Peace Is a Practice: An Invitation to Breathe Deep and Find a New Rhythm for Life

by Morgan Harper Nichols

When you breathe in all the grace available to you and release everything that is outside of your control, you'll discover peace that surpasses your circumstances. All it takes is practice. If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future, you're far from alone. For many of us, when we're not worrying about what is to come, we find ourselves wrestling with things from the past. Where does that leave us today? Morgan Harper Nichols has learned the answer to this question. She has examined stories from her own life and the lives of people around the world and noticed a common we all long for peace. We're all seeking light and life. But these things don't happen passively. Peace Is a Practice invites you to become an active peacemaker in your own life, starting right where you are, and in some of the most unexpected places. As these words and images inspire you to take daily steps toward peace, you'll uncover the key In every moment, there is something as deep and boundless as a winding river waiting to be found--a true peace that flows, beckoning you to rest and be still.

Genres: Nonfiction, Poetry, Self Help, Audiobook, Memoir, Mental Health, Faith

226 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2022

About the author

Morgan Harper Nichols is an artist, poet, and musician who makes her work around people and their stories.

Morgan spent the first few years of her adult life as a college admission counselor, and then, as a full-time touring singer-songwriter and musician. It was on the road that she cultivated her curiosity and passion for the written word and art, and slowly began to share her art with others online.

In 2017, Morgan started a project where she invites people to submit their stories to her website. From there, she creates art inspired by what they send her, and then, sends them the art, for free. Nearly everything Morgan creates and shares today is from this project, and she always keeps the names and stories anonymous. The fruit of this project is shared daily around social media, in publications, on murals, and more.

Reviews

[Deborah Harkness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have found wisdom and perspective from this book and I highly recommend it.

[Christina Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Slowness does not equate to ineffectiveness."

"So here's to no longer holding your breath. Here's to making the brave choice to believe that you have experiences that are worthy of expression, even if only for the sake of gratitude for how far you have come or finding peace for your own life journey."

"Something about art reminds me that I don't need permission to be myself. When I'm standing before a painting in a museum, I don't need permission to feel. To take up space. To breathe."

This book came to me at the perfect time. What a beautiful and illustrative reflection both visually and verbally about how we can practice peace, how to navigate mental health/developmental struggles, and navigating our rushed, heavy world!

[Erin Mae Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first third of this book was pretty clunky. It very much felt like the author was trying to defend/justify/explain her life experiences instead of just share the lessons she had learned. There were a lot of awkwardly placed quotes and weird mixed metaphors. The second half of the book felt like she found her own voice, and I took away some really valuable and impactful points. There's some good content here, but it won't go down as a favorite for me.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Being at peace is knowing that you don’t always have to know the details of every step ahead to ultimately end up where you were meant up be.”

Reading Morgan Harper Nichols works are like sitting in a coffee shop having a heart to heart chat with a friend who is holding space for you to experience all the emotions while also holding you accountable to be your best self. I appreciated her vulnerable, open way of sharing her journey while also tying it into reflective practices we can incorporate into our lives to remain grounded and intentional.

[Brenna Oakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just… didn’t get what I wanted to out of this book. I didn’t pay as much attention when reading as I should have, but that’s because it didn’t catch my attention easily. There were still really great portions of the book and I don’t regret reading it- it just isn’t one of my favorites. I would recommend “All Along You Were Blooming” before this by far.

Two parts that I LOVED:

The discussion on how progress looks different every day and some days that means just taking deep breaths and not giving up on yourself.

The pilot telling everyone to look out their windows to see the sunset… I want to always be that person ❤️

[Sammy]

this book feels like a breath of fresh air and a warm hug

There were so many moments that allowed for reflection. I enjoyed getting to process my thoughts and feelings as certain topics were brought up and sitting in them as they came up.

[Will Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Methodical and poetically paced book about awareness, gratitude, and focusing on what we can control. It was a little fluffy but stretching simple concepts into dramatized ideals is a poet’s bread and butter. Recommend.

[Bethtunnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a deep breath of fresh air and full of wise gentle reminders. The audiobook is incredibly soothing; A meditation on peace itself.

[Eline Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw, wat een prachtig poëtische wijsheid deelt Morgan Harper Nichols in dit boek. Van elke letter genoten. Het liefst wil ik een oneindigheid aan zinnen uit dit boek inlijsten en in huis ophangen. Als ik kon gaf ik dit boek 6 sterren 🤩

[Kyra Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a perfect read this week as I was dealing with insomnia and anxiety! Morgan offers great recommendations and insights that helped me evaluate my emotions and reactions. I appreciate the beautifully written way she shares her own struggles and lessons!

