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Equanimity: the Art of Living
Equanimity -
the Art of Living aims to demystify meditation and show its value in one's mental development, thinking, behaviour, and understanding of oneself and the world.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part describes the basics of the brain and mind, novelties in understanding stress, and the reasons for people's variations in resistance to adverse events. In addition, it explores concepts such as mindfulness and equanimity, as well as some other theoretical basics of meditation. This is all in preparation for a smoother entry into the book's second part, which is devoted to the practice of it all. The practical implementation of gained knowledge is what will reward you with the results you seek, by helping you get to know and understand yourself better. As a result, you will become a more balanced, calm, prudent, and overall happier person.
Are you sceptical? If you are, it is rightly so. Don't just take my word for it; test and experience it for yourself.
What's Inside
The year 1971 gave the world a dream. As told by Dr Leigh Carriage, an Australian Composer, "In New York, John Lennon sat down at a brown model Z upright piano and began to write what would become an inter-generational, transnational phenomenon — and perhaps the gentlest of protest songs — Imagine." For three minutes and three seconds, the lyrics of this soft ballad inspired by Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit present a vision of unity and hope. Despite (or perhaps because of) its strong criticism of authorities, the song quickly flooded the planet, achieving immense popularity and becoming a space to dream of fundamental change in the world. Lennon explained that Imagine was "anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it is sugar-coated, it is accepted."
The impact of this famous song is unquestionable. People adopted Imagine as an anthem of hope, peace, and positivity during troubled times; but, it raises the question of whether a world such as the one Yoko and John suggested is even possible? Do we, as humans, have the brain capacity to systemise a life with no war, famine, homelessness or strife, but instead one with tolerance, compassion, justice, and, as Lennon stated, a brotherhood of man? Are we capable of a world where truth, ethics, and morality don't depend on perspective and are not adaptable concepts, convenient only when they come as an advantage? Is it really impossible for sincerity to become the norm?
If we look at the achievements of the last century, we can be optimistic and say that as a civilisation, we are technically and technologically undoubtedly capable of doing this. In just a hundred years, we have advanced from horses to spacecraft. However, whether we are capable of this emotionally is an entirely different question.
It would seem that our emotional intelligence development stopped centuries ago and is actually getting worse. In a modern world, arrogance, deception, delusion, dishonesty, ego, envy, greed, hatred, immorality, lying, selfishness, unreliability, violence, and other destructive human traits are considered to be advantageous more and more. Such a breakdown of values, accompanied by social inequality, increasing performance demands, and dwindling chances of success, cause gross instability in our personal lives, which undoubtedly takes a toll. As a result, we as a civilisation are marching towards the abyss. Endless wars, the rise of populism, possible global nuclear annihilation, biological warfare, ecological collapse and the beginning of a significant climate crisis show us that we are not doing well.
This book is divided into two parts. The first part describes the basics of the brain and mind, novelties in understanding stress, and the reasons for people's variations in resistance to adverse events. In addition, it explores concepts such as mindfulness and equanimity, as well as some other theoretical basics of meditation. This is all in preparation for a smoother entry into the book's second part, which is devoted to the practice of it all. The practical implementation of gained knowledge is what will reward you with the results you seek, by helping you get to know and understand yourself better. As a result, you will become a more balanced, calm, prudent, and overall happier person.
Are you sceptical? If you are, it is rightly so. Don't just take my word for it; test and experience it for yourself.
What's Inside
The year 1971 gave the world a dream. As told by Dr Leigh Carriage, an Australian Composer, "In New York, John Lennon sat down at a brown model Z upright piano and began to write what would become an inter-generational, transnational phenomenon — and perhaps the gentlest of protest songs — Imagine." For three minutes and three seconds, the lyrics of this soft ballad inspired by Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit present a vision of unity and hope. Despite (or perhaps because of) its strong criticism of authorities, the song quickly flooded the planet, achieving immense popularity and becoming a space to dream of fundamental change in the world. Lennon explained that Imagine was "anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic, but because it is sugar-coated, it is accepted."
The impact of this famous song is unquestionable. People adopted Imagine as an anthem of hope, peace, and positivity during troubled times; but, it raises the question of whether a world such as the one Yoko and John suggested is even possible? Do we, as humans, have the brain capacity to systemise a life with no war, famine, homelessness or strife, but instead one with tolerance, compassion, justice, and, as Lennon stated, a brotherhood of man? Are we capable of a world where truth, ethics, and morality don't depend on perspective and are not adaptable concepts, convenient only when they come as an advantage? Is it really impossible for sincerity to become the norm?
If we look at the achievements of the last century, we can be optimistic and say that as a civilisation, we are technically and technologically undoubtedly capable of doing this. In just a hundred years, we have advanced from horses to spacecraft. However, whether we are capable of this emotionally is an entirely different question.
It would seem that our emotional intelligence development stopped centuries ago and is actually getting worse. In a modern world, arrogance, deception, delusion, dishonesty, ego, envy, greed, hatred, immorality, lying, selfishness, unreliability, violence, and other destructive human traits are considered to be advantageous more and more. Such a breakdown of values, accompanied by social inequality, increasing performance demands, and dwindling chances of success, cause gross instability in our personal lives, which undoubtedly takes a toll. As a result, we as a civilisation are marching towards the abyss. Endless wars, the rise of populism, possible global nuclear annihilation, biological warfare, ecological collapse and the beginning of a significant climate crisis show us that we are not doing well.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2022
1 person want to read
About the author
Alex Mars
18 books1 followerWoods Hole PEP most improved Writer Award (2016)
I attended West Virginia University, where I learned to write under Professor Ethel Morgan Smith, author of “From Whence Cometh My Help.”
My style of writing is lighthearted, with an emphasis on self-help and motivation. I draw inspiration from sports because sports can teach us how to navigate life.
In sports and life, you have to train yourself to have a winning mindset.
I take an exploratory attitude to quotes, motivation, and comic book style illustrations in the World of NBA and WNBA Basketball.
I attended West Virginia University, where I learned to write under Professor Ethel Morgan Smith, author of “From Whence Cometh My Help.”
My style of writing is lighthearted, with an emphasis on self-help and motivation. I draw inspiration from sports because sports can teach us how to navigate life.
In sports and life, you have to train yourself to have a winning mindset.
I take an exploratory attitude to quotes, motivation, and comic book style illustrations in the World of NBA and WNBA Basketball.
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