Not Quite Nirvana: A Skeptic's Journey to Mindfulness

by Rachel Neumann, Thich Nhat Hanh (Introduction)

Overview

In the Wake of 9-11, Rachel Neumann, an overextended fast-talking New York writer, left the city to get closer to her West Coast family and the rural commune of her childhood. In Not Quite Nirvana, she shares her journey from skeptical urbanite to personal editor for Zen Master and best-selling author Thich Nhat Hanh. Along the way, she has two children, turns forty, and slowly and reluctantly absorbs mindfulness practice. With humor and deeply personal insights, Neumann transforms ordinary moments into opportunities to find peace and spiritual nourishment. Her intimate stories about friendship, death, vanity, love, anger, politics, and parenting offer inspiration to anyone who has wondered how to live mindfully amidst the turmoil of daily life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937006235
Publisher:	Parallax Press
Publication date:	10/16/2012
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,308,411
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

Rachel Neumann is a Bay Area-based writer whose work focuses on civil liberties, human rights, mindfulness, and the intersection of parenting and progressive politics. She is a contributing writer to AlterNet.org and her work has appeared in The Village Voice, The Nation, Dissent Magazine and many other national and local magazines. She is also a contributor to the anthology The Battle of Seattle (Soft Skull Press) and the co-author of Healing (Parallax Press). She is the editor for Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and blogs regularly at www.peaceandsleep.org.

Table of Contents

Introduction Thich Nhat Hanh 1

Part I Available

1 A Skeptic's Guide to Mindfulness 7

2 Fake It Till You Make It 12

3 A Revolting Monk 17

4 Are You Available? 20

5 Deep Listening 26

6 Sitting and Stopping 39

7 This is Why I'm Here 47

8 Getting Older Better 53

9 The Height of Engagement 57

10 Tomorrow is Not the Answer 63

Part II Engaged

11 Attack and Paddle 71

12 Pain and Practice 78

13 Permission to Cry 86

14 How do you Know? 90

15 Worrying and Breathing 93

16 Crossing the Bridge 97

17 Monks in the Ocean 102

18 Stranded on the Number 9 105

19 Raise Your Hand if You're Going to Die 112

20 Touching Dead People 118

21 The Five Remembrances 122

22 The Real Meaning of Karma 125

23 How to Raise Happy Grown-ups 128

Part III Connected

24 Me, Myself, and Interbeing 137

25 Many-Colored Cocoons 141

26 Stop Bothering Me 147

27 Micro Metta 150

28 Our Space in the Universe 154

29 Peace Talks 157

30 Bringing Outsiders In 162

31 It's a Great Life if You Don't Weaken 167

32 Make Fewer Strangers 170

33 A Marshmallow by Any Other Name 177

34 Wanting It all 181

35 Tiny Changes at the Last Minute 185

Epilogue: A Million Present Moments 190

Practices

Being Available 193

Setting Your Intention 194

Being with Pain and Suffering 195

Micro Metta 197

Acknowledgments 199