After traveling the country promoting a book she co-authored (The Faith Club), Priscilla Warner was exhausted, out of shape mentally and physically, and worn down from battling an anxiety disorder that had caused her to have panic attacks for most of her life.
Fearing she was looking at her own mortality too early in life, she decided to "find her inner monk" and began a yearlong quest to ease her mind and soothe her soul. The result is Learning to Breathe, a terrific book that takes us on her intimate journey from healer to healer, seeking peace and wholeness.
Priscilla's story is vividly recounted as she opens up and learns from meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg, Pema Chödrön, the Dalai Lama and others. She tries yoga, Trager Technique, Somatic Experience Therapy and EMDR, among other therapies. She goes to a mikvah, visits with psychotherapist and guided imagery pioneer Belleruth Naparstek, and talks Ayurveda with Robert Sachs. As she becomes more proficient with her meditation technique, she even has her brain studied by Andy Newburg at the University of Pennsylvania.
All the while, Priscilla is getting to the root of the cause of her severe panic attacks, which she describes in heart-breaking detail. All this hard work allows her to release the anxiety, and thus the debilitating attacks, and settle into a more peaceful, calm life with her clearly supportive family.
Most of us cannot take a year off to meet teachers and healers, so take a vicarious healing journey by reading this book, find what resonates with you and dig deeper. --Susan Weis-Bohlen, breathe books