‘The Urban Monk’ [REVIEW]

We live in a crazy world. Stress is all around us and we're always running in different directions. From bad news on TV to working your tail off, kids, soccer, family; when does it stop?  We keep hearing bad news on TV and, despite trying to do all the right things, we're low on energy and often frustrated in life.

I do remember covering meditation at Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton and remember it was kind of neat.  I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any means but that little bit of introduction was enough to want to someday look into it more.

Hence me picking up a book at a local bookstore called 'The Urban Monk,' by Pedram Shojai.  From page one, it seemed to be an educational experience.  A de-stresser of sorts. From breathing exercises to sitting up straight to just letting go, here are a few points, adapted from the book 'The Urban Monk':

This is the essential Urban Monk meditation practice that helps calm the mind and hone focus. It is designed to give us an "anchor" for our consciousness: something real to focus in on, like the breath.

Tapping into Universal time can be achieved by first tapping into your breath. You can effectively practice time dilation once you learn to control and understand your breathing.

  >   Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight. Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Gently start breathing in and out through your nose with your mouth closed.

  >   Breathe to a spot about 3 inches below your navel called the lower dantian. (It is essentially three fingers below the navel, deep in the center of your body. It is an empty space where we can breathe and cultivate energy and settle our minds.)

  >   Inflate (on inhale) and deflate (on exhale) this area with each passing breath.

  >   On your next inhale, slowly breathe down to your lower abdomen for a count of 4, counting slowly and evenly.

  >   Hold your breath when full for a count of 2.

  >   Slowly exhale for a count of 4; be fully empty by the end of it, and time it so you can do so.

  >   Hold your breath for a count of 2.

  >   Back to the inhale for 4 . . .

  >   Keep following this basic pattern for as long as is comfortable (or desired).

  >   Make sure your in and out breaths keep the same cadence with the count. Be particularly aware of the space at the top of the in breath and bottom of the out breath.

'The Urban Monk' is more than your typical self-help book.  I found it to be incredibly refreshing and easy to follow. Chapter 8 talks about the phenomenon of "Being Lonely Despite Being Surrounded By People."  An eye opener.

Read 'The Urban Monk' and I think you'll find that it's a way to quickly relieve the daily pressures of everyday life, understand yourself better and it's something you can take it with you wherever you go- literally.  A pretty cool learning experience.  This is one you may want to pick up.

[Available on Amazon]