Inviting A Monkey To Tea

To "invite a monkey to tea" is to befriend our own mind-which is often compared to a drunken monkey for all its mad twists and turns. A wild monkey is full of irrepressible desires, and thus chases its own tail in its search for happiness! This book is about learning to welcome the mind as ally without fear or resistance, thus relaxing that frantic search and resting in the joy of who we already are. As a psychotherapist, author Nancy Colier has accompanied hundreds of people in their "search for happiness" for nearly two decades. She has watched her clients try everything under the sun to be-and stay-happy. Witnessing and participating in this process, she has become an expert in happiness, or more specifically, in the monkey-mind's search and demand for it, and the unhappiness that all the striving ultimately creates. Along the way, the author has come to understand the workings of the mind-both from her clients and by her own diligent practice of meditation and self-observation. This book distills the wisdom and experience of her dedicated work, and offers readers a roadmap of the territory of mind, plus a toolbox of practical means for identifying and working gently with the unrealistic expectations that keep us from the enjoyment of who we are. Inviting a Monkey to Tea explains how to: * Identify addictive (and dead-end) approaches to happiness * Build a new relationship to self-caretaking, putting aside the tyranny of blame, fear, neglect and perfectionism * Befriend the mind, with gentleness and compassion * Enter and stay rooted in the present moment * Live with genuine wellbeing and lasting contentment This book takes the wisdom of Eastern philosophy and presents it in a way that people can feel safe to approach, understand, and ultimately apply within their lives. The book is a handshake between self-help and dharma (spiritual teaching). The author walks the reader, step by step, through the process of spiritual change toward and into a new identity-free from dependency on the idea of happiness as savior. Reading this book will generate its own profound metamorphosis. Readers will be softened, as they learn of others like themselves who have moved into this domain of self-acceptance. Nancy Colier is a brilliant guide who clearly marks this trail with her own presence, kindness and compassion. At this "tea party" the reader can relax, renew intention, self-examine, and choose a new road to lifelong contentment. "Nancy Colier reconsiders happiness in a way that dispels our illusions about it, bringing the joy we seek ever closer to us. Written from the perspective of someone who has walked the roads she takes us down." -- MARIANA CAPLAN, author Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path. "An outstanding guidebook for journeying beyond futile and superficial searches for happiness to cultivating deep and abiding sources of well-being and grounded presence." -- DIANE BERKE, Founder & Spiritual Director, One Spirit Learning Alliance/One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. "An engaging and readable guide to the process of befriending ourselves, discovering our intrinsic well-being, and beyond that, grounding in open, wakeful presence free from the grip of thought and emotion. The book's straightforward, unpretentious style makes this journey accessible to everyone. Highly recommended." -- JOHN WELWOOD, author Toward a Psychology of Awakening.

"To "invite a monkey to tea" is to befriend your own mind, to welcome that mind as an ally without fear or resistance. As you relax the frantic search for happiness, the quest to make this moment - this life - something other than what it is, you discover genuine contentment and the true joy of who you are."--Back cover.

“Read this book and experience the freedom to create your reality.” —Deepak Chopra