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The Urban Monk: Eastern Wisdom and Modern Hacks to Stop Time and Find Success, Happiness, and Peace

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No hace falta que te recluyas en un templo para encontrar el equilibrio y esa sensación de calma que tanto anhelas, el doctor en Medicina Oriental, sacerdote taoísta y maestro del chi kung, Pedram Shojai te ayudará a cambiar tu vida. «Con una combinación de medicina moderna occidental y sabiduría ancestral oriental, el doctor Pedram Shojai comparte con nosotros un vanguardista pero sencillo programa que te ayudará a quemar grasa, potenciar tu energía y optimizar tu vida, para convertirte en un auténtico monje urbano incluso en las circunstancias más estresantes. ¡No te lo puedes perder!»
J.J. Virgin «Este libro, escrito para ser leído de un tirón, combina la sabiduría ancestral taoísta y la ciencia cerebral moderna para ofrecer cientos de consejos prácticos que te ayudarán a sentirte mejor ya ser mejor desde ahora. Divertido, directo y honesto, Pedram Shojai se convierte en un buen maestro y amigo de confianza que nos ofrece toda una serie de consejos útiles.»
Rick Hanson

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2016

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
Profile Image for JDK1962.
1,439 reviews20 followers
May 19, 2016
I liked this, but I found the authorial presence a bit wearing as the book progressed. There's some really good observations and advice, then there's some stuff that just made me say "wha....?". Just for some context, I'm a skeptic by nature, but am still meditating and doing yoga in the spirit of hope. :)

Anyway, I think I got some ideas out of this, and I definitely think he's pointed in the right direction. Unfortunately, his BS filter is (IMHO) set on "Oprah" so exercise some due diligence. One example is in the resource section, where he recommends Centerpointe Research; a quick Google search turned up reviews/articles (at scambust.org, beyondgrowth.net, and others) that would make me think pretty hard and do a hell of a lot more research and looking for alternatives before I turn over hundreds of dollars to these guys.

People who don't want to read (about) four letter words should stop reading now.

I had a Norwegian colleague a number of years ago who used to swear inappropriately. Apparently, when he learned his English (which was very good), he learned to wildly overuse various curse words, and instead of being used for emphasis, they just felt random. That's what this book seemed like to me: casual use of curse words that feels off-putting at first, and then as you progress through the book, is even more off-putting. And I don't even consider myself someone who is put off by coarse language (certainly not by sh-t or f-ck).

An example from p. 160: "Sure, getting into the wild is awesome, but let's face it: We've all got jobs and shit to do in town." I would think the an "urban monk," rather than doing "shit" in town (implying things of little intrinsic value) would be better served by finding a way of cutting out those worthless tasks. The emphasis provided by "shit" is just weird. If he had said "We've all got jobs and things to do in town," there's no judgement of the tasks being done in town. Of course, this could just be me being picky...but I felt it was either a strange use of the word, or just the way he talks and he wanted to carry that into his writing for some reason ("Yo, I'm gonna f-ck your sh-t up, homes.").
Profile Image for Doug.
2,538 reviews911 followers
March 13, 2016
This wasn't horrible, just not very enlightening either - mainly a lot of the same generic self-help stuff that has been recycled ad nauseum. The 'woo-woo' is kept to a minimum though (other than a few shout outs to ayahuasca and shamanism!) and there are some links to his website that are helpful. Two minor complaints...for a spiritually enlightened guy, he uses 'shit', 'crap' (and even a couple of f-bombs) a lot! Secondly, whenever he is talking about Urban Monks he uses feminine pronouns, which I initially thought nice ...until he switched to male pronouns on the chapter about money ...sexism much? Why not just use gender non-specific ones instead (i.e., they, their)?
Profile Image for Jaclyn Day.
736 reviews349 followers
February 22, 2016
This is one of many in a long list of Buddhist-style self help books available now. It’s not the best, and it’s not the most memorable, and often it can feel more like scrolling a well-edited Pinterest feed rather than reading a book. But—and this is a big but—if you need a reminder to slow down and practice self-care, there is no better cheerleader than Shojai. From sleep to exercise to eating to meditation, Shojai continually reinforces the importance of stress management. If this means cutting back on intense exercise, so be it. If this means sleeping an extra hour or two, fine. Still, the book is merely good, not great, and you can probably glean the same information from Shojai's recent promo interviews.
Profile Image for Kyle Crider.
35 reviews2 followers
February 6, 2017
I couldn't finish this book. While the scientific benefits of meditation are well-documented, and I can abide the religious mysticism wrappings even if I don't believe in them, I found the anti-science nonsense (e.g., dangers of GMOs and promotion of "detox" treatments) unpalatable. Even Dalai Lama XIV proclaimed, “If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.”
Profile Image for Sarah Booth.
407 reviews45 followers
July 28, 2017
There is a lot of good insight in this book and its worth it for that but the hip know it all tone of the author is off-putting. He brags an awful lot too which makes you wonder about the validity of the Buddhist part, but if you can get past his presence and just pay attention to the history stories and advice, then you might learn something. Try and get past his sanctimoniousness and just focus on what is left.
Profile Image for Mark.
219 reviews20 followers
February 23, 2017
Wow. This book is a steaming pile of horse ****.

