A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness [Hardcover]

Kathleen Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2006

Nautilus Book Awards Winners for 2007 (category: Self-Help/Psychology/ Personal Growth) "Like many people, Kathleen Hall found that despite great success and material wealth, she had yet to identify purpose, meaning, and balance in her work and her life. She left her Wall Street firm and devoted herself to understanding the relationships between mind, body, and spirit, and between professional and personal fulfillment. Since then, she has studied with great spiritual leaders including the Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and the exiled Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. She has also learned from medical experts like Dr. Dean Ornish of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Dr. Herbert Benson at the Harvard Mind-Body Institute. Inspired by those diverse influences, Dr. Hall has written A Life in Balance, a guided journey to joy, peace, and an intentional life grounded in the four roots of the SELF: * Serenity. Find what brings us peace, and channel it into everything we do * Exercise. Align the body with energy and health through walking, yoga, martial arts, and more * Love. Build community and relationships that heal others as well as ourselves * Food. Pay attention not just to what we eat, but to what we experience through all our senses Our lives pull us in many different directions; to find happiness, we must first create balance. Filled with wit, wisdom, and compassion, A Life in Balance will help any reader identify and stay true to his or her authentic self."

Editorial Reviews

Review

ForeWord: "The wisdom herein is impossible to mistake."

Review

"Dr. Kathleen Hall sums up the classical maxim of balance for our own age by delivering her message itself with astute balance in style and content. Here we learn how to incorporate this simple yet profound message made accessible through her clarity. Following her guidance brings balance within each of our grasp." -- John T. Chirban, Ph.D., Th.D., Harvard Medical School, author of True Coming of Age

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (January 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814473342
• ISBN-13: 978-0814473344
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captured my Attention, October 25, 2006

By 

Cathy A. Pulsifer "http://www.wow4u.com" (N.B., Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness (Hardcover)

Dr. Hall's book, "A Life in Balance", captured my attention within the first pages of the introduction.

On the first page of the introduction the author states:
"Our gas tanks are full, our bank accounts are full, and our closets are full, but we are running empty." I reflected on this statement, and with the exception of, "our bank accounts are full", I thought how true this statement resembled parts of my life and the lives of so many people I know.

Another example of the author's comments that caught my attention was:
"We have overstretched our personal boundaries and forgotten that true happiness comes from living an authentic life fueled with a sense of purpose and balance."

Dr. Hall shares her personal life experiences, and the experiences of others allowing you to see actual examples of what she is describing. She draws analogies from the seasons of the year and shows how the seasons of life are similar. She is able to use the example of a tree in pointing out how our life can hold the same balance by giving us the four roots of S.E.L.F..

We all know what stress is, but do we fully understand it? Dr. Hall explains stress, how stress affects our lives, and she provides suggestions for handling the stress in our lives.

At the end of each chapter the Dr. Hall helps you internalize what you have just read by giving you:
· Questions to ask yourself
· Suggestions to tell yourself
· Ideas to give yourself

In addition to sharing her training, education and experiences, Dr. Hall also provides many excellent resources including website addresses, and book references, plus she offers her own 25 Tips to a Life in Balance.

If you apply the techniques and practical suggestions found throughout the book, it will assist you in living "your life in balance of true happiness". I would recommend this book not only for people who feel their life is out of balance, but also for anyone who experiences stress in their day to day life. Truly an inspiring book on life!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pathway to getting things in perspective and balance, May 30, 2006

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness (Hardcover)

As one would surmise from the title, this is a book about establishing and keeping balance in your life. One of the better self-help books that I have read, it includes sections on Happiness and Health, Seasons of Your Life, Focusing Inward for Happiness, Stress and Stress Busting, Poisons that Kill the Roots of Your Happiness (fear, anger, hate, pessimism, apathy, greed, etc.), Establishing Serenity, Exercise and it's Gift to Your Body and Spirit, Love and Intimacy, and Nourishment. It is all about living life intentionally with purpose and balance. A Life in Balance is a recommended read.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The acorn already knows its purpose is to become an oak tree, April 3, 2006

By 

Pamela H. Hoffman (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness (Hardcover)

Kathleen Hall is a brilliant writer who has the ability to distill and analyze exactly why most of us are in a constant state of emotional, psychological, spiritual, or physical turmoil. Her new book, "A Life In Balance", explains in plain and simple language how fear, stress, and being externally controlled by what is going on around us hinders our attainment of happiness and fulfillment. Through empirical research, observation, common sense and a candid peek into her own colorful life, Kathleen gently guides us to look inward and to evaluate how we're living. She helps us learn to eliminate debilitating fear and unhealthy lifestyles while we set new standards for discovering happiness and a true sense of purpose. Once you read her formula for achieving happiness and re-discovering passion in your life, the truth will set you free!