Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit: The True Story of my Spiritual Quest

by Dan Millman

Reflections on the extraordinary experiences that shaped Dan Millman’s evolution from youthful dreamer to spiritual teacher, written to inspire readers on their own quests

In this long-awaited true story of a search for the good life, bestselling author Dan Millman describes his quest for meaning in the modern world, including the story behind his writing of the spiritual classic, Way of the Peaceful Warrior. His evolution from childhood dreamer to world-class athlete catapults him, over a span of two decades, through mind-expanding experiences with four radically different mentors who prepare him for his calling as a down-to-earth spiritual teacher.

For forty years, through books and seminars, Millman has shown how to live with a peaceful heart and a warrior’s spirit. This memoir shares his course corrections, wake-up calls, and life lessons as he introduces readers to four key mentors: the Professor, a Bolivian scientist-mystic; the Guru, an American-born spiritual master; the Warrior-Priest, a martial artist and metaphysical healer; and finally the Sage, a different sort of psychologist and a servant of reality.

At times rollicking, at times poignant, Millman’s reflections will delight millions of devoted fans and inspire a new generation of readers because, as he writes, “This story is mine, but the way belongs to us all.”

Genres: Spirituality

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2022

About the author

Daniel Jay Millman is an American author and lecturer in the personal development field. He is best-known for the movie Peaceful Warrior, which is based on his own life and taken from one of his books.

Reviews

[Martin Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan is an inspiration to me (and many others), and has been for several decades. In his new book, Dan generously shares his story, candidly and without pretence — a journey into the heart and soul of Dan Millman the athlete, student, teacher, husband, father, and human being. He includes the hard lessons, disappointments, and tough choices he faced, keeping it real and relatable. I felt empathy for the struggles he encountered and shared in his triumphs. This memoir may be his crowning achievement as a teacher, since it reveals who he has become — and what is more important in a teacher than the example they set? I can wholeheartedly give Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit the highest rating, for it offers important pointers to us all on how to live well amidst the realities of daily life.

[Joanne Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I loved it. As a long-standing Peaceful Warrior fan, Dan's memoir was wonderful from start to finish. His story - told with honesty and authenticity - left me feeling uplifted and optimistic. In this book, we finally learn all the true secrets of Socrates. And for Peaceful Warrior fans, there are a few wonderful surprises. Definitely a 5 star for me.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The path of the spiritual search can be highly bumpy. This book reminded me of mine:

My old high school teacher who taught me mind control and changed my academic life.

My teacher priests and Carmelite brothers, who taught me humility and to share Christian teachings in the poor neighborhoods of Mexico.

My guru, with whom I learned to have deep states of consciousness and awaken the energy of my kundalini.

My teacher of the Toltec tradition, who taught me to review the totality of my life and to die without fear, living like a warrior.

I haven't found a spiritual teacher for a long time. Should I find another?

Dan Millman tells us his spiritual quest stories. The conclusion: never stop learning, there is a way forward.

[Emanuel Knust · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read by Dan Millman was 'Way of the Peaceful Warrior.' This is the fourth book I've read from him, and I liked it just as much as the other ones.
I found the phrase in the book interesting: 'Learning self-defense needs no justification. In fact, it seems a responsibility and an essential life skill.' I had been wanting to do Tai Chi for some time, and that phrase finally encouraged me to enroll in a school.
Furthermore, the book brings many ideas of good practices, the story behind Socrates, and a lot about Dan Millman's life.
Just as it has inspired me, I hope it will inspire others as well.

[Steve D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book by this author has added at least a year to my life, and quality to the years.
It's like having a life coach who is an elite athlete and coach at trampoline, gymnastics, and diving. Trampoline may be the oldest and most fundamental of all sports.
The book also gives the drama of one person's quest to learn what it meant to travel through this world and make some sense of it all, and his struggle to find out what comes next, if anything.

[Sandra Donegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Finally I get to understand more about the man who has brought so much good into my life.
It was great to learn about the mentors, and how Dan’s teachings has been influenced by them & their collective experiences.
A very important element of this book for me was to affirm that no matter what role we all play in life, we are all equal, ordinary people who have lessons to learn from each other, but there are no ordinary moments

[Bruce Meisterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Millman has written a series of books themed on his popular Peaceful Warrior. The original, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was based on his life as the foundation for all of these. Sometimes sounding like fiction, other times self-help, they are helpful guides for dealing with increasingly stressful lives. Highly recommend them.

[Leleah Schaufert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved his "Peaceful Warrior" series so much and it is probably my favourite story to read. This book was really boring I couldn't finish it... I kept hoping it would pick up but it didn't do it for me. Totally recommend his 4 masterpiece books though.

[Cristian Marrero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book/memoir shares Dan's life as an athlete, student, teacher, husband, father, and human being. He provides some of the hard lessons, disappointments, and tough choices, making it relatable and inspiring. Joy's memories are a nice touch providing a wife's viewpoint. This was a nice read.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so wonderful to be able to read one of my favourite author’s true story.

[HiSierrafim Audio · Rating 5 out of 5]

We produced this book and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did the first time.

[Machel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person that loved THE WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR, I enjoyed reading Dan's memoir that revealed even deeper insights on life and living.

[Dovilė Pankevičienė · Rating 2 out of 5]

Per daug fantastikos, neįtikino.

[Christy Foust · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved Dan’s “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” series, and the movie. This book was like a sneak peek behind the curtain, giving me a glimpse of the reality of the books and the base in reality of the fiction of them. I also liked learning more about his personal growth and creative processes, alongside the view into his personal life. If you’ve never read a Dan Millman book before, I wouldn’t recognize this one as your entry point into his work. But for anyone who is familiar, I think you’ll like learning about his back story (with snippets from Joy too).

[Meiriow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Está bien, normal, una lectura tranquila.