That's not to say there aren't good points in this book, but man, this book a sham. Some things, like promoting vegetarianism and the benefits of eating lean protein (contradictions) or telling you to engage with your old hobbies (even after years of neglect) but throw away that tennis racket that's been sitting in the garage for years, are just blatant. Other things are far more subtle. The guy uses some classic con tricks, such as "In this field there are a lot of phonies and con artists, but not me! I'm the real deal!" and a constant partial appeal to authority (how many times does he list 'exciting' research being done by Dr. X and A, B and C). This guy is just casting as wide of a net as possible to try and catch as many readers as possible with a point or two they already agree on and then sell them on his company's services. He is promoting consumerism through asceticism and enlightenment.

Sure there was stuff I agreed with, yes there was a bunch of stuff I think is new age garbage (he doesn't explicitly suggest that you buy this piece of tubing with some LEDs and a dial but he comes close), but I never felt like he had a consistent, non-apologetic solution based on my positive actions aside from, 'meditate more and do what Dr. Oz and every other self-help book says to do'. Eat less garbage, exercise more, find work-life balance. Thanks. I didn't realize those were the things I was missing. Where's the 'eastern' wisdom in that (way to continue to use those cultural biases and memes that you so strongly disapprove of)?

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Profile Image for Candice.
135 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2016
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

Pedram Shojai, the creator of well.org, has written a self-help book that combines Eastern wisdom, practices, and medicine with what he calls “modern hacks” to help readers achieve balance, peace, and happiness in their lives.

Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of life, including stress, money, time, sleep, and diet. Each chapter opens with a case study based on Shojai’s clients, presenting their need for change and improvement in a particular area of life. The author then proceeds to break down the problem into smaller categories, and offer “urban monk wisdom”, which are ways that anyone can affect change in each specific area and achieve more peace and balance in their life. Many practical solutions are described, including meditation, exercise, and lifestyle changes. The author includes a personal anecdote in each chapter as well, entitled “Personal Journeys”, which serves as an example of how he has overcome the challenge presented in the chapter. Each chapter concludes with the action plan of the client introduced at the beginning of the chapter, and a bit of a followup of how successful they were.

One of the most useful aspects of the book is the resources section at the back. There are several video links per chapter that demonstrate specific exercises and meditation practices. The videos I accessed were short, and of good quality. There are also links to other resources that the author has used to support his work and his writing.

Some of the material presented in the book are common sense, but some, especially for readers unfamiliar with Eastern medicine and meditation practices, will seem like novel ideas (even though they’re ancient) and may help some readers view their challenges in a new way, and give additional avenues to wellness and wholeness.

