I’m glad you’re finding it interesting. Aristotle made the students in his school train with wrestlers to condition and strengthen their bodies. He did that because real intense thinking is very demanding physically. Many people fall asleep or get tired reading in-depth philosophy. It’s because most people are not in the best of shape. They have low blood sugar and adrenal fatigue. Bodhidarma did much the same thing when he went to China.

So, I agree with those who say that how we think, so we are. However I feel some go to the extreme in ignoring how much influence what we eat and our overall physical health has upon how we think.

The Buddha said our body is our vehicle to enlightenment. So take good care of it.

Stay tuned because tomorrow I’ll be posting an article regarding excitotoxins in our food. If ever there was a dietary source of altered thinking excitotoxins are it. And not in a good way.

Stephen – Balanced Existences last blog post..True Love is Unconditional

By the way, the process you’ve described – of taking bits and pieces from different personal development sources and applying them to your life as you see fit – this is exactly what we mean by DIY Enlightenment.

It’s not one-size-fits-all; we don’t just have to choose a specific philosophy or doctrine and stick to it. We are free to liberate our lives in our own way.

And amen to that!

Zendads last blog post..Random Thoughts……..

@Stephen – it’s been interesting reading your marriage of dietary health and personal development. I have an appointment with my naturopath this week, due to some health issues need fixing up. I gotta admit though, I’m such a lush that the idea of doing another naturopathic diet for while doesn’t exactly fill me with joy (but my guts will love me for it, this I know).

The way the world is now set up to be produces stress all our waking lives if we let it. Considering stress is only episodic in nature it is no wonder everyone is walking around with adrenal fatigue, poor digestion and taking blood pressure and cholesterol medication. We’ve strayed so very far.

To all that I say: Step off!

Stephen – Balanced Existences last blog post..Combine Insight and Loving Kindness Meditation

Because what they are doing is setting you up to fail. You get the new book, get all excited about the latest “breakthrough” but then get all depressed when you don’t suddenly change and become a super hero, and so then you need the next book or the seminar or whatever. Meanwhile these gurus are laughing all the way to the bank and half of them probably privately struggle to practice what they preach anyway.

I came up with the title Rebel Zen when I was sitting around thinking how I’d love to see a personal development writer who admits he’s a slack-arse with a whole host of personal failings. Then I thought – I can do that! And there you have it

Ah the fun of technology. I think at that point where the thank you is, there is also a download link right there. It might need a redesign to be a bit more obvious, but we were in a bit of a hurry to get the e-book out in time for the Pick The Brain article ‘cos it was going to (and did) send us bunch of new traffic. Sorry, try again and let us know if it still don’t work for you.

But I never got a link for the book so why a Thanks?