Recommendations based on "The Ikigai Journey A Practical Guide to Finding Happiness and Purpose the Japanese Way"

Mental health is . . . being yourself.A prescriptive and positive guide, illustrated with line drawings, making the case that mental well-being, like physical health, can be strengthened over time and with specific techniquesWe all want to feel less anxiety, guilt, anger and sadness. We want to obsess less and be less lonely, free ourselves from our demons, compulsive habits, and stress. But as humans (unlike rocks) we experience all of these. And paradoxically, trying to avoid and control them only makes things worse.Having struggled with serious mental illness for many years himself, Mark Freeman has become a dedicated mental-health advocate and coach. He makes the case that instead of trying to feel less and avoid pain and stress, we need to build emotional fitness, especially our capacity for strength, balance and focus. With wit, compassion, and depth of experience and anecdotes, he shows that we can recover from many mental disorders, from mild to very serious, at all ages and stages of life, and even if other methods have failed. Freeman's innovative approach makes use of a range of therapeutic techniques, mindfulness training, peer support, humor, and common sense.

A neuroscientist’s powerful framework for enhancing quality of life through the regulation of four key hormones: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins.The brain’s ability to change and adapt is one of the most powerful tools we can harness to create positive changes in our lives. Renowned neuroscientist and co-founder of Neurify, TJ Power, believes in the human ability to optimize and rewire brain chemistry to unlock one’s full potential. However, to do so, one must first implement a series of practical, life changing strategies.The Dose Effect reveals the secrets of our brain chemistry, offering simple and accessible ways to make modifications to your lifestyle that can transform your brain. Drawing on clinical expertise and cutting-edge science, Power explores how biohacking your brain can not only enhance cognitive performance but also improve the aspects of your life that ultimately control a happier, healthier, and more productive lifestyle.The Dose Effect proves the intrinsic connection between lifestyle factors and mental and physical wellbeing Split into four sections, this essential guidebook provides the most effective techniques for understanding the key hormones that rule our thinking and our behaviors:1. Dopamine, the motivation and reward drug of the brain.2. Oxytocin, the “Great Facilitator of Life.”3. Serotonin, the “Confidence Chemical.”4. Endorphins, the chemical warriors responsible for reducing stress and pain.Research-driven and deeply inspiring, Power’s revolutionary strategies allow readers to harness behaviors and practices to improve mental health, manage stress, elevate mood, and promote overall wellness. His key findings include the influence of effortful activity on dopamine production, the significance of social connection in oxytocin levels, the value of connecting with nature and maintaining gut health for optimal serotonin levels, and the beneficial effects of physical exertion and laughter on endorphin release. By emphasizing the importance of understanding and optimizing our brain chemistry, this revolutionary book offers a path to a more fulfilled and meaningful life for all that are willing to take the first step.

***NATIONAL BESTSELLER***STOP FOR A MOMENT.Are you here right now?Is your focus on this page? Or is it roaming elsewhere, to the past or future, to a worry, to your to-do list, or to your phone?Whether you're simply browsing, talking to friends, or trying to stay focused in an important meeting, you can't seem to manage to hang on to your attention. No matter how hard you try, you're somewhere else. The consequence is that you miss out on 50 percent of your life—including the most important moments.The good news: There's nothing wrong with you—your brain isn't broken. The human brain was built to be distractible.The even better news: You can train your brain to pay attention more effectively.Stay with me a little longer and soon you will be able to: Focus without all the struggle. Take back your attention from the pull of distraction. And function at your peak, for all that truly matters in your life.

An inspiring guide to contemplative photography and a slow creative process, including hands-on assignments, and inspirational stories, illustrated with fifty photographs.In a world where millions of images are shot every day and fast-paced environments can exhaust and stifle creativity, The Mindful Photographer proposes a simple antidote: slowing down. Through twenty concepts as varied as “Confidence,” “Gratitude,” and “Compassion,” combined with hands-on assignments, author Sophie Howarth invites readers to reflect on their photographic practice and learn to pause, pay attention, and become more attuned with the world around them.Ranging from the canonical to the contemporary, The Mindful Photographer features the work of photographers including Edward Weston, Kali Spitzer, Nadav Kander, Thomas Merton, Sarker Protick, and many more. Their photographs are accompanied by quotes, stories, and anecdotes to both inspire the reader, and broaden their photographic knowledge and creative perspectives.Putting aside preconceived ideas and the competitive pressures of picture-perfect Instagram posts, this book rewires our relationship to photographic practice as one to be understood as unconditionally joyful and rewarding. Howarth’s insightful texts work as a guide to both a mindful approach to photography, and as a photographic approach to meditation. Offered in an affordable format, this will be the must-have companion for anyone seeking a more mindful approach to engaging with their world through photography. 50 color illustrations

A lively exploration of contemporary Buddhism from one of its most admired teachersDo you feel at home right now? Or do you sense a hovering anxiety or uncertainty, an underlying unease that makes you feel just a bit uncomfortable, a bit distracted and disconnected from those around you?In The Road Home, Ethan Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, investigates the journey each of us takes to find where we belong. Drawing from contemporary research on meditation and mindfulness and his experience as a Buddhist teacher and practitioner, Nichtern describes in fresh and deeply resonant terms the basic existential experience that gives rise to spiritual seeking―and also to its potentially dangerous counterpart, spiritual materialism. He reveals how our individual quests for self-awareness ripple forward into relationships, communities, and society at large. And he explains exactly how, by turning our awareness to what's happening around us and inside us, we become able to enhance our sense of connection with others and, at the same time, change for the better our individual and collective patterns of greed, apathy, and inattention.In this wise and witty invitation to Buddhist meditation, Nichtern shows how, in order to create a truly compassionate and enlightened society, we must start with ourselves. And this means beginning by working with our own minds―in whatever state we find them in.

