For generation after generation, Toltec shamans have passed down their wisdom through teaching stories. The purpose of these stories is to implant a seed of knowledge in the mind of the listener, where it can ultimately sprout and blossom into a new and better way of life. 

In The Wisdom of the Shamans: What the Ancient Masters Can Teach Us about Love and Life, Toltec shaman and master storyteller don Jose Ruiz shares some of the most popular stories from his family’s oral tradition, and offers corresponding lessons that illustrate the larger ideas within each story.

Ruiz begins by explaining that contrary to the stereotypical image of “witchdoctor,” the ancient shamans were men and women who fulfilled several roles within their communities: philosopher, spiritual guide, medical doctor, psychologist, and friend.

According to Ruiz, their teachings are not primitive or reserved for a chosen few initiates, but are instead a powerful series of lessons on love and life that are available us all. To that aim, he has included exercises, meditations, and shamanic rituals in an effort to help you experience the personal transformation these stories offer.

The shamans taught that the truth you seek is inside of you.  Let these stories, lessons, and tools be your guide to finding the innate wisdom that lives within
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An Instruction Manual for Clear Communication
 
The most well-known Buddhist teachers on the planet all have something in common: they are excellent communicators. This is not a coincidence, as the Buddha taught what are called the four elements of right speech over 2,600 years ago.

In this one-of-a-kind book, certified meditation and mindfulness instructor Cynthia Kane has taken the four elements of right speech and developed them into a modern practice based on mindful listening, mindful speech, and mindful silence.

Beginning with an illuminating self-test to assess your current communication style, this book will take you through the author's own five-step practice, which will help you learn to:

Listen to yourself (your internal and external words)
Listen to others
Speak consciously, concisely, and clearly
Regard silence as a part of speech
Meditate to enhance your communication skills

If you have ever felt misheard, had trouble stating how you feel, or longed to have more meaningful and genuine conversations, this book can help. The simple steps outlined here will have a lasting effect on how you communicate with yourself and others.

Communication is essential to being human, and when you become better at it, your personal truth will become clearer, your relationships will improve, and you will experience more peace and harmony in your life.

Fans of Thich Nhat Hanh will appreciate these simple, clear instructions for how to transform everyday communication into “right speech.”

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A "Top 100 Notable Indie" of 2021 —Shelf Unbound

Consciousness, experience & existence, friends & lovers, alcohol, meaning, life's journey—all the good stuff—are rolled together in this Gen X, coming-of-middle-age story. Driven in equal parts by characters, plot, and ideas, this book should not be missed.

"For those who enjoy an intelligent escape, Hotel Bars provides a thought-provoking and entertaining read... The story is well-plotted and colored with entertaining detail..." —BlueInk Review

"Delp's prose is smooth..." —Kirkus Reviews

"There are interesting insights about big questions throughout... Characters leave after last call a little more enlightened..." —Foreword Clarion Reviews

After dropping off her only son at a Swiss boarding school, independent and self-sufficient Daisy becomes a hotel bartender in order to pursue experience and search for meaning, looking to explore life's next stage. She befriends Coop, an advertising executive and bar patron, who is also a recent empty nester. Together, they attend a consciousness conference at which Daisy reconnects with Bianca, a neuroscientist and Daisy’s college roommate from many years prior.

The brilliant and hyper-connected Bianca, once a rising star in the neuroscience world, has semi-secretly worked on the development of mind-control drugs for the last two decades. She is recruited by a billionaire software mogul to help free his niece from a Japanese cult.

In parallel storylines, Bianca battles the cult and Daisy undertakes a backpacking pilgrimage to find the meaning of life. The intertwined plots explore the nature of consciousness and its implications for the human experience.

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