"REINVENTING THE MEAL" PROJECT
"As a longtime professional and author in the field of mindful eating, I rarely happen upon writings that so clearly illuminate what is at the core of all mindfulness practice: the awakening of possibility and the possibility of awakening. Pavel Somov has accomplished this in a way that is simultaneously surprising, powerful, fresh, and effective. In Reinventing the Meal, he presents a new paradigm for eating by serving up a diverse mindfulness menu consisting of appetizing anecdotes; a savory stew of fascinating scientific research, ancient wisdom, and down-to-earth mindful eating practices; and a delightful dessert of wry humor. In doing so, he stretches the limits of mindful eating, providing approaches that can help people break out of limiting styles of eating and antiquated ways of viewing themselves and the world. No matter how stuck you may feel, this book will metaphorically cleanse your palate, allowing you to start anew—with an empty plate and, more literally, a mind empty of preconceptions about food."
-- Donald Altman, is vice president of The Center for Mindful Eating and author of One-Minute Mindfulness and Meal by Meal
"PRESENT PERFECT" PROJECT
“This brilliant and practical new book is designed to help alleviate the excess stress and dissatisfaction of perfectionism, one of the main practices of the extremely popular, if unheralded, religion I lovingly call Control Freakism. Pavel Somov gives us numerous helpful awareness exercises, conscious inquiries, insights, mindfulness practices, original perspectives, and penetrating ideas, all conducive to helping us free ourselves from this tyrannical inner demon and experience the radiant reality of things just as they are. Acceptance has its own transformative magic, and I heartily recommend this work to all who want to transform, awaken, and edify.”
—Lama Surya Das, founder of Dzogchen Meditation Centers and author of Awakening the Buddha Within
Kindle: Present Perfect: A Mindfulness Approach to Letting Go of Perfectionism and the Need for Control
"EATING THE MOMENT" PROJECT
“Eating the Moment is a thoughtful feast for those who want to understand the psychology of eating and how to overcome mindlessness with food. The 141 eating practices are easy-to-grasp appetizers for becoming more aware, overcoming craving, and transforming your experience with food. If you have ever wanted a primer on eating skills that you never learned at home or in school, this book is an excellent place to start.
—Donald Altman, author of Meal by Meal and Art of the Inner Meal
Kindle: Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time
"LOTUS EFFECT" PROJECT
--Ronald A. Alexander, Ph.D., executive director of the Open Mind Training Institute and author of Wise Mind, Open Mind
The Lotus Effect is a remarkable book which guides readers on rich exploration of their relationship to their own identity. Somov's voice is lithe, often playful, but his intent is dead serious. The ideas and techniques in the book are designed to do nothing less than transform the way we think about our own identity. We begin with a process of "identity detox" - which is a wonderful way of describing the process of detaching from the information about ourselves which is not our true self. After working through a series of short exercises designed to help us enact the experience of dis-identifying from what we are not, we are then led on an exploration of what is left after we have discarded all of these unhelpful attachments. Somov has a gift for capturing issues of great complexity in simple concise metaphors and enactments, allowing us to find our way almost effortlessly into an experience of deep self-exploration.
--Andrew Peterson, Ed. D., author of The Next Ten Minutes: 51 Absurdly Simple Ways to Seize the Moment
Kindle: The Lotus Effect: Shedding Suffering and Rediscovering Your Essential Self
"SMOKE-FREE SMOKE-BREAK" PROJECT
From the first page, I was riveted. Having worked professionally with addictive behavior for thirty years, I am seldom surprised with new ideas. Yet this book surprised me with many delightful, inspiring, and useful ideas and exercises that I immediately began to bring into my work with patients. This book rides the crest of a new, hopeful, and effective approach to positive behavior change that’s revolutionizing the way professionals understand and address addictive behaviors.
-- Andrew Tatarsky, PhD, Center for Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy
Kindle: The Smoke-Free Smoke Break: Stop Smoking Now with Mindfulness and Acceptance