I found the tone of the author’s writing to be encouraging, if at times self-inflated. It must be difficult to write a book encouraging people to join you on a path to wellness without making it sounds like you have all the answers and this is really the only way to go about it. Unfortunately, that is sometimes the feeling I got reading this book. It seemed that big promises were made, for example, “this exercise will …” (p. 19) What if this exercise doesn’t do it for me? Have I failed? How can I believe that the next exercise might do what it should? He also claims in several places throughout the book to have helped “thousands” of people, which is impressive, until he stated on page 115 that he spends “thousands of hours a month on the phone”. There are only 730 hours in each month. Are they both exaggerations, and how can I take the previous claim seriously?

Also, if you are sensitive to profanity being used in a work of non-fiction, beware. The author uses the word “shit” and “bullshit” liberally, sometimes twice on a page. Although those words are not particularly offensive to me, I believe they should be reserved for emphasis in works of fiction. In a work of non-fiction, like a self-help book that is probably meant to reach people of a variety of ages and backgrounds, I think the use of such words diminishes the message and reduces the credibility of the author. Much like the excessive use of the word “stuff” would. What meaning do those words hold? It actually makes me question the author’s education. The author also uses the “f-word” several times, for example, “we’ve been sitting in those f___ing chairs ...” (p. 110) Do those chairs really need that much emphasis? I was put off by this, and each time I came to another offensive word, and there are many of them, unfortunately the author’s credibility crumbled a bit more for me.

Overall, though, the messages and practices presented in The Urban Monk are accessible, intriguing and manageable. The author sums it up well in the last chapter with a very encouraging invitation to readers to set their own path in a manageable way, with hope that change can occur, resulting in a calm and balanced life. There are lots of choices offered in this book, and anyone who reads it will likely be intrigued by at least one, if not many, of the ways to affect change in their own life.
Profile Image for Timofey Peters.
391 reviews14 followers
June 5, 2018
Прочитал книгу Педрама Шоджая «Городской монах. 100 дней радикальных перемен к лучшему». Если отжать всякую эзотерику, которой в книге не особо много, то получится вполне практическое руководство — выбирай инструмент по вкусу и потребности, бери и делай. Ниже кратко выписал, что автор рекомендует делать для улучшения качества жизни. Пару глав, где Шоджай рекомендует общаться с духами растений, я выкинул.

Стресс
* Вечером планирование следующего дня
* Утро с зарядки и душа
* Распланировать бюджет
* Напоминалки каждый час о гимнастике и 5-минутной медитации, плюс вопрос: что я делаю прямо сейчас и как это согласуется с целями на день
* Техника Pomodoro: 25 мин работы и 5 мин перерыва
* Здоровый завтрак

Время
* Учиться говорить нет и поступать менее импульсивно
* Медитация 4х2 — 10 минут в день
* Цигун руки-дыхание с двойным ускорением
* Медитация на свечу
* Медийное голодание — цифровая диета, цифровой детокс.
* Отвести на приоритеты время в календаре и ежедневнике

Энергия
* Занимайтесь физическим трудом или силовым спортом
* Отдыхайте когда устали
* Больше бывайте на природе
* Умеренно питайтесь натуральной п��остой едой
* Принимайте расслабляюще ванны с эфирными маслами и солью
* Освойте цигун и медитацию
* Научитесь слушать тишину, раз в месяц практикуйте суточное молчание

Сон
* Откажитесь от кофе после полудня
* Выработайте ритуал отхода ко сну
* Записывайте план на завтра, положите блокнот рядом с кроватью и выгружайте в него «лишние мысли»
* Выключайте экраны после 19-20 часов
* Зажигайте свечи вместо электричества
* Медитируйте перед сном
* Пейте успокаивающие чаи
* Устройте в спальне тишину, темноту и прохладу

Малоподвижный образ жизни
* Используйте стол для работы стоя
* Практикуйте позы кунг-фу
* Ходите босиком
* Медитируйте «медленной ходьбой»
* Используйте минималистичную обувь
* Ставьте напоминалки на разминку в телефоне
* На работу на велосипеде
* Переговоры по телефону во время прогулки

Лишний вес
* Ешьте медленно и внимательно
* Поститесь
* Ешьте супы
* Готовьте овощи на пару
* Ешьте много овощей и хороших жиров

