The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle: How I Faced My Fears, Shifted Gears, and Found Healing from Anxiety, Codependency, and Depression

by Leslie Reyes

Her childhood was scarred by her mother’s schizophrenia. But she still had fuel in the tank.

Leslie Reyes felt like a prisoner of trauma. Shortly after she prevented her mother’s suicide at the age of ten, she began having panic attacks—and ultimately realized that her mom’s mental health diagnoses had distracted her parents from teaching her the tools she needed to survive.

Despite her beloved Filipino uncle’s encouragement to taste the thrill of riding motorcycles, her terror always won out. But at age fifty, Leslie finally found the courage to get back in the saddle after hearing a tale shared at his funeral. And stunned by how many liberating life lessons lay within the open road, her years of living with stifling emotional pain gave way to the principle that broken things can invariably be fixed.

In this raw and poignant memoir filled with gorgeous insights, Leslie Reyes bares her highest highs and lowest lows on the long highway of humanity. And by applying the wisdom she gained in learning to ride a motorbike to her lifelong quest to conquer fear, she offers a guiding hand along the hills and valleys of an unpredictable life.

In The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle, you’ll embark on a journey that reveals:

The benefits of response over reaction, and how measured behavior bears abundant rewards
How to respect your limitations so you can excel at your own pace
Why breaking something is only bad if you don’t take the time to understand how to fix it
Ways to overcome the tunnel vision of target fixation so you always end up at your destination
The power of mindfulness, the impact of enjoying the moment, and much, much more!
The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle is a thoughtful metaphor for carrying you through the ups and downs of the everyday. If you like heartfelt roller coasters, humanistic ideals, and empowering memoirs, then you’ll love Leslie Reyes’s revved-up tale.

Buy The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle to kick-start a brighter tomorrow today!

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2022

About the author

Winner, 2023 IndieB.R.A.G. award

Reviews

[Ellie Spencer (catching up from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle tells the author’s story, from childhood through to present day. With links to how learning to ride a motorcycle also taught her important life lessons for her mental well-being.

This was a mixed read for me. I absolutely loved Leslie’s raw honesty about her life experiences. There were many parts that I could personally relate to and I found such solidarity in that. Seeing someone who had similar experiences felt so validating. I will never fail to be astounded by the pure bravery in publishing a book like this. I loved that Leslie was able to reflect all parts of her life, good, bad and ugly! I want to make it very clear that my issues with the book were not in the story itself. I really liked the connection to Zen and mindfulness and have adopted some of the ideas into my life.

However, I feel this book could benefit from some heavy editing. The timeline jumped around so much that I gave up trying to follow it at all. Because of this jumping around, some sections were repeated across multiple chapters. The first couple of times this happened I thought my ebook copy had glitched and thrown me back to an earlier chapter. I did not like this repetition and jumpy structure at all. It really hindered my reading experience. I can understand that it jumped around in order to fit into the different Zen practices but it made it difficult to read. That being said, I’m still glad I read it and will be taking some of the lessons forward in my daily life.

I would recommend this book to any fans of non-fiction and self help books. I want to thank Voracious Readers Only and Leslie Reyes for allowing me to read a copy of this book and give my personal thoughts.

[Marcia Vida · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How a person does one thing, is how a person does everything.”

An inspiring, funny and really satisfying book about how to overcome barriers in your life and be happy in many ways. The author encourages you to be yourself with simple and practical tips that are a booster to a great and positive change. It was hard to put down this reading. I saw myself in many situations described in her experience of life. So, I enjoyed it a lot and recommend it to everyone who has made up their mind to live their days significantly. Thanks to the author and Voracious Readers.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about myself and there was so much in this book that resonated with me. My own struggles and picking myself up, learning and unlearning behavior created from an abusive alcoholic parents.

Though I have read this book and marked portions of resonance, it will definitely be on my own reread list.

Thank you Leslie for sharing yourself with us.

[Sue :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read

this is an Interesting perspective on handling mental illnesses.
Lots of good information whether you ride a motorcycle or not.

[Mel Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very engaging and helped me to put a lot of my own life in perspective.

