Living in Balance: a Mindful Guide for Thriving in a Complex World

361 Pages·2014·2.678 MB·English

by  Levey, Joel;Levey, Michelle

PERSONAL GROWTH / SPIRITUALITY $18.95 USA / $20.95 CAN
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joel levey & michelle levey
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“A beautiful book that brings wisdom
and love into a world that longs for balance.”
REVISED AND EXPANDED | FOREWORD BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
—Roshi Joan Halifax, Abbot, Upaya Zen Center
L I V I N G
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THE QUINTESSENTIAL MANUAL FOR LIVING IN HARMONY AND BALANCE
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Living in Balance is a powerful, inspiring, and profoundly practical guide for everyone
B A L A N C E
seeking to realize greater wisdom, compassion, creativity, and health in their lives.
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Internationally acclaimed mind-science researchers, wellness educators, and corporate
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consultants Dr. Joel and Michelle Levey offer a rare synthesis of ancient wisdom
traditions with cutting-edge research on extraordinary human performance pointing
G a mindful guide for thriving in a complex world
toward mindfulness as being the key to thriving and living in balance. With a myriad
of principles and practices that can be woven into the fabric of daily life, it’s the ultimate
manual for living in a complex and rapidly changing world. B
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“This book, like its luminous authors, brings refreshment to mind and heart.
It invites us to open to our own inner wisdom, and brings us tools, visions, and L
whispered counsel that restore the blessed balance we each deserve.”
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—Joanna Macy, author, Coming Back to Life
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JOEL AND MICHELLE LEVEY are founders of Wisdom at Work and the International
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Institute for Mindfulness, Meditation, and MindBody Medicine. They offer teachings on
living in balance to organizations around the globe. Their published works are
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available in ten languages and include Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mind-Fitness
and The Fine Arts of Relaxation, Concentration, and Meditation. They balance their
time between Seattle and Hawaii. WisdomAtWork.com
“The wisest, most practical, and inspiring book that I have read in years.
This is one book that really does have the power to help you change your life.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, author of Inner Peace for Busy People
DIVINE ARTS | DIVINEARTSMEDIA.COM
DIVINE
ARTS
Advance praise for the new edition of Living in Balance
“!e world is craving a vocabulary that enhances balance in life and compassion in
communications both towards self and towards others."!rough all my encounters
with Joel and Michelle Levey they offer just that,"and I’m grateful for everything they
are offering me in my personal life and in my work."With a soft wisdom the new edition
of Living in Balance guides us towards our inner force and the bigger understanding we all
need in this time of a world in transition.”
—KAROLINE KLERK,"founder of Compassionate Sweden
“Living in Balance is a global priority."Joel and Michelle skillfully highlight the inner
dimension to international crises."!rough modern science and ancient wisdom tradi-
tions,"they offer insights and practical tools to help us find and maintain balance in daily
life—so we can contribute to creating a more peaceful and environmentally sustain-
able world.”
—PHILIP M."HELLMICH,"Director of Peace,"!e Shift Network; author of God and Conflict:
A Search for Peace in a Time of Crisis
“Today more than ever modern society makes demands on the individual for which evo-
lution has not prepared us. Living in Balance gives each of us tools that not only will
allow us to navigate through a complex world but allow us to thrive."By gaining insights
into ourselves and learning techniques that fundamentally allow one to rewire their brain,"
Joel and Michelle have given us a wonderful gift…"the gift of transcendence.”
—JAMES R."DOTY,"M.D.,"founder and director of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and
Altruism Research and Education; clinical professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University
“!is book,"like its luminous authors,"brings refreshment to mind and heart."It invites
us to open to our own inner wisdom,"and brings us tools,"visions,"and whispered coun-
sel that restore the blessed balance we each deserve.”
—JOANNA MACY,"author of Coming Back to Life
“A beautiful book that brings wisdom and love into a world that longs for balance.”
—ROSHI JOAN HALIFAX,"Abbot,"Upaya Zen Center
“In this book,"Joel and Michelle offer us all that we need to create a meaningful and
balanced life."Anyone who follows these practices and teachings will become a blessing
