The Power of Awe
Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose—In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Nautilus Book Awards Gold Recipient
Discover a clinically proven way to reduce inflammation, stress, loneliness, and burnout while improving overall well-being
As lifelong meditators and mindfulness teachers, we confess we were almost embarrassed when we stumbled onto a 5–15 second shortcut to transcendence. This idea ran counter to everything we knew about meditation before we began our research. But, yes, it is possible. It only requires accessing the powerful emotion of awe in ordinary, everyday life. The changes in our lives have been profound, and after seeing the results repeated again and again in our thousands of patients, clients, and study participants, we’ve proven that our shortcut, coined the A.W.E. Method, works.
—from the Preface
Research has proven that mindfulness improves well-being and reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. But for some, the practice itself feels challenging and inaccessible. That’s where the A.W.E. Method comes in. In The Power of Awe, therapist Jake Eagle and chronic pain specialist Michael Amster, MD, share their extraordinary yet simple mindfulness practice that turns ordinary moments into awe-inducing experiences, helping you effortlessly achieve a heightened state of consciousness usually reserved for seasoned practitioners of mindfulness—all within a matter of seconds.
A.W.E. stands for Attention, Wait, Exhale and Expand, and the method is a five- to fifteen-second, three-step process—a type of “microdosing mindfulness,” or a brief, informal mindfulness practice supported by research conducted at UC Berkeley. The A.W.E. Method quickly transports us into awe, an incredibly powerful emotion that produces wonderment and a heightened state of consciousness along with some remarkable changes in the mind and body that can improve health and wellness.
Experiencing awe does not require any demanding discipline or skills or “awesome” settings. The A.W.E. Method ensures that awe and its many benefits are accessible to you at any time, in any place—sitting at a stoplight, cooking a meal, petting an animal, or listening to a loved one’s laugh.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Psychotherapist Eagle (Reright Your Life) and pain management specialist Amster lay out a plan to harness awe to heal the mind and body in this enlightening treatise. While many have experienced awe in special moments—witnessing the beauty of nature, for example, or holding an infant for the first time—awe, the authors suggest, can be a part of everyday life and offers physical and emotional benefits. To that end, Eagle and Amster propose their "A.W.E." method ("attention," "wait," and "exhale/expand") a 5–15 second meditation practice that involves focusing on an object of appreciation (be it a physical thing or thought); slowing down and inhaling; and exhaling, leaning into the sensation. Even a few seconds of mindful appreciation, the authors suggest, derails the body's stress response, moving it into "rest and digest" mode. Eagle and Amster draw on their own research to show how, after practicing their method, participants reported a reduction of negative mental and physical symptoms. This convincing appraisal of awe's many possibilities helps frame mindfulness in a fascinating and eminently actionable way. Wellness gurus and those merely seeking a break from frenetic daily life will want to take a look.
