Cool Water
Author: Bill Alexander
The key to ongoing freedom from alcoholism or any other kind of addiction is right before us, here and now, in the ordinary and perfect present moment. The problem is that addictions are often the result of our efforts to escape living in the present in the first place. Bill Alexander's unique approach uses mindfulness, story, and meditation to help alcoholics and others learn to come back to the moment and to find healing there.
Publishers Weekly
Alexander's (A Man's Book of the Spirit) graceful, invitingly personal memoir and guide expands on AA's dictum to turn one's will and life over to "God as we understood him." Describing how insights from Zen Buddhism illuminated his recovery from alcoholism, Alexander, who leads workshops in "Ordinary Recovery," suggests that people can find a higher power in the magic and immediacy of the present moment. He borrows the great Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki's claim that the mindfulness and even the enlightenment that comes with Buddhist practice is "nothing special": "Recovery is ordinary. What is recovered is the ordinary world we left behind. What we realize, drug free, is the transcendent wonder of the very ordinary." Alexander cautions alcoholics to avoid the isolating effects of self-blame and the trap of "thinking of yourself as `always recovering, never recovered.' " Calling alcoholism his dark twin, "close dwelling, co-arising at every moment, conceived with me, born with me, and with me still," Alexander describes how this troublesome inborn trait led him to mindfulness practice and the discovery of his true humanity. As unpretentious and profound as a drink of cool water, Alexander's book shows readers that simple awareness itself has the magical power to heal. (Sept.)
New interesting textbook: Lo que Nadie Alguna vez Le dice sobre Comienzo de Su Propio Negocio:Consejo de Arranque Verídico de 101 Empresarios Afortunados
The Pilates Powerhouse: The Perfect Method of Body Conditioning for Strength, Flexibility, and the Shape You Have Always Wanted in Less than A
Author: Mari Winsor
An exercise routine embraced by professional dancers for over fifty years, Pilates is now the hottest and most talked about fitness trend since the running shoe. The perfect blend of Yoga and Nautilus, Pilates concentrates on building strength and flexibility, improving coordination, balance, and posture, and increasing stamina. All Pilates movements are initiated by muscles in the abdominal area (known as the powerhouse) and are designed to work the smaller muscles that support larger ones, while stretching and lengthening the entire muscular package. A low-impact yet highly intense workout, Pilates is ideal for everyone, young or old, those who are extremely fit or out of shape, as well as those who have chronic pain, injuries, or asthma.Illustrated with over 100 black-and-white photographs, The Pilates Powerhouse brings this time-efficient and highly effective means to get and stay in shape into the home, without the need for expensive classes and elaborate equipment. Using only a mat, a stick and, for advanced Pilates, a ball, readers will feel personally trained by Mari Winsor’s innovative routines and spirited instruction, reaping the dramatic and lasting results of Pilates in less than an hour a day.
Library Journal
Winsor, a former professional dancer who has taught numerous movie stars and professional athletes the Pilates method of body conditioning, has written a manual that will appeal to a wide audience. It addresses the needs of beginning, intermediate, and advanced users in a concise format that includes step-by-step instructions and more than 100 black-and-white photos. The Pilates method is effective because of the use of resistance, which can be increased through the use of an array of specially designed exercise machines. Winsor confines herself to discussing the Pilates mat routine, in which exercises are performed on a mat or floor, using only controlled movement to create resistance. This approach allows her to provide an excellent overview of the Pilates philosophy and methods. Following the exercises, Winsor (herself an asthma sufferer) suggests Pilates breathing techniques for asthmatics and those with neck and back injuries but emphasizes the neccessity of consulting a physician first. Finally, she tells readers how to find a qualified instructor. Recommended for all basic fitness collections as a great introduction. Those who want a more comprehensive treatment would do better with Sean Gallagher's The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning (LJ 6/1/99).--Ximena Chrisagis, Wright State Univ. Libs., Dayton, OH Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
What People Are Saying
Marisa Tomei
Works deeper than any other workout I've done. Mari Winsor got me in great shape.
Melanie Griffith
Pilateshas changed my life.
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