The culmination of a lifetime of counselling, lecturing and writing, M. Scott Peck's book leads us to a deeper awareness of how to live rich, fulfilling lives in a world fraught with stress and anxiety. Writing with a depth of understanding that comes with the seasoned perspective of age, Dr Peck continues the journey of spiritual growth that began with The Road Less Travelled, one of the most influential books of modern times. To the famous opening line of that book - 'Life is difficult' he now adds 'Life is complex'. But the greatest challenge, he reminds us, is to learn to deal with life's conflicts, problems and paradoxes to find the true simplicity that lies on the other side of complexity. The journey to serenity and peace, Dr Peck writes, can only be made with increasing self-awareness and social awareness. There are no easy answers for complex problems. The work of learning and growth is hard. And yet he shows us that there is a way to think with integrity, to know the difference between good and evil, to overcome narcissism, to love and be loved, to live with paradox, to accept the consequences of our actions all through life, and to come to terms with dying and death.0000000000.

A revelatory new theory of consciousness that returns emotions to the center of mental life.For Mark Solms, one of the boldest thinkers in contemporary neuroscience, discovering how consciousness comes about has been a lifetime’s quest. Scientists consider it the "hard problem" because it seems an impossible task to understand why we feel a subjective sense of self and how it arises in the brain. Venturing into the elementary physics of life, Solms has now arrived at an astonishing answer. In The Hidden Spring, he brings forward his discovery in accessible language and graspable analogies. Solms is a frank and fearless guide on an extraordinary voyage from the dawn of neuropsychology and psychoanalysis to the cutting edge of contemporary neuroscience, adhering to the medically provable. But he goes beyond other neuroscientists by paying close attention to the subjective experiences of hundreds of neurological patients, many of whom he treated, whose uncanny conversations expose much about the brain’s obscure reaches. Most importantly, you will be able to recognize the workings of your own mind for what they really are, including every stray thought, pulse of emotion, and shift of attention. The Hidden Spring will profoundly alter your understanding of your own subjective experience.

Instant New York Times Advice & Business Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, and Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller! A New York Times Noteworthy Pick and a "stellar work" by Publishers Weekly From the bestselling authors of The Daily Stoic comes an inspiring guide to the lives of the Stoics, and what the ancients can teach us about happiness, success, resilience and virtue. Nearly 2,300 years after a ruined merchant named Zeno first established a school on the Stoa Poikile of Athens, Stoicism has found a new audience among those who seek greatness, from athletes to politicians and everyone in between. It's no wonder; the philosophy and its embrace of self-mastery, virtue, and indifference to that which we cannot control is as urgent today as it was in the chaos of the Roman Empire. In Lives of the Stoics, Holiday and Hanselman present the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of Courage. Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Organized in digestible, mini-biographies of all the well-known--and not so well-known--Stoics, this book vividly brings home what Stoicism was like for the people who loved it and lived it, dusting off powerful lessons to be learned from their struggles and successes. More than a mere history book, every example in these pages, from Epictetus to Marcus Aurelius--slaves to emperors--is designed to help the reader apply philosophy in their own lives. Holiday and Hanselman unveil the core values and ideas that unite figures from Seneca to Cato to Cicero across the centuries. Among them are the idea that self-rule is the greatest empire, that character is fate; how Stoics benefit from preparing not only for success, but failure; and learn to love, not merely accept, the hand they are dealt in life. A treasure of valuable insights and stories, this book can be visited again and again by any reader in search of inspiration from the past.

If you are looking for a practical guide to help you achieve peak health, increased energy in your day, optimal weight and a calm mindset even amidst chaos, then The Satvic Revolution is for you.Authors Subah and Harshvardhan battled chronic diseases for many years. After trying all available solutions with no success, they turned to natural health wisdom. They adopted seven life-changing habits, using which, they were able to fully heal themselves. In this book, they share these with you.These habits draw from the best of both worlds--ancient wisdom and modern science. While the first four elevate your physical health, the last three focus on deeper aspects that are often overlooked--your mental and spiritual health.Designed to be an easy and fun read, this book includes engaging stories, illustrations and activities, making sure you never have a dull moment throughout your journey.

Our lives have become increasingly stressful. How can we turn this stress into strength and resilience? Whether it's our to-do lists, deadlines, difficult conversations or crises small or large, our waking hours are filled with constant stressors. We can't eliminate stress - it will always be woven into our lives and part of everything from parenting and careers, to reaching big life dreams. However, this book will help you to 'stress better' and become more resilient. World-renowned psychologist, Dr Elissa Epel, distils her years of research into a practical seven-day plan to transform our relationship with stress in just seven days. The secret to tackling stress is not to avoid it but to experience it differently. She offers simple, actionable, science-based techniques that offer immediate relief, such as how to- Expect the unexpected and learn to be flexible Control what you can and put down the rest Meet challenges with excitement Harness your stress response for resilience, better health, and longevity Gain perspective and let nature shrink stress Find deep rest and regenerative energy Discover and capture what brings you joy Ultimately, stress is inevitable, but it doesn't have to wear us down. The Seven-Day Stress Prescription will equip you with a healthier mindset and the resources you need to turn stress into strength and a tool that helps us to grow.