Dancing on the Tightrope
Do you ever feel stuck, that there’s more to your life, and that you are just going through the motions on autopilot?
Do you wonder how to face life’s challenges and yet remain resilient and open-hearted?
Do you long for more inner peace but find that your mind gets in the way?
What if you could discover the five “habits of mind” that we all can get stuck in, that are taking you away from the well-being that is possible in your life?
These habits of mind, or automatic, reactive patterns of behaviors and thoughts, are universal ones we all experience, based on how our brains evolved over millions of years to help us survive as a species.
While these “old programs” helped our ancestors survive, they can often become obstacles to our well-being in our modern lives.
In this book you will learn five tools or “antidotes” to work with these habits, to loosen the grip of automatic patterns that we often don’t even realize are there, that are holding us back from our deepest well-being.
When you learn to use the tools offered in this book, these inner obstacles become opportunities to grow lasting inner resources for resilience, peace, and joy.
Through personal narratives from my own life, examples from working with my patients for over several decades, sharing what neuroscience and psychology tell us about the human brain and how we change behavior, and short, practical exercises that help you to apply the tools to your own life, I invite you to discover your fullest life that awaits.
What people are saying…
“This book will help you develop your inner resources, and the confidence that you can find balance and joy amidst all seasons of life. Highly recommended!”
—Tara Brach, Author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge
“Dr. Kurland provides a penetrating analysis of our Stone Age brain and its challenges in the 21st century. Then with great clarity and heart, she explains how to deal with these and be more mindful, resilient, and happy right in the middle of everyday life. Her voice is warm and friendly, like chatting with a good friend who happens to be a wonderful therapist. A useful, beautiful book.”
—Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness
“We can all lead more joy filled and meaningful lives. True joy is lurking around the corner . You can discover it, feel it and spread it. Kudos to Beth Kurland for penning an illuminating book . Read it, follow the sage advice. It will open and expand your heart and help you embrace this precious life to its fullest.”
—Sanjiv Chopra, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Best selling author
“An honest, accessible and compassionate manual for relaxing the grip of our brain-based reactivity in daily life. With a gentle touch and practical clarity, Beth Kurland illuminates the self-protective habits that make us unhappy, and guides readers in cultivating kinder practices as antidotes to these reactive patterns our brains bring our way—Dr. Kurland’s practices and insight support the gradual, skillful process of opening our hearts to the truth of our experience.”
—Mitch Abblett, Ph.D., author of The Five Hurdles to Happiness…and the Mindful Path for Overcoming Them
“Dancing on the Tightrope shines a bright light on making life simpler and more enjoyable through the practice of mindfulness. Dr. Kurland presents a practical and unique plan for developing our resilience and awareness while guiding ourselves through everyday challenges.”
— Mark Bertin, M.D., Developmental Pediatrics, www.developmentaldoctor.com, Author, Mindful Parenting for ADHD and How Children Thrive
“POWERFUL AND TIMELY! This is a must read for anyone interested in mindfulness, personal development, or conscious evolution! In her book, Beth Kurland brings mindfulness to a new level. Didn’t think there was another level? Guess again. Kurland discusses the neuroscience behind what she calls our evolutionary challenges. Full of real life scenarios to illustrate the ways in which mindfulness can help us overcome these evolutionary challenges, Kurland points the reader toward a more evolved way of being in the world. An informative, easy read that could just as easily find its way onto a required reading list at college level classes as it could onto the bedside table of personal growth enthusiasts.”
—Kathleen McKenzie, Ed.D., LICSW, Senior Lecturer Behavioral Science Program, Northeastern University
“In her latest book, Beth Kurland offers a wonderful resource that normalizes the inevitable adversity and life challenges we all face, elucidates the habits of our minds that detract from our ability to live our best lives, and outlines steps we can take to address them productively and in ways that lead to inner peace. Her years of experience as a clinical psychologist fortify every page. The personal stories from her own life make the text relatable, and embedded throughout are opportunities to write and reflect, allowing the reader to chart a plan that puts them on a path toward greater well-being. Resilience and psychological strength are skills that can be learned, and Beth Kurland’s book is an excellent place to start.”
—Tim Bono, PhD, Assistant Dean and Lecturer in Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. Author of When Likes Aren’t Enough: A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness.
“Dancing on the Tightrope is ultimately a book about hope. Kurland masterfully weaves together practical exercises, personal narrative, brain science, and concrete examples from her work as a therapist to show us that we have the power to change the way we show up in the world. She explains five evolutionary challenges that keep us trapped in unhelpful, reactive patterns of thought and behavior, and then provides the antidote — five practical tools that illuminate and illustrate the path into a “wide-awake” life of intentional, healthy, non-reactive living, full of connection to others and ultimately to ourselves. This is a must-read for those seeking to begin or deepen a practice of mindful, conscious living.”
— David Ronka, Presenter, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Author of The Flip Side of Fear