Дефицит общения
* Запишитесь в кружок кройки и шитья, танцевальный или спортивный по вкусу
* Сходите с группой в поход

Деньги
* Не покупайте барахло
* Устраивайте покупательский пост
* Откладывайте 10%
* Продайте и раздайте ненужные вещи
Profile Image for M.
1,541 reviews7 followers
October 8, 2018
A MUST read....Some good healthful tips- breathing techniques, turning off your cell devices, eating healthier, “grounding” yourself, and even resources to help you get into BALANCE! You can take a chapter at a time or skip around....
Profile Image for Kevin.
291 reviews13 followers
March 9, 2018
This book seems targeted at people who consider Tai Chi and Chai Tea to be equally mysterious....

I chose this book primarily because of how polarized a lot of the reviews for it were.... Rather than having a love-it or hate-it reaction, though, I was left feeling just kind of 'meh' towards it.... The profanity wasn't distracting to me. The 'insights' didn't change my world. It wasn't great. It wasn't horrible. It was just... ok.

There were quite a few parts of the book where things were discussed with a bit more authority and confidence than they probably deserved... Scientific and medical claims really should include footnotes, if they are to be included at all.... I think that was the only thing that really annoyed me throughout the book. The author didn't do a very good job of establishing himself as someone with a scientific background, so when he mentions gut-flora, mitochondria, etc., I question those claims more than when he is discussing qigong, kung-fu, or meditation....

As long as the book is read with an understanding of where the author's coming from and you use a bit of critical thinking, it's a decent enough book. Perhaps my opinion of it will change later down the road, but for now I give it a solid 2.5.
Profile Image for Kelly L Arnold.
24 reviews
April 8, 2016
There is good information in this book and good ideas to take into practice. However, the book itself was full of distracting tangents. Sometimes so much would happen between the case study at the beginning of the chapter that by the time he went to wrap up the results at the end, I'd completely forgotten who he was talking about and what their issues were. The main thing that drove me crazy while reading this book was the unnecessary use of shit, fuck, and hell. Seriously? This book could be a good resource to all ages, but I felt like the writer was dropping curse words just to drop them. The first few uses seemed to be used for emphasis, but then it was just too frequent and I'm a frequent user of these words myself! Just did a search for the number of times each word was used: shit - 58 Fuck - 6 Hell - 19 Damn - 2. This is far too frequent to appeal to the masses and it is certainly not something I will recommend for my kids to read.
Profile Image for Jeary.
45 reviews6 followers
October 23, 2018
Ich hätte es so gerne gehasst. ;-) Ich habe einiges an negativen Rezensionen gelesen -- zu oberflächlich, Offensichtliches zusammengeschrieben, etc.
Und - ja, stimmt. Der Autor erfindet das Rad nicht neu, sondern bedient sich der Weisheit verschiedener spiritueller und religiöser Traditionen. Allerdings stellt er die Zusammenhänge in verständlicher, unterhaltsamer Art und Weise dar und das ist der Gewinn des Buchs. (Es mag sein, dass andere Autoren dies bereits besser und mit mehr Tiefe getan haben -- und doch scheint der Erfolg Pedram Shojais dafür zu sprechen, dass es genug Menschen gibt, die genau diese Einstiegshilfe brauchten. Warum also nicht?)
Profile Image for Buck Wilde.
1,057 reviews68 followers
January 11, 2023
Saying "the least obnoxious biohacker" is like saying "the best-smelling dog turd". Let's get that out of the way.

A lot of factory standard from the unga bunga bullshit genre (my personal favorite), about reconnecting with nature, wearing flat shoes, eating enough animal fat, and doing mindfulness. This time, the mindfulness came in the form of martial arts, which is always good.

Pedram cusses too damn much! Nothing wrong with the occasional fuckword for added zest, for a little zing, but there's a delicate balance to maintain and it's painfully apparent when you can't recognize that. Was a time swear words made you edgy and relatable. Now, especially with the battery of cringe books like "Unfuck Your Mind" and "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck", it feels like a marketing gimmick.

