Being Selfish: My Journey from Escort to Monk to Grandmother

by Sarah Marshank

In Being Selfish we meet Sarah facing a second unplanned pregnancy at the age of twenty-two. Her conservative Jewish, politically liberal, middle-class American upbringing fails to provide her with meaningful comfort or guidance. Depressed and disillusioned, she sets out on a twenty-year pilgrimage to explore sex, God, and herself. Her forays into orthodox Judaism, the sex trade, and new age spirituality don’t satisfy the depth of her longing for authenticity. Then she meets Sam, a New York baby boomer turned monk. living a life unplugged from society in remote rural Oregon. When Sarah realizes what Sam is up to, she abandons her career, friends, and family to dive into a disciplined life of meditation, yoga, fasting, and silence. It wasn’t her original intention to spend a decade in isolation, but that’s what it took for Sarah to discover who she really is, though not without paying a price.

Genres: Memoir

364 pages, Paperback

Published March 21, 2016

About the author

Sarah Marshank MEd. is the the founder of Selfistry, a comprehensive integrative educational system for mastering the art of being human. She is the author of the Being Selfish: My Journey for Escort to Monk to Grandmother. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Sarah teaches and speaks internationally, facilitates on line courses, and works one-on one with individuals. Sarah's embodied teaching and presence come from spending ten years in retreat. Her life’s purpose, articulated and expressed through Selfistry, integrates Eastern and Western philosophy and psychology with meditative and somatic practices.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having met Sarah and briefly hearing her story, I was intrigued to dive deeper with her book. It does not disappoint. Her openness about her journey is refreshing.