affirming.

[barking]

Sorry - meant 'the power of now'. though i have heard some of his cd's are very good. he has a website somewhere, i shall try and find it tomorrow as i am off to the land of nod

[Walnutshell]

Thanks, I'm going to look at The Joy Diet now and have put The Power of Now in the basket...

[Walnutshell]

barking - THANK YOU for recommending The Power of Now. XXX

[startouchedtrinity]

Also get Loving what Is by Byron Katie on your next trip to Amazon.

[Walnutshell]

Thanks Star, I'm going to look at that now.

[iris66]

"From Stress to Success" (so sorry can't remember the author but I was lent the book & it help me lift myself out of an awful time)

[Walnutshell]

Does it have a picture of butterflies on the front? If so, it is by Xandria Williams.
Thanks, I'll have a look at that too.

"Loving what is" in Amazon basket ready for next order

[startouchedtrinity]

I find with Loving What Is I get more from it every time I go back to it. I've since bought her other books and am now reading up on the Tao Te Ching and mindfulness as a result. LWI really has changed how I think. I've managed to make peace with the fact I couldn't bfeed two of my three dcs - not only accept it, but actually embrace it.

[barking]

have you managed to have a look at it? Such an important book, I keep giving my copies away. I don't know where in the uk you are, but I have recently been told there are 'power of now' groups who meet up and watch/listen to his talks and discuss which all sounds rather intriguing..;

Another book I found recently is 'when fear falls away' haven't started reading it yet but will post on this thread if any good.
I have a bunch of books that combine buddhism and parenting which may be useful - I could list them if interested.
Do you know what you want from the books/what you are looking for?

[startouchedtrinity]

barking, after this thread I started to listen to The Power of Now last night (Ekhart Tolle's voice is very soft and I'd tried listening to it during the day with the dcs around!) I love the idea of watching the 'you' that is the thinker. Have you read 'The Miracle of Mindfulness' by Thich Nhat Hanh? That was recommended to me by my Reiki teacher and looks very good - haven't read it yet as I have so little time.

I hope Walnutshell doesn't mind me crashing in but I would be interested in the list of Buddhist parenting books you have. I'm really interested in Taoism but it's not so accessible in the UK and many of the ideas are quite similar and can be practised alongside each other (have a thread on this over on Philosophy and Religion). I have a really good book called the Tao of Motherhood which is lovely to dip into.

How did you find your meditation class? I'm in a rural area and these things seem to be thin on the ground, although there is yoga and Tai Chi about. The chances of bumping into a Taoist master do seem slim...

[Walnutshell]

Crash away star and I'll let you know how I get on with LWI once ordered and read! I would be really interested in the parenting/buddhism references too, barking.

Hmm, what am I looking for? Well, an end to the constant analysing of how I should have lived my life, the opportunities I have missed, the time wasted and a sense of meaning about life which I believe can be hard to find unless you are fully immersed in a religion. This is why I am finding The Power of Now so interesting - about 2/3 way through and taking my time to read it. Would love to know if anyone has managed to silence their thoughts...

Oh, I'm in Devon by the way. No idea if any meditation classes nearby (could look online?)- I've only lived here since May - suspect there might be some in Totnes rather than Torbay where I live!

[BBBee]

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho - a wonderful self esteem book disguised as a novel.

Wonderful.

[filthymindedvixen]

I had a beautiful book called Buddhism for Mothers, but I forgt who it is by (and have lent it to someone else). Very good, even for non-buddhists, just remaining calm and accepting the moments and finding little pockets of joy amongst the hurly burly etc

[Walnutshell]

Thank you - have looked on Amazon (they will be sending me Christmas cards at this rate ) and added to basket as both look really interesting.

Oh, the "Buddhism for Mothers" book is by Sarah Napthali.

[startouchedtrinity]

Walnutshell am at you being near barking and having a mate to go to all those wonderful places with! I live in Mid Anglia and it only takes just over an hour to get to London but I think I'd find a more cosmopolitan outlook in the Hebrides!

barking, I think we may have talked before about meditation, I used to be nearlythree and was having trouble b/c when I meditated I was getting really violent/distressing images. Have decided tiredness was a big thing in that and I don't meditate when I am exhausted - which doesn't leave that many opportunities! I too have three dcs, aged 5, 3 and 16 mo and it is like groundhog day. But I love the very bones of them and am really not looking forward to dd1 going back to school and dd2 going to pre-school. I would like to teach the dcs to meditate eventually. Dd1 loves having Reiki and is a big angel fan!

Thanks for the book ideas, will look at them on Amazon as soon as I get the chance. (they keep telling me how much money I could make if I sold my past purchases which means I get reminded how much I've spent on there )

[barking]

Hi Startouchedtrinity - I too have a big problem with the evil amazon! They must be stopped! I do remember you and understand having 3 is so utterly exhausting, I too love mine to bits but I am feeling like I am swimming in treacle - if only I could have a week off I could be the perfect mother. My parents received a letter this week that my eldest had secretly written and posted - he had even drawn his own stamp asking to go and live with them for a year as mummy was 'very tired'
Sorry that you are so far away. I have been on a couple of weekend retreats at Sharpham which are quite reasonable, you pay the centre for the course fee, then a donation of what you can afford to the teacher. They also have day retreats or the option to be non-residential which I am lucky enough to do which saves futher. Some of the teachers travel up and down the country doing courses so maybe there is somewhere nearby? It is becoming much more mainstream now, especially in the NHS under the name of 'mindfulness' or mindfulness based cognitive therapy (mbct). I guess they can't mention Buddhism for fear of scaring people away, which is a shame as I feel I owe so much to it - meditation has helped rewire my brain.....most of the time!

