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The Art of Stillness
The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere | Pico Iyer
18 posts | 18 read | 1 reading | 8 to read
A follow up to Pico Iyer’s essay “The Joy of Quiet,” The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug. Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. There’s never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still. In The Art of Stillness—a TED Books release—Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people—even those with no religious commitment—seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. Growing trends like observing an “Internet Sabbath”—turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning—highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives. The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many—from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson—have found richness in stillness. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before. In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world.
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RamsFan1963
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I feel that way many days lately.

#QuotsyMar21 #unplug @TK-421

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GoneFishing

More and more of us feel like emergency-room physicians, permanently on call, required to heal ourselves but unable to find the prescription for all the clutter on our desk.

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Acire11Erica
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You don‘t get over the shadows inside you simply by walking away from them.

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Acire11Erica
Mehso-so

The Art of Stillness was a quick and insightful read. While it didn‘t necessarily reveal to me anything I hadn‘t already learned throughout my time studying and practicing internal awareness and mindfulness, it is a good way to remind yourself to stop and breathe.

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Exia
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From the Artist‘s Statement by photographer Eydís Einarsdóttir

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RinaBrahmbhattBarot
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Pickpick

On a rare quiet day at work, i am listening to this! Grateful for my work and all I've :)
Who else gets to sneak in our books during working hours?

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GoneFishing

In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.

27 likes3 stack adds
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catiewithac
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Mehso-so

There are better books about mindfulness meditation (see everything written by Thich Nhat Hahn). This one from the #TEDbooks series is very short and a quick read. Recommended for Leonard Cohen and Emily Dickinson fans.

RinaBrahmbhattBarot I'm listening to this now :) 7y
8 likes1 comment