[Myra McCulloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A free book from Voracious Readers thank you

A personal story about turning your life around.
A refreshing look at the effects of mental health from a deeply personal level.
Worth the read

[Jenny Lisk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't ride a motorcycle, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. The author started learning to ride a motorcycle at age 50, and says she had great difficulty - ultimately concluding that the very lessons she needed to learn to ride successfully were also the very lessons she needed to apply to her life. A fascinating story of growing up Gen X and developing lifelong codependency after a childhood greatly affected by her mother's mental illness. This book has important life lessons for us all.

[viva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to everyone; especially to those of us who are on the path to live our lives more mindfully.
Very well written; in an easy language; full of fun, yet, serious fashion.
This a wonderful reminder that a "happy life" is not a goal; it's a process of how we should live every day; it all depends on our habits.
Brittany Morgan Williams's narration made Leslie's life even deeper, and her life lessons even clearer.
The only problem I had with this book was jumping from one timeline to another at seemingly random points. Also, a sentence here and there was in a different fashion, for my ears it seemed automated.
An altogether remarkable book. Thank you, Leslie, for sharing your life's story and making it possible to hear it in audio.
I was given this review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Amy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Journey of Personal Growth

I’m always curious to know how someone has come about living the Buddhist lifestyle and how one applies the Buddhist principles to their life. Leslie Reyes leaves nothing to be curious about in this deeply personal reflection on past traumas, toxic relationships, addictions, and mental illness. By learning to ride a motorcycle at the age of 50, she is able to work through her past in order to free her future and live a mindful present.
(Goodreads Giveaway Winner)

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. I found it in need of some good editing. The writing was repetitive and unpolished.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is plenty of the author’s story here. A bit too much for me. However some stories were perfect for explaining the zen concepts or progressing through one’s mental health journey. I found myself highlighting a bunch of lines but also hurried through some parts. Overall this is a interesting and useful book for my own journey. I think it was even more helpful for the author to write.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only)

Leslie Reyes took me on a journey through her life with this book, and I definitely enjoyed the ride. I really like Reyes' relaxed style of writing - it's casual but well-informed and I found myself seriously taking on a lot of what she had to say. This book contains a lot of advice that I actually wish I had heard years ago! I recommend this book to people looking for advice on how to approach mental health issues and form some healthy habits.

[Marilyn Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle..." is a very honest and brave autobiography written by Leslie Reyes, who sent me a copy of her book for review. I feel this book has lessons clearly written which everyone can learn from, a and she clearly illustrates how she learnt these lessons and tells us how and why to follow them.
Her path through life has not been smooth, but she has continually picked herself up and kept on going. Leslie Reyes has been brutally frank in telling of her many adventures and misadventures throughout her life, but I felt drawn by her story and appreciated her experiences.
I would certainly recommend this book as and would also recommend taking on board those "lessons in Zen" in life as well as riding a motorcycle!

[gj indieBRAG · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are proud to announce that THE ZEN OF LEARNING TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE: How I Faced My Fears, Shifted Gears and Found Healing from Anxiety, Codependency, and Depression has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 'the zen of learning to ride a motorcycle' by Leslie Reyes is a memoir about Leslie's personal story of battling a troubled past and getting through depression. It tells you how to overcome battles in your life and that you can get through the other side.
I found the book very fascinating and heartfelt and found it a very interesting read. It gives you important life lessons that we can all learn from. I truly recommend this book and would read more by the author.

[CelticMoonGoddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator was easy to listen to and a very interesting and surprising story unfolds. The author's sharing of her life experience and referencing in her lessons learned compared with learning to ride a motorcycle is well combined.
The only downside for me to not make it a five star is that was a bit repetitive in places and understand that related to the fact that some stories and incidents were duplicated within the lessons learned, but the jumping back and forth between years and not in sequence got a little confusing for me at times and although tried not to let it distract from the essence and intention of book it did effect me towards end of the book.
A lovely listen and interesting life revealed so worth a listen or read, I received free audiobook in order to provide an honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway.

I would give this a 2.5, but I am rounding up to a 3 because I enjoyed Leslie's 10 lessons of Zen. They were very insightful and she had great words of wisdom. It took me a long time to finish. It was hard for me to follow her story telling. Her timelines would be jumbled or she would repeat the same information from one Zen lesson to another. I wish that was a little more refined and edited.

[Leslie Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello and thank you for your interest in my book! I am happy to answer any questions you have about “The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle” here on Goodreads!

