
- Publisher: Sacajawea Press
- Available in: Kindle, ebook, paperback
- ISBN: 979-8540963251
- Published: July 22, 2021
Signed copies of this book are available at Birdhouse Books at 1001 Main St. Downtown Vancouver WA.
Book Review
Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers’ Favorite
Do you suffer from anxiety or depression? Maybe you feel like you need to let go, but you don’t know how? Learn how to stress less and live a life of fulfillment and joy in the spiritual book, The Valley Spirit: Living a Tao-inspired Life by Stephen Altschuler. We are living in a time of lecturers instead of listeners. We struggle with making sure that everyone understands the Principle of The Matter, creating further imbalance, instead of listening to what the other person’s soul is attempting to communicate. Practicing Taoism helps us reconnect with our heart center, allowing our spirit to shine again with love. Imparting practical, everyday guidance on using Taoist principles, this book reveals the simplicity of applying the basics in easy-to-understand and concise chapters: mastering letting go, becoming more flexible, and learning the graceful art of compassion. Release the struggle of life and embrace a new, gentler way of thinking.
In 56 short essays, The Valley Spirit: Living a Tao-inspired Life by Stephen Altschuler articulately describes how best to live a Taoist life. Sometimes tearfully devastating, other times funny, I instantly connected with the message. Stephen Altschuler’s inspiring account explains how mental illness is caused by a heart-mind disconnection, creating a split. I appreciate how Mr. Altschuler shows how he healed himself from issues such as severe anxiety attacks, agoraphobia, and more, by using the principles found in this book. I recommend this empowering and informative book to those who are searching for healing in their lives.
review by Diane Donovan, Midwest Review of Books:
The Valley Spirit: Living a Tao-inspired Life is recommended for new age readers interested in meditation and transformative techniques. It provides a guide to Tao and Buddhist thinking that can lead readers towards becoming more engaged in and sensitive about the world.
From new ways of asking good questions to make their answers better and more relevant to positive change, to considerations of the foundations of estrangement, alienation, and roots, The Valley Spirit addresses a far-ranging series of considerations affecting the process of personal transformation.
Issues of what should be taken literally or figuratively and the differences between the two, the task of handling conditioning to become more engaged in the moment, and sidestepping the split between mind and body that leads to physical and mental challenges alike are all tackled in this Buddhist-based approach to life.
Many books have promoted this approach, but often neglect to cover the process of just how to achieve this state of mind. In contrast, The Valley Spirit focuses on how to arrive at this place, using the author’s own brand of nature and social inspection as a foundation for walking in the footsteps of his journey towards a better perspective and outcome.
Moving from the lessons learned from practicing Tai Chi forms to how conditioning presents barriers to moving into different mindsets, Altschuler provides observations and keys that allow for movement between conventional and transformational thinking, focusing on finding balance points at different junctures. This fosters forward momentum.
Connections between Gaia, achievement, and the importance of finding answers in direct experience draw important links between Tai Chi and meditative processes, and growth-oriented transformation.
The Valley Spirit is a process-oriented book that gently guides readers on their own path of self-discovery. It is highly recommended for new age, self-help, and spirituality collections alike.