The Stress-Free Habit: Powerful Techniques for Health and Longevity from the Andes, Yucatan, and the Far East

By John Perkins

Book Overview

To achieve material success in a technologically advanced society, it may be necessary to subject yourself to a great deal of stress. However, it is not necessary to "stay tense." The president of Independent Power Systems International, John Perkins manages large-scale projects aimed at conserving energy and improving the environment. The Stress-Free Habit is the result of his twenty years of experience as a management consultant to governmental organizations and businesses in countries as diverse as Ecuador, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The author points out that stress is all around us and, while it is often useful and even essential, it can also be extremely harmful. While other cultures incorporate very specific methods of stress management as part of their daily routines, such methods are noticeably absent from the fabric of modern Western culture.Perkins emphasizes that we can--and should--seek out these techniques wherever they are to be found and put them into practice in our own lives. Throughout his travels and contacts with a variety of native cultures, the author has observed and integrated traditional practices that have enabled him and his co-workers to manage stress effectively and achieve high levels of success. The Stress-Free Habit consolidates this practical wisdom in a simple easy-to-follow eight-step program. Those who practice it experience physical and psychological benefits, including elimination of alcohol and drug abuse, insomnia, headache, diarrhea, and nervous disorders, as well as a lower probability of heart attack. The principles of The Stress-Free Habit come to life in tales of remarkable encounters with individuals who have mastered the art of creative living. Their stories are a testament to techniques of stress management that can help you live a longer, more relaxed, and more productive life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892812923
• ISBN13: 9780892812929
• Release Date: May 1989
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press
• Length: 104 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Learn stress management from indigenous cultures

Long before he wrote his bestseller "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," John Perkins drew upon his experiences in other cultures to write this book on stress management. Illustrating his points with anecdotes from indigenous cultures in the Andes, Yucatan, Java, and Sulawasi, Perkins outlines five elements of what he calls the "stress-free habit": be who you want to be; recognize that it is the lack of a solution that is the problem, rather than the problem itself; concentrate; have faith; and meditate. It is a short book and an easy read, with both interesting windows on other parts of the world and practical advice.

A simple fast read with food for thought.

A friend's husband recommended this book and when it arrived I could not put it down - read in 24 hours and then reread key parts again. I teach at a school that is a victim of NCLB. If I could get the staff to read this book for professional development instead of more rhetoric, I know our staff would quit stressing and BE the excellent teachers that we are, I know we would be more productive. The meditation "how to" of this book was so simple and made so much sense. The anecdotals on other cultures were interesting and applicable. Kudos to the author on this simple little book packed with life changing practices.

Practical Shamanic Techniques

As a physician in the Washington DC corridor, I found this book both fascinating, inspiring, and practical. A must for all of us in this stressful era.