The Urban Monk

In this paperback edition of the New York Times bestseller, Pedram Shojai presents a practical approach to using Zen-like life hacks to get past real world pressures and live a better life.

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We all struggle to find the energy and time to discover satisfaction and contentment in the modern world. Technology offers the promise of a better life, and yet the more gadgets we buy and the more time we spend in front of a screen, things only seem to get worse. What are we all missing? What will it take for us to find our centers? Is the only solution to pack it all up, head for the hills, and join a remote abbey of sequestered monks?

Happily, Pedram Shojai shows us that running away for a life of religious contemplation is not the only answer. While we often think that the kind of centeredness and calm we associate with Zen masters is unattainable in our fast-paced contemporary lives, Shojai has discovered a way for us to become "urban monks" who interact with our highly stimulating and demanding careers, families, and environments in a grounded way, leading to greater satisfaction and better well-being.

Based on a lifetime of study, The Urban Monk offers Shojai's no-nonsense approach, bringing together foundational techniques of Eastern medicine and techniques grounded in the modern age to help readers overcome universal pain points like lack of energy, a stagnant lifestyle, and general lack of purpose. For anyone struggling to find balance, reduce stress, and generally cope with the rigors and demands of modern life, becoming an Urban Monk can provide a fresh path to inner peace and happiness.