Bøger af Donald Altman

Rewire Your Brain for ResilienceDid you ever wish you knew the secret to bouncing back from life's toughest roadblocks, wounds and obstacles? According to psychotherapist, international mindfulness expert and former Buddhist monk Donald Altman, there is no secret. There is simply the skill of applying mindfulness to whatever new problem knocks on your door each day. It works because mindfulness rewires your brain and dramatically changes your relationship to the problem. The 101 mindfulnesss 'tools' in this book will give you newfound hope, optimism and strength. These are simple, yet powerful, mindfulness practices that you can apply in just a minute or two-whether you're facing something extremely annoying or seemingly insurmountable. Those who know you may think you've found a secret elixir to wash away your problems. But you'll know the secret is retraining your brain with Simply Mindful Resilience. Build Resilience with Calm, Clarity, Optimism & HappinessThe four sections in Simply Mindful Resilience support positive change and overcoming obstacles of all kinds.CALM prepares you for responding, not reacting. These CALM practices reduce your stress levels and promote overall well-being and health.CLARITY optimizes your brain's executive thinking center. Instead of 'flipping your lid, ' you'll clearly and thoughtfully be able to problem solve the best course of action in the moment.OPTIMISM is a positive mindset that counters negativity and 'can't do' thinking. With these practices you'll retrain your attention and use it to uplift you and offer hope when you need it most.HAPPINESS is closer than you think. These tools will nurture relationships and resources so you'll feel better and move forward with a sense of joy, meaning and purpose.REVIEWS "Delightful. Wise. Practical. Altman immediately brings the reader into a mindful moment. He makes the cultivation of calm, clarity, optimism and happiness not only doable but inviting-and it's one minute at a time. Nurture resilience and joy not by blocking whatever may be difficult, but through acknowledgment, acceptance and appreciation. Simply Mindful Resilience helps us remember that where we place our attention makes a difference. It empowers us to build resilience every day."- Elana Rosenbaum, MS, MSW, BCD, author of Being Well "Donald Altman's Simply Mindful Resilience is the essential resilience toolkit on how to turn self-doubt and negative thinking into affirmation of one's own abilities. It is filled with innovative and engaging mindfulness methods for enhancing people skills and building resiliency. This must-read book will enhance your attitude and life with greater clarity, confidence, and optimism! Powerful, uplifting and hopeful. I highly recommend it!"- John Baldoni, international leadership coach, author of Grace Under Pressure "Each minute-long chapter will help you create that special mindful space to manage life stress and enrich not only the rest of your day, but the rest of your life."- Jean L. Kristeller, PhD, author of The Joy of Half a Cookie AUTHOR BIODonald Altman, MA, LPC, is a psychotherapist, former Buddhist monk, and award-winning author of over 20 books who has trained over 15,000 healthcare professionals on how to use mindfulness to overcome depression, anxiety, pain and stress. His best-selling The Mindfulness Toolbox won two national awards, and his inspiring novel Travelers received two Indie Book Awards. He is also the writer and creator of the "Simply Mindful" Series of books.

