If you have bipolar disorder, you struggle with psychological balance, swinging between highly depressed and highly manic states. For you, finding the middle path can be a challenge, which is why the Tao understanding of energy can be so helpful. “Tao,” is a Chinese word meaning “the way” and a metaphysical concept for understanding the universe as a circular flow of energy. The Tao understanding of bipolar disorder is that symptoms are the result of a disrupted or imbalanced energy flow that can be brought back to harmony with dedication and practice. In The Tao of Bipolar, you will reconnect with your essential, stable, balanced nature, which, according to the Tao, is the inherent state of all matter. In the book, you will learn to manage your energy with meditation and other techniques so that you can always return to their stable center. While you may lose touch with the center during bipolar episodes, this book encourages you to use mindfulness and meditation to consciously shift your energy back to this center before a bipolar episode gets too extreme. When it comes to bipolar disorder, managing emotions, preventing manic episodes, and dealing effectively with periods of depression is key to your mental health and well-being. This book will give you the tools you need to get your bipolar disorder under control, and get back to living life. Once you learn to manage your moods, you can function normally and experience far less suffering from the disorder, even when you do have bipolar episodes.

Doses of dark humor and poetry punctuate this riveting memoir and informational guide of how integrative treatment and spirituality can heal.

A study of recent shifts in the depictions of Asian cultural stereotypes The Tao of S is an engaging study of American racialization of Chinese and Asians, Asian American writing, and contemporary Chinese cultural production, stretching from the nineteenth century to the present. Sheng-mei Ma examines the work of nineteenth-century "Sinophobic" American writers, such as Bret Harte, Jack London, and Frank Norris, and twentieth-century "Sinophiliac" authors, such as John Steinbeck and Philip K. Dick, as well as the movies Crazy Rich Asians and Disney's Mulan and a host of contemporary Chinese authors, to illuminate how cultural stereotypes have swung from fearmongering to an overcompensating exultation of everything Asian. Within this framework Ma employs the Taoist principle of yin and yang to illuminate how roles of the once-dominant American hegemony—the yang—and the once-declining Asian civilization—the yin—are now, in the twenty-first century, turned upside down as China rises to write its side of the story, particularly through the soft power of television and media streamed worldwide. A joint publication from the University of South Carolina Press and the National Taiwan University Press.

USE VERBAL PROMPTS AND PRACTICES TO BECOME THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE When wellness star Vasavi Kumar suggests “saying it out loud,” she means it literally. Years of journaling in an attempt to learn about herself and meet her goals hadn’t worked, so she decided to talk to herself instead, out loud and with the compassion of a best friend. She used this technique as she journeyed through the challenges of being the daughter of Indian immigrants, a bipolar diagnosis, substance abuse, and recovery. Along the way, Vasavi learned that all the outside expert guidance in the world was no substitute for finding ways of tuning in to her truest inner self, hearing that self’s guidance and wisdom, and then living it with resilience and empathy. In Say It Out Loud, she gives simple verbal prompts to help you voice your deepest desires and reframe negative self-talk so you can heal from past experiences, go after your dreams, and become more intentional, focused, and compassionate.

“Alan Cohen brings to life ancient wisdom for a new era deeply in need of enlightenment. Fresh insights, practical, easy entry, and immense delight!” — Chungliang Al Huang, president-director, Living Tao Foundation, and co-author with Alan Watts of Tao: The Watercourse Way May you live during interesting times: so goes an ancient Chinese blessing—or some say curse. That wish has come true for us. Now what? In this radically illuminating book, Alan Cohen delves into one of the world’s most venerated wisdom texts for answers and brings the lofty and enigmatic concepts of the Tao Te Ching down to earth in fresh, easy-to-grasp language with practical, personal examples we can use to uplift our daily lives. Most other interpretations of the Tao march through the stanzas one by one. Here Alan Cohen calls forth the ancient verses around themes that are central to our modern lives —from love to work to the lessons we learn from pain. Then he brings each message to life in short vignettes where he imagines himself a student of Lao Tse and interacts with the master directly and intimately. He invites you to join the ancient sage and the contemporary seeker as they wend their way through the challenges and triumphs of the same journey you’re taking yourself.

In this hectic world, everyone needs a strategy to relax, in order to combat stress, feel calm, and do his or her best. Calm Your Mind contains 11 stress-reduction exercises to help you relax your mind and body; regain your focus; stop anxious, worried thoughts; control anger; reduce negative, depressive thoughts; extinguish obsessions; and reduce self-criticism. Just a few minutes with Calm Your Mind is like a mini-vacation that leaves you relaxed and rejuvenated. Calm Your Mind teaches you deep breathing, muscle relaxation, concentration on 20 digital paintings, analysis of 20 brief commentaries, thought-stopping, autonomic nervous system control, and behavioral relaxation techniques. Full instructions accompany each exercise as well as explanations of their psychological and medical mechanisms. Use these exercises to relax your mind before starting your day and before bedtime to help you relax and fall asleep. Employ them before stressful meetings to regain your calm, between clients and patients to regain your focus, and to teach family members and friends to relax. These relaxation exercises have been proven on a daily basis in my medical practice. I recommend them to my patients and to my professional colleagues and I use them myself. You will be a better person when you are calm, relaxed, and satisfied with yourself. Let's get started now!

After more than 20 years in print, an updated edition of the evocative and transformational classic about the powerful bond between women and horses When Linda Kohanov wrote The Tao of Equus over twenty years ago, she posed questions that few were asking: Do horses make choices? How do they seem to know what people are thinking and feeling? Are horses spiritual beings? What do they have to teach people? Why are women so attracted to horses? The answers, detailed in this extraordinary chronicle that synthesizes science, behavioral research, and personal insight, transformed how we think about one of humanity’s oldest companions and established Kohanov at the vanguard of the emerging field of animal-assisted learning/therapy. In this updated edition, Kohanov weaves new developments in neurological science and scholarship into her original exploration of spiritual awakening, cultural history, and mythology. The Tao of Equus delves into the mental and spiritual processes behind the magical connections that people often experience with horses. It remains a powerful exploration of the feminine wisdom horses model, subtleties that women riders have intuited for centuries.