[Earthymama]

Little hijack....I've promised myself to stop reading and start doing as I'm hiding behind a large pile of books!

Can you tell me about Reiki?
I went to Chalice Well at Glastonbury at the weekend; there was a Healing event and I had an aromatherapy taster session, which included Reiki, it was incredible!!
I was just floating off the bed....what are your experiences?
Don't be offended if I don't reply immediately, I'm mega busy at the moment and just sneak on when I can.

[startouchedtrinity]

Barking - yes, it is like groundhog day, isn't it? I'm trying to declutter so I can Space Clear the house but as fast as I do anything it gets undone again. That really is my priority atm as we have had a pretty tough time since moving into this house and it seems to have soaked up the negativity. Sorry I disappeared abruptly last time, I forced myself to cancel my membership as I was on here too much. As I am again! I think I will have to do a net search, I don't know any local Buddhists, although the various churches here are so massive that not to be Christian is a bit odd. I was myself until early this year - I gradually lost my faith over a couple of years' until I couldn't fight it any more.

Earthymama, I am more than happy to chat about Reiki. It is amazing, isn't it? Well, it was founded by a Buddhist in Japan but you don't have to have any faith to practise it and my teacher has taught everyone from atheists to pagans to priests. Originally it was intended for self-help and improvement rather than as a treatment for others and it is in the West that it has developed as a therapy. I decided to become empowered/attuned b/c my dcs were getting ill, esp. dd2 who was very sick last year, and like many mums I had held her in the night praying that I would be able to heal her, trying to project my love into her to make her well. I'd remembered a mum on here saying she used Reiki on her SN dcs so thought I'd give it a go.

Before my course I didn't believe in chakras or meridians, and although I understood the principles behind energy and vibration it wasn't something I had any experience of - a crystal was just a stone to me, for example. My expereinces of alternative therapies ahd mostly been negative and I was prepared for another let-down. I went in and tried to feel energy off my teacher's hand and couldn't. After being empowered I could feel and incredibly strong push of energy, like magnetic repulsion. Being empowered is a bit like having a mega Reiki treatment and I goth three in a day! I learned how to balance chakras and get energy to flow through meridians.

Dd1 loves it and regularly asks for Reiki at bedtime, it has brought her 'growing pains' under control. When the three dcs had bad colds I used it on all of them, and I could feel a massive amount of heat in my hands around the head, throat and nose areas, that went when the colds did. For myself it has helped with a food intolerance. It has also helped with guided meditation in that I can visualise light and energy which I couldn't before, and with yoga in that I now work from the inside. I can feel energy off my crystals. Dh, who is a total sceptic, was so freaked out when I balanced his chakras that he hasn't let me do it since!

I'm happy to let you know who I was empowered with if you're interested. It makes no sense why spending a few hours with someone who does some symbols in the air and sends you energy and touches your shoulder should mean that suddenly you can do these things but it's what happened. I really would recommend anyone with dcs to do Reiki level 1, even if you don't want to be a practitioner.

[Walnutshell]

Hello all, am back after a pleasant but tiring few days entertaining friends who stayed with us. Thank you for your posts.

Barking - you really are close by! I'd love to go to a centre with you (thanks) although I'd be massively nervous --- ! (Know what you mean about M&S, we were at Dartmouth Regatta yesterday and I knew the locals had plenty of cash when I could only find M&S as a food outlet! Tasty though.)

Star - I am impressed with your Reiki skills - how were you "empowered"? It sounds fascinating.

I have to go now but will try and come back later and reply more fully and check out the booklist, thanks b.

[startouchedtrinity]

Hi, Walnut. I wouldn't say I have Reiki 'skills', just I have Reiki. 'Skills' implies work or talent, wheras anyone who has been empowered (some Masters call it attuned) can do what I do. I was empowered by a very nice, down to earth lady who got me to close my eyes and put my hands in the 'gasso' prayer position, then she stood across the room from me and I could sense she was doing something with her hands. Then she did the same thing directly in front of me, and then she put her hands on my shoulders. One minute I couldn't feel energy off her, then afterwards I could feel it so strongly it pushed my hand away from her body. I know this makes me sound like a flake but it's what happened,and the fact that when I use Reiki on others they describe a similar sensation to what I have proves to me that it is not auto-suggestion.

[Walnutshell]

Thanks for your post, Star - read it a while ago but have been so busy I have neglected MN. I expect I'll "see" you on other threads related to this topic - am very interested, just very busy at the mo. Barking, I'm still interested in going to a centre if you are around. Best wishes.