Much of the book did, unfortunately. It was very self-help, but the thunderbolt never came, and he never tried to sell me anything. He suggested I buy some exotic herbs, but I won't be doing that.

He briefly talks about the connect between mindfulness practice and epigenetic expression of healthier genes, which is true through the filter of stress reduction, but a connection I never made directly.

He talks about how TV skews our perception with a worldview "that is inaccurate and dark, which drives us to feel unsafe, unloved, alone, and unattractive", which confirms my bias.

He says, "there's just as much space between the electrons of our cells (to scale) as there is between the stars in the sky", which sounds incredibly wrong. I'm not an astrophysicist or a biologist, but cells come in different sizes and electrons are subatomic particles. The electrons need to be atoms, the atoms need to be molecules, then the molecules need to be cells. We skipped a whole bunch of orders of organization, here, Doctor.

He talks about phasing out or at least limiting caffeine, and he's probably right. I got off coffee and I'm sleeping great, and sleeping great makes everything else in your life great. Bastard.

He talks about how work is better remote, which is an enormous relief. I'm coming off that piece of crap book The Future Is Analog where that loser David Sax was insistent that the only way to engage with reality is to be forced to during a misery inducing commute so "knowledge workers" can "garner more creativity" or whatever. I was incensed. Our boy Pedram comes at it entirely from the other side. Allow me to paraphrase:

"Hey, motherfuckers! Who the fuck wants to work? Nobody! Work fucking sucks, am I fucking right, dicklickers? PISS! It's better to work from fuckin' home so you can-- ASS!!!!-- spend more time with your family, friends, loved ones, and pets while simultaneously minimizing your environmental impact and being happier and more cocksuckin' productive."

Thanks Pedram. Yes, I'm inclined to agree, remote work has been a big step toward reducing pollution, although we all know it's polishing banisters on the Titanic until the energy and manufacturing industries get it together or come to a screeching, Fallout 3 style halt. It's also much better for mental health and work life balance, contrary to what bootlicking cowards like Sax (who has been working remote since 2000) will tell you, so long as you have a life. If your only contact with the outside world is commuting to work, then yes, of course that will seem more beneficial. But why is that the only contact with the outside world you have?

Pedram, in his middle-school-boy-in-the-cafeteria vernacular, encourages us to be more than our jobs and use technology to our advantage, as a means of minimizing our exposure to and getting the hell away from technology so we can walk the dog and do kung fu in the woods or whatever. And I think that's beautiful.

He also name-dropped Mark Hyman, who is one of my favorite Instagram kook doctors purveying unga bunga bullshit. Dude's name is 'Hyman'. Are you kidding me

Overall, Urban Monk is a pretty good book if you can come at it with a grain of salt and separate the good science (and good pseudoscience) and solid, Tedpilled, join-me-in-the-shrub-my-brethren advice from its self-aggrandizing and somewhat fratty advisor.
Profile Image for Cindy Heaton.
216 reviews
October 19, 2020
There are some great tips in here. I was actually loving the book until the author starting writing about herbal remedies. I have nothing against those, I use supplements all the time. However, I am skeptical about asking a plant what uses it can be used for and expecting an answer. Yup. He lost me there. Of course the Shaman's that he's referring to are probably high when they do this, but yeah, I'll pass on that.

I'll still keep the book, because there is a lot of other helpful information in here to keep everything balanced if you apply it. I'd still recommend it, just be aware there are some out there ideas. The saner suggestions far outweigh those though.
Profile Image for Zhivko Kabaivanov.
274 reviews9 followers
February 14, 2021
The Urban Monk (2016) is a field guide for how to navigate modern life with a more monk-like mentality.

Drawing on Eastern spiritual traditions, contemporary science, and the lives of our ancestors, it’s packed full of practical tips on how we can integrate ancient wisdom into our modern lifestyles.

It addresses a wide range of personal problems, including stress, unhealthy diets, and a lack of time, energy, and sense of purpose.