[Melanie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable insight into the way people suffer & deal with the situations they face in life.
Not always an easy read but an eye-opener to things you maybe unaware of.

[Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read! Interesting view on mental illness, I enjoyed it.

[Chris Hunking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. I enjoyed the lessons in each chapter. I got this book as a complimentary book from vicious readers and loved the recommendation.

[Prisha Rohra · Rating 5 out of 5]

🚵‍♀️In The Zen of Learning to Ride a Motorcycle, the author shares her life story from childhood to the present, highlighting the connections between learning to ride a motorcycle at 50 and imparting valuable life lessons for her mental health and bravery in overcoming overwhelming emotional pain brought on by trauma, fear, negative relationships, and co-dependency.

🚵‍♀️Even if life's unexpected routes sometimes take us by surprise and cause us to veer completely off course, you can find your way back to yourself with the zest and love that you previously believed to have been lost along the way by reading this exhilarating book.

🚵‍♀️The author describes her upbringing with a mother who had schizophrenia as well as her own battles with mental illness. She was later diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, and she describes how, with bravery and humour, she overcame years of uncertainty, self-doubt, co-dependency, and drug addiction. As I read further, I start to put the ideas the author has provided throughout the book together. She talks animatedly on how riding a motorbike progressively became an essential aspect of her life. The book follows multiple timelines that are not necessarily chronologically ordered, and it effectively captures the essence of her journey through ten habits that helped her follow the path that ultimately altered her life.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could learning to ride a motorcycle and coping with mental illness have in common? I had to get this book and find out. I was gifted an Audible version from the author through Story Origin. I am so glad I got this opportunity. What a magnificent story. The narrator presents it beautifully. 5 stars for her, too.
Ten life lessons that everyone can use. The memoir of a resilient, brave, amazing woman. I loved hearing her story. I can relate to her life lessons.
A quote that caught my attention: "If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present." This is not Leslie's quote, but one that she has passed on to us.
You don't need to have a motorcycle or a mental illness to enjoy this book. Just enjoy this ride.

[Felina Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a unique concept of equating technique and skills learned from motorcycling riding to coping mechanism advices in actual real life situations. As the writer gradually acquires knowledge and experience in handling a motorcycle, she dishes out wisdom from hard earned lessons from her struggles as a daughter of a schizophrenic mother and a mentally depressed patient herself. The only drawback I saw in the presentation of the narration was the constant shifting and changing of the story timeline. The years where a significant life event occurred were often not sequenced in a particular order and so the reader is left confused and perplexed. I received a copy of this book from VRO in exchange for a review.

[Pam C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a somewhat detailed look at the author's life with stated Zen principles related to how she overcame anxiety, codependency, and depression. This is not a how-to with an application, but more of a reflective in-depth look at her past, learning to ride a motorcycle, and what Zen mantras she used.

[Sharon Uberoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting and very knowledgeable in the areas. I think this would benefit a lot of the care experienced young people I work with. I did struggle a little bit with the repetition of some of the examples and jumping from past to present which is why it scored lower. My brain switched off and I ended up falling asleep. I do think it will help others though

[Zil Nedrub · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be in need of editing to make it less repetitious. It may be a technique to give a bit of information at one stage and then later follow up that snippet with the detailed story, but it is not a technique I enjoy reading.
The author's story about her personal growth was enjoyable to read. And the idea to line up zen teachings to learning to ride a motorcycle makes sense.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book tying life’s lessons to similarities with motorcycle riding. As a 20 plus year rider, I loved that she plugged the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. I did find the timelines and characters a bit tough to follow and keep straight but there are some great nuggets and endearing stories. Thanks to GoodReads, the author and publisher for the giveaway!

[Paula Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew my mind. I suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, fear and a little depression. This book has helped me so much. I never thought that I'd be learning to face my fears and overcome them but with the help of the book, I finally am.Thanks Leslie for writing this book. I will forever be grateful. If I could, I'd give it 10 stars.

[Mark Bending · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the Goodreads giveaway!

First off I would like to thank the author Leslie Reyes for sharing her life experiences.
I found this informative, heart breaking, and inspirational. Who new you can learn life lessons while trying to ride a motorcycle.

I enjoyed reading this memoir and would recommend adding it to your TBR list.