Girls Seeks Bliss: Zen and the Art of Modern Life Maintenance

The title of this book, written by Nicole Beland, a self-proclaimed Buddhist herself, says it all. And it says it with a lot fewer words and a lot of hip language, too, that really help in understanding Buddhist beliefs.

Ever thought of being a Buddhist? This is the book for you- a great intro lesson to the Eight-fold path and the Four Noble truths, and Beland does it all while demystifying Eastern religion. She also goes over meditation as a stress reliever, and is surprisingly comprehensive in how to go about it effectively. We all think about this stuff, but Beland puts it in easy enough terms to actually try it.
The book reveals how simple gestures convey “intentions to the body and mind and therefore lead to a more satisfying experience.” Who doesn’t experience "Monkey Mind," when thoughts just seem to jump from one branch to another? Advice on what to really concentrate on will definitely help lead to a more serene path. Yoga is one way this book suggests getting more centered, and if you’ve tried it, you know how awesome the experience can be. Simply the postures you use encourage -encourage self- awareness, balance, breathing, release, equanimity and compassion, and Beland explains how.

This truly is a great guide to applying Zen to a busy, contemporary life and offers compassionate encouragement while attempting to show us how to replace our convoluted thoughts with true sensory awareness. It’s not an easy task, but this book makes it manageable, and it’s a fun read, too. Enjoy!
-L

There's No Place Like Hope

I picked this book up at Gilda’s Club one night as I was waiting for a meeting to start, and I couldn’t seem to put it down. The title is right on the money, as its totally true when it says the writings are “bite-size”- most are only a page long at the most, but they provide a lot of thought and insight into the nature of a cancer diagnosis. The author, Vickie Girard, although herself fought 10 years of metastasic breast cancer, makes it a point to focus not so much on the details and treatment of her particular diagnosis, but tries to focus on the struggle of cancer in general and life as a patient. For her ability to do this, I commend her, and for her honest approach to feeling terribly selfish some days and eternally grateful on others. I also appreciate the way she makes no amends about how incredible nurses are and how they affect the patient in tremendous ways. Though at times a little maudlin, I can’t argue that the thoughts and feelings this author expressed were very real and many times present in my life at moments of treatment. And I definitely recommend it to everyone: there’s so many quips and proverbs, you’ll be sure to pick up something you can use, including lots of inspiration and positive thinking. I’ve seen several reviews on this book, including one by a cancer patient who wrote, ”I finished my treatment in November 2004 - eight months later, this book is still on my bedside table, because, as the book so smartly notes, nights are darker and scarier and lonelier when you're up thinking about cancer. Sometimes it helps to turn on the light, and flip through this book.”

Yeah, it could work for that. Of course, Ativan helps, too. Just kidding. Well, not really. Anyway, enjoy. -L