Profile Image for Kristopher Kerwin.
15 reviews
June 12, 2017
Some interesting points but a lot of it didn't connect with me. The writer will help you with insomnia, weight excess, debt, low energy or lack of time. If your life is already well balanced and you don't have major problems, this book might not be for you.
Profile Image for Sue King.
455 reviews5 followers
September 25, 2017
Didn't really resonate with me. I wanted to like it, but I felt this book lacked focus. I am glad there are resources at the end including links to videos because trying to explain certain meditation practices via the written word is hard to process. For me anyway.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
473 reviews4 followers
June 25, 2023
I respect the core idea behind this book, and it’s very similar to a lot of paleo ideology books I’ve read…but I hated the way this was packaged. Felt a lot like the author was trying to sell eastern practices to a toxic masculine audience. Also the people he used as examples to bookend each chapter were absolute caricatures.
Profile Image for Héctor Iván Patricio Moreno.
441 reviews24 followers
September 6, 2017
Desde que vi el título de este libro me llamó mucho la atención, justo porque pensé que tendría un acercamiento diferente al tema de las prácticas orientales que se han probado efectivas para cobatir problemas de la vida, y no me decepcionó, efectivamente muestra como adaptar las prácticas como la meditación y la conexión con la naturaleza a la vida moderna, desde la perspectiva de alguien que no puede irse a un monasterio o dejar a su familia para irse a un retiro.

El autor toma mucho en cuenta los descubrimientos recientes y trata de explicar la sabiduría de los antiguos mediante ciencia moderna, aunque como es lógico, no se puede lograr en todos los casos, pero da una sensación de tranquilidad pensar en que no estamos leyendo a un loco hablando de cosas esótericas en las que no hay base para creer.

Otro punto bueno del libro es cómo entreteje los diferentes problemas de la vida y muestra como se interrelacionan aunque tengan difertentes manifestaciones.
Me hizo pensar en muchas cosas que tal vez intituivamente sabía o había pensado pero no había puesto en palabras, como por ejemplo, que el dinero es una forma de energía, y que con la manera en que lo usamos demostramos nuestros valores.
Espero empezar a poner en prácitca algunos de los ejericicios , ya que creo que efectivamente pueden mejorar la calidad de vida. Pienso empezar aplicar los Gongs: periodos de 100 días en los que me comprometo conmigo mismo a realizar una o varias actividades para mejorar en algún aspecto en el que falle.
Un punto que no me agradó del todo del libro es el uso de nombres que tal vez provengan de las tradiciones antiguas (como la "Fuente de la Eternidad", "Energía positiva") que no siempre tienen sentido dentro de lo que se está mencionando. Y por último, otro cosa que podría parecerle a algunos lectores es que tiende a usar a veces frases motivacionales que no siempre tienen todo el soporte.
No dudaría en recomendar el libro a personas que tienen sus creencias espirituales bien cimentadas, ya que sea como sea, este libro favorece las creencias orientales y si no se tiene una base fuerte (sobre lo que sea que uno crea) sería un elemento más de confusión.
Profile Image for Brandi D'Angelo.
521 reviews25 followers
November 9, 2017
This quote from the book kind of sums up our collective health problem:

"There's something happening in our modern times. Something is wrong. We scratch our heads and wonder why everyone is tired, sick, unhappy, and out of energy. We do this while we eat processed muffins, drink dairy from a sick cow, take mood drugs, breathe in lead as we cross the street, and slather on creams that are filled with chemicals we can't pronounce."

