Mindfulness: The Alchemy of Now Felix Lopez has studied Buddhist meditation and Pranic Healing in India and among the hill tribe people in Thailand. In Mindfulness, he distills that ancient knowledge into a contemporary prescription for joy, good health and ethical action so that readers can join him in the work.
With powerfully simple, beautiful writing— and stories about his own enlightenment — he creates a warm, personal connection with readers before launching into discussions of the emotional discomforts that occasionally plague us. When he adds the basic principles of Buddhist philosophy, the causes and solutions slip into sharp focus, becoming true “aha!” moments.
While our simplest survival instincts trap us into ruminating on painful memories of the past or fearful worries about the future, Lopez invites readers to live in the present. This is a common theme of modern self-help, wellness, and spirituality texts, but the author arms readers with many tricks to make that possible. When the past is triggered, for example, Lopez creates a buffer he calls “the gates of heaven” that allows him to disengage until his true, compassionate nature emerges. “Life happens,” he writes. “Some of it we like and some of it we dislike. But the truth just is.” Once we understand that, he says, it’s easier to stop struggling against it.
Many Buddhist texts are filled with maddening riddles, but in just 210 pages, Lopez skillfully layers clear, gentle and inspirational instruction that builds to chapters on forgiveness, developing compassion, cultivating inner peace, and accepting personal responsibility for our own joy and that of others.
In Mindfulness, Lopez set out to create a recipe for a rich and flavorful life. It’s a culmination of all the self-care and spiritual teachings of the past, simply explained and tied together with language that is beautifully poetic at times. As such, it may be the last book his audience of seekers will ever need, containing enough wisdom to last a lifetime.
Also available as an ebook.