[Maggie Vallette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Morgan Harper Nichols does it again. I started reading this book because I needed some peace and while reading it had way more bumps in the road than one should have to face and was at times suffocating. But gosh does she speak to every feeling, every thought, and every hope that we as humans hold onto. Every page spoke to my heart and I am working on practicing peace everyday and so grateful to have this work of art to help center my heart and encourage me even when the days get hard ❤️

[Kayla Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite read of the summer. Morgan and I have differing perspectives on some things, but I honestly think that’s why I wound up enjoying this so much. I enjoy reading her poetry a lot. As someone who is not near as artistic as she is, it was delightful to read her thoughts. There were several moments throughout the book that I felt seen, even as a reader. The cover of the book claims that it is an “invitation to breathe deep and find a new rhythm for life”—I believe it is just that. Every chapter felt like an invitation to dig deeper into your own soul and evaluate your experiences and perspectives. Great read, and very different from others things I have read in the past.

[Chelsea Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not normally one to read or enjoy this kind of book; it vaguely falls into the “self-help” category and that’s just not my thing. That said, I liked both the author’s definition of “peace” as “freedom to breathe” and the idea of inhaling the world and influences around us and exhaling ourselves out into the world, and there are certainly other little gems like those throughout.

I suspect I’ll get even more value from this as I discuss chapters with my coworkers over the next couple of months.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This balmy, calming meditation was a joy to listen to and it brought me back to my yoga instructor days. MHN is such a talent, and while many of her examples and practices aren’t ground-breaking, the way she speaks about them is inspiring. I loved the idea of inspiration/inhalation and exhalation as practices, and linked to certain actions. I also loved some of the practice ideas and will be trying to implement some when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed. This is a book I will probably buy in print to refer back to at my leisure.

[Catrina Berka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a series of short chapters containing personal reflections and poetry, Nichols encourages readers to slow down, breathe, and find pockets of peace in our everyday lives. I picked this book from the new non-fiction shelf at my library, knowing nothing about the author or what to expect, aside from what I read on the cover. It was a pleasant surprise home run for me.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully practical thoughts on how to embrace peace into your life. I appreciated how practically the book was laid out … including the bibliography. Thank you for sharing all this Morgan Harper Nichols!

[Katie Kreis-Voigt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of MHN’s poetry and art online and didn’t realize that this book existed. I enjoyed the opportunity to take a breath every time I picked up the audiobook. I forget that, in a left-brain world, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear from someone who sees the world from the right-brain side. Peaceful, indeed.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so timely. Thankful for your story MHN. This is a practice I will continue to work on. Also my heart was a little more thankful when finding out the AZ sunrises and sunsets kept you inspired.

[Riemmelth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as nice and comforting as any of MHN's poems. Sometimes it felt like she had trouble finding the point of a paragraph or section, but other than that it was amazing. Was especially blown away by the beautiful exercises!

[Madison Beardslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOWW.. A must read for everyone.

[Lynn Monaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful little meditations on life you can listen on a walk or on your drive to work. Intentionally practice peace during your day 💜

[Maddie Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply relate to Morgan Harper nichols and the things that she feels and experiences.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a breath of fresh air. I want to gift it to all of the people I hold dear. May we all remember to find breath and practice peace, at all stages of our journey.

[Tara ☆ Tarasbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful; Morgan Harper Nichols is an auto buy author for me and she's never disappointed.

[Abigail Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal

[Jessica]

Nothing against the book. I think it’s just not the mood I was in when I picked it up. I love MHN and her poetry and art. I might pick it up at a later time, but I’m too moody of a reader.

[Terezka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Morgan Harper Nichols. This was such a peaceful book, just like the name suggests. I read a couple pages every night before bed, and it was always a nice gentle read!

[Joanne Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book on audio. This is an inspiring book that discusses peace everyday and in all parts of our lives. This book was exceptional on audio and was the right book, at the right time.

[Molly Rust · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was a perfect read for right before bed. morgan’s calming way of words helped me view my life with contentment, trust, and appreciate of the ups and downs. a great read for those struggling with perfection, striving, or anxiety - she brings everything back into perspective.