The Urban Monk is chock full of ideas for addressing our stressful, sleepless, unhealthy, unsocial and anti-natural lives. I think everyone can find something to help them in this book and I like how he devotes the last chapter to giving you a last push to get going. Isn't that where most of us fail to launch? We all know what we need to do, but we don't do it. Overall, I liked this book very much. I would've given it 5 stars, but I didn't care for his liberal use of certain cuss words, which were unnecessary.
Profile Image for Antonio Campos.
508 reviews31 followers
June 18, 2017
El libro tiene buenos consejos, es lo único que puedo decir.
Siento que se va mucho por las ramas, no se centra en las cosas importantes, adorna muchísimo todas las situaciones. De hecho, me parece que los casos que presenta el libro, a pesar de que al inicio el autor dice que son reales, me parecen increíblemente ficticios.
Otra cosa que no me gusto es que parece un comercial, en muchas partes solo le falta decir: "por la compra de esto, va a llevarse esto". Creo que el libro tiene como 200 páginas de más.
En lo personal, no me gustó ni me disgustó, pero no lo recomendaría mucho. Si tiene buenos consejos, tampoco hay que despreciar lo que el autor recomienda que a fin de cuentas si viene a ser muy enriquecedor, que de hecho los cuales tomaré para mi diario vivir, pero creo que lo adornó muchísimo.
53 reviews1 follower
August 14, 2017
Easy to read, several bits of practical advice, and chapter length was palatable.

Some of the sections were laden in profane language which is odd considering the author was a monk.

There wasn't much in the way of advice on the motivation and keeping consistent with the exercises and other changes despite plenty of examples of positive results of people who stuck with the changes recommended to them. Seems to be an inconsistency there of how they recommend making changes but don't offer solid advice on how to stick with the plan.
11 reviews
May 4, 2025
Learning to remain nonreactive is the name of the game. Does this mean living without passion? Absolutely not. Live, love, laugh, and learn—just don’t be a sucker for drama. Live your life with enthusiasm and purpose, and don’t be a pawn in someone else’s vision for you. You drive. Better yet, let your Higher Self drive, and you relax.

Her sense of self is built on a strong inner foundation. She’s cultivated her breath and tapped into her connection with the entire Universe. What accolades other people may give her do not matter. She is reinforced by life and nature as her exuberance and enthusiasm radiate from within.

Where you invest your life’s energy will determine what your life will look like.

He makes good money, but he’s still broke. That’s the system we live in. Money is tied to survival. If you’ve got it, you’re worried about losing it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes stress as the cause of 90 percent of chronic disease.

Are we doing something special as we’re living life, or are we just passing time?

We vote with our time, and by not putting our priorities into our calendars, we are effectively saying to the Universe that we don't really care about them.

A householder creates jobs and has the burden of taking care of lots of people in his or her universe. A householder makes shit happen month after month and doesn’t cower when things get tough. A householder must be a survivor first and then learn to thrive.

Possibly the worst on the list of things that happen when we’re chronically stressed is the cutting off of blood flow to the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of our brains that separates us from the monkeys.

You are what you eat also applies to the information you ingest.

There’s a special feeling we’ve all become distant from, and it’s the tragedy of the modern world: We don’t feel alive.

The Urban Monk is constantly scanning his body for feelings and sensations. When discomfort arises, he breathes into it. He senses where this feeling is in his body and turns the light of his awareness on it—not away from it, as is the custom of our culture.

It is all about swapping rituals and upgrading to better ones.

Still water breeds poison, and this is a huge reason why so many of the people around you are sick and miserable.

Trading time for money is how the economy works, but that model is deeply flawed. Companies pay for work and results, not dead time. This misunderstanding has hurt the economy and has certainly dulled the minds of millions of people who simply clock in and check out.

Your “later” will always look the same if your “now” is chaotic.

How you do one thing is how you do everything.

Functional MRI studies show increased density of the cortical neurons in the brains of people who meditate.

Always give energy an outlet.

Things that are close to nature have a high vibration and carry more nutrients and life force. Manufactured foods are mostly devoid of this. No life in the food means no life in us.
We’ve been bred to be zombies. We’ve been bred to not think for ourselves and to follow. We need to be told what to do: Vote red or blue, eat burgers and fries with a Coke, accept reality as it is, and frankly, shut up and keep paying taxes and buying shoes. How exhausting. Maybe we’re tired because we are subdued and unconscious.

What do you want? Create a world that codes for that dream and you’ll get it.

The higher the vibration, the lighter and brighter we are. Things that resonate closer to the purity of the sun and natural systems simply carry a cleaner vibration. This is the essence of the ancient alchemical traditions and is an understanding that’s been lost in the modern world. Life emits light and we are that light.