to others,"a refuge for all beings."!e revolution we seek must always come from the
inside out.”
—NOAH LEVINE,"author of Refuge Recovery,!Dharma Punx, and Against the Stream
“!e benefit of Living in Balance is in the skillful weaving of the personal,"interpersonal,"
and ecological perspectives with the fields of wisdom,"faith traditions,"daily life,"and sci-
ence."It’s a pleasant combination of practical advice and inspiration that is very helpful
as we seek to develop wiser relationships with ourselves,"our community,"our technol-
ogy,"and our world.”
—BILL DUANE,"senior manager,"Well Being and Sustainable High Performance Development LIVING IN
Programs at Google
“A vital compass for this era of chaos and possibility, Living in Balance guides us on a deep BA LA NCE
and expansive journey,"flowing with transformative wisdom."Lucid and engaging,"it is a
tonic for the heart,"mind,"body,"and the world we inhabit.”
—NOVA AMI AND VELCROW RIPPER,"award-winning filmmakers,"Fierce Love Films
“Joel and Michelle are not just experts in this field,"but two of the most balanced peo-
ple I have ever met."In Living in Balance,"they offer not only cutting edge science and
their own experience,"but wisdom from the ages on living wisely and well."A must read
for all of us seeking calm in the chaos of our times.”
—M.J."RYAN,"author of "is Year I Will and How to Survive Change You Didn’t Ask For
“!is book is both a practical and inspirational resource for living our lives to the fullest
while also encouraging and impacting those around us—whether it’s a single family,"a
workplace environment or an entire community of citizens."Living in Balance offers wis-
dom and depth gleaned from innovative,"entrepreneurial,"and compassionate thinkers and
doers; it is thoughtful,"well researched,"and immensely valuable in bringing balance and
productivity to the increasingly complex,"challenging,"and global world we live in.”
—GREG FISCHER,"mayor of Louisville,"Kentucky,"an International Model City
of Compassion
“Wonderful! A radical yet simple approach that can save our sanity and the world! !e
timeless wisdom and modern science in this book offer critical insight for everyone
working to rebalance their lives or engaging in social change."!e mindfulness practices
share essential skills for keeping calm in the midst of today’s raging storms."I recom-
mend this book to everyone and return to its quotes and passages often.”
—RIVERA SUN,"author of "e Dandelion Insurrection
“I’ve known and admired the work of Joel and Michelle Levey,"and have witnessed first-
hand the loving wisdom and depth of their teaching."!is book elucidates and enlivens
their work and makes it accessible to anyone who is on the journey to find more peace,"
joy,"and fulfillment in life."!e Leveys affirm the many strategies we might embrace to find
our way."!is book is to be treasured and read until dog-eared and damp with sweet tears
of deep recognition.”
—KAREN GUZAK,"mayor,"City of Snohomish,"Washington State
LIVING IN
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LIVING IN
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A Mindful Guide for "riving in a Complex World
Joel Levey & Michelle Levey
Foreword by His Holiness !e Dalai Lama
Published by DIVINE ARTS
DivineArtsMedia.com
An Imprint of Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd.!#1111
Studio City,!CA 91604
(818) 379–8799,!(818) 986–3408 (Fax)
Cover design: JohnnyInk www.johnnyink.com
Interior design and layout: Howie Severson www.fortuitouspub.com
Copyeditor: David Wright
Printed by McNaughton & Gunn,!Inc.,!Saline,!Michigan
Manufactured in the United States of America
Copyright © 2014 by Joel Levey and Michelle Levey
All rights reserved.!No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
means without permission in writing from the author,!except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Levey,!Joel.
Living in balance : a mindful guide for thriving in a complex world / Joel Levey and
Michelle Levey ; foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.!— [Revised edition].
pages cm
ISBN 978–1–61125–030–5 (ebook)
1.! Conduct of life.!2.! Quality of life.! I.!Levey,!Michelle.!II.!Title.
BF637.C5L46 2014
158.1—dc23
2014014689
Printed on Recycled Stock
This book is dedicated to all those
who yearn for balance,
and to the spirit of harmony and wholeness
awakening within us all.

Contents
Foreword by His Holiness !e Dalai Lama ix
Authors Preface to the New Edition xi
Staying Centered in Challenging Times 1
SECTION ONE
An Inside-Out Approach to Balanced Living
1." It’s All About Balance 11
2." Glimpses of Wholeness 16
3." Life as a Learning Expedition: A Model for Balance 39
4." Mindfulness: !e Gateway to Balance 56
5." !e Science of Balance 94
SECTION TWO
Mind-Body-Spirit Harmony: Fine-Tuning our Primary Instrument
6." Physical Balance: Lessons from and for the Body 109
7." Emotional Balance: A Peaceful Heart 133
8." !e Balanced Mindstate 151
9." Catching the Waves: Balancing the Harmonics of
Subtle Energy 174
10."Balanced in Spirit 192
11."Breathing into Balance 216
ix