In Art of the Inner Meal, award-winning writer, psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk Donald Altman celebrates the sacred side of eating by exploring the role of food in different religious traditions from around the world. Hindu concepts of food enhance our awareness of the cycle of life, and help us to break our own unhealthy eating habits. The Buddhist approach liberates consciousness through eating in moderation, with compassion and loving-kindness. Jewish tradition focuses on making each meal holy and wholesome. For Christians, meals are a time to strengthen community and enhance communion. Islam's blend of peace and faith provides insight, knowledge, and experience about our inner personal meal. Eating with awareness brings us into the moment, helping us understand what it means to be alive and connecting us to the mystery and source of all living things. Directing attention to how we choose, prepare, and eat our food can offer satisfaction and gratify more than our physical need for sustenance. Art of the Inner Meal explores the joys of giving and receiving, the art of fasting, the reasons why the wisdom traditions recommend some foods while prohibiting others, and how awareness of what we consume can affect the environment. Many of the world's religions value the simple act of eating as a powerful means of self-discovery and spiritual transcendence. By understanding the spiritual meaning of food for cultures around the world and creating new rituals and traditions for our own families, we can strengthen family bonds, encourage love, and deepen our connection to the community. "Whatever your religious affiliation, background, or tradition, you have a unique opportunity to create a personalized inner meal path," says Altman. REVIEWS: This delicious printed meal is a sacred banquet. Art of the Inner Meal will artfully satisfy our hunger for spiritual fulfillment.-Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within Altman draws on a range of religious traditions in fashioning an alternative to today's hurried, harried consumption. A useful reminder. -Kirkus Reviews A wonderful read for anyone who struggles with food issues. -Spirit Magazine In this short, effective book, Altman (a former Theravada Buddhist monk who is a two-time Emmy Award-winning writer) discusses the Hindu, Buddhist and Catholic monastic approaches to fasting and eating in moderation, practices he believes can lead to a heightened spiritual awareness. He also describes the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Islamic customs for using ritual meals to enhance family and communal life. Jewish dietary restrictions, for example, elevate food and "all of life" from the realm of the ordinary to the sacred, while Sabbath dinners and Passover seders make meals "a tangible remembrance of things past." The Japanese Zen tea ceremony, Altman writes in the book's most interesting chapter, is a process that builds both spiritual awareness and community. Altman provides specific and practical advice for daily application of the general principles he explains; for example, he shows how a short, moderate fast can demonstrate that hunger is a learned, yet controllable, response. His monk's training is evident in his especially useful description of how habits influence response and limit one's ability to change and grow spiritually. Each chapter closes with a handy "Practice" suggestion for initiating home rituals or cultivating more mindfulness of food and hunger. This book will appeal to a wide audience of general spirituality readers as well as to those who seek more meaning in the rituals of preparing, sharing and eating food." -Publishers Weekly His compelling accounts make for fascinating reading.-The Oregonian

A Fresh Start to a Healthy Emotional LifeIs emotional clutter blocking success in your personal and professional life? You’ve likely heard about the psychological benefits of clearing out the clutter in your surroundings, but how do you handle your emotional clutter — the psychological version of the jam-packed closet or impenetrable garage? Shutting away and trying to hide old pains and traumas creates toxic patterns that can keep you from having the life of your dreams. Integrating mindfulness and cutting-edge neuroscience, international mindfulness expert Donald Altman teaches how to modify entrenched habits and patterns with only a few minutes of attention daily.Altman first helps you realize what your baggage consists of and how to transform or jettison it. He then shows how to avoid the daily danger of accumulating new emotional clutter. No matter how fraught your life or relationships may be, you can cleanse, heal, or accept the old wounds, mistakes, and disappointments. With Altman’s lifestyle tools, you’ll discover how to address your past, better deal with the present, and cultivate the best possible future. Start fresh with Clearing Emotional Clutter.

If you feel like you've been stuck repeating the same problems over and over or lost in endless distraction, don't worry. That may just be a signal that it's time for you to embark on an exciting new path of self-evolution. Reflect taps into your unique human capacity for accessing meaning, presence and wisdom in 108 inspiring, affirming, and illuminating reflections. You'll journal, reflect, and practice, to discover the wonder and stillness of presence that exist for you, not tomorrow, but in this next awakening moment.

Being fully in the moment is harder than it sounds, as anyone who has tried not to think about the past or future while meditating can attest. Yet the rewards of present-moment awareness, or mindfulness, are so great that in Buddhist psychology, it is considered a path to enlightenment. But what about the mundane thorns in that path, things like difficult coworkers, parenting challenges, and bad habits? Donald Altman brings the benefits of mindfulness down to earth and into everyday life. The fifty exercises and practices here build awareness and center attention in ways that free readers to savor routine pleasures, build fulfillment in work, enhance and heal relationships, reduce stress, change unhealthy behaviors, and connect to peace even in the midst of chaos or uncertainty. Simple yet profound, Altman's techniques illuminate how to take countless baby steps toward enlightenment on any given day.