The size of our brains increased dramatically after we learned to unlock nutrition with cooking.

Once we let go of our insistence on being the person we pretend to be, we can have fun discovering who we really are.

Boredom comes from comfort and stagnation; neither of these have any place in the life of the Urban Monk.

People don’t understand the value of money as energy and are therefore in a rush to squander it. When we put it aside, it accumulates and grows.

Real freedom comes when you can walk away from your shit job and know you can eat for a (long) while.

They know it doesn’t work and causes suffering, but the problem is that there’s no great alternative they know of.

We have to clear the path for the brain to fire and activate our higher spiritual faculties. Then we don’t look for meaning; it presents itself to us from within.

Look at it this way: Life is going to be hard work either way. Either you’re on top of it and living intentionally, or you’re letting circumstances, weakness, drama, and poor decisions knock you off your perch.

Seeing herself die and wondering whether it was all worth it became a powerful catalyst for Veronica. It really made her rethink how she was spending her time at work, at home, and with her loved ones.

The Urban Monk draws inspiration from nature and returns to it frequently to rejuvenate and reconnect. Take the time to do so and go on ample trips where you can freely roam in the wilderness and walk in the fields. Once you develop this practice, you’ll understand its significance, and it’ll become a part of your rituals for the rest of your life. It’ll remind you of what’s worth fighting for.

Getting into the habit of listening to our inner child will help us do things that bring joy back into our lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Becky.
433 reviews5 followers
December 9, 2020
Not much new here if you follow a primal / paleo lifestyle. The exercises are helpful. I agree with others that the use of foul language feels stilted and manufactured. I certainly do my fair share of swearing but I think an urban monk should be above that. IMHO the terms "sh!t" and "bullsh!t" we're overused and distracted from the message in the book. Worth a read if you are struggling with life. If you have your sh!t together already, not so much (pun intended).
Profile Image for Zermeena.
284 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2017
While the author made some good points, I found it very difficult to relate them to my life. Perhaps this book is aimed at millennials, but it certainly wasn't for me. Towards the end he became repetitive. His science was shaky at best and the use of profanity was appalling. I couldn't help but think that it goes against the Buddhist doctrine of right speech. Which then lead me to wonder what kind of training he had.
Profile Image for Chintushig Tumenbayar.
464 reviews33 followers
February 13, 2021
Хотын бидэнд лам хуврагийн хэмжээнд буясалгал хийж, орчлонгоос тасрах гэдэг бараг боломжгүй мэт санагдах нь гарцаагүй. Яг энэ өнцөгөөс зохиолч маань харан уг номоо хурдтай өөрчлөгдөж буй энэ нийгмийн хүмүүст зориулан өөрийгөө хэрхэн хүнд байдал оруулсан хойноо ойлгох биш одооноос хэрэгтэй өөрчлөлтүүдийг гарган амьдрал, бусдад хандах хандлагаа өөрчлөхөд чиглэн бичжээ. Нойр, хоол, хөдөлгөөн, сэтгэл зүй энэ хэдээ тордох боломж хэзээд бий гэдгийг мэдэх таатай байлаа.
Profile Image for Jhonatas Bispo.
7 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2018
Um bom livro. Cumpriu e superou as expectativas. Penso que o autor poderia ter sido mais conciso em algumas temáticas (não são raras as vezes em que ele repete as mesmas instruções).
52 reviews5 followers
March 29, 2018
Just ok

Based on other reviews this book appears helpful to many but for me there was simply very little new information.
Profile Image for Gerardo Vales C..
28 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2019
A lot of helpful tips about meditation, fitness and human growth. The author does a good job by trying to bring peace and guidence to your busy lifestyle.
Profile Image for Yolanda Mármol.
Author 6 books19 followers
Read
August 22, 2019
Un libro excelente para todas aquellas que buscan La Paz interior aunque vivan en grandes ciudades. Nos explica como se puede lograr La Paz interior aun cuando el entorno no sea el más adecuado.
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