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Can we shift our habit of withdrawing from life to avoid suffering? A New York Times bestselling author shares a powerful new approach.
With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there's another way? What if being more open to life is actually what brings us sanity and happiness? In this climate of distraction and division, Nate Klemp's Open offers a path back to a way of living that is expansive, creative, and filled with wonder.
Drawing on personal stories, scientific findings, and traditional wisdom, Klemp explores why we close down when faced with stressors or threats, then reveals why training ourselves to fully engage even with discomfort, pain, and sadness leads to greater well-being in the long run. Here, you'll explore the many approaches to opening (such as psychedelic-assisted therapy, open meditation, and letting go), guidance for maintaining healthy boundaries while opening, antidotes to the social pressures that cause us to dehumanize others, practical tools for choosing to welcome any experience in the moment, and much more.
"We've made the path to a happier life overly complicated," says Klemp. "Yet each time we choose to engage instead of avoid, our mind expands. We find we can hold it all-anxiety, bliss, outrage, and feelings of genuine kindness. This is the magic of opening."
With the avalanche of information we get every day, closing down our minds and hearts seems to be the only way to survive. We close to ourselves by compulsively checking our devices. We close to each other by getting caught in echo chambers of outrage. But what if there's another way? What if being more open to life is actually what brings us sanity and happiness? In this climate of distraction and division, Nate Klemp's Open offers a path back to a way of living that is expansive, creative, and filled with wonder.
Drawing on personal stories, scientific findings, and traditional wisdom, Klemp explores why we close down when faced with stressors or threats, then reveals why training ourselves to fully engage even with discomfort, pain, and sadness leads to greater well-being in the long run. Here, you'll explore the many approaches to opening (such as psychedelic-assisted therapy, open meditation, and letting go), guidance for maintaining healthy boundaries while opening, antidotes to the social pressures that cause us to dehumanize others, practical tools for choosing to welcome any experience in the moment, and much more.
"We've made the path to a happier life overly complicated," says Klemp. "Yet each time we choose to engage instead of avoid, our mind expands. We find we can hold it all-anxiety, bliss, outrage, and feelings of genuine kindness. This is the magic of opening."
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Reviews
"In a time of spiraling fear and polarization, where we all have countless reasons to close our hearts and minds, Nate Klemp offers us a wise, inspiring, counterintuitive invitation to open up. His methods of dealing with a chaotic world are both pragmatic and heartfelt, grounded and elevating. By generously sharing his own experience, he offers companionship on a journey that can help us all live
Martha Beck, author of The Way of Integrity and Diana, Herself
"This wise and deeply relevant book guides us in navigating the seductive trance of a growingly virtual world . . . and living with our full creativity, intelligence, and love."
Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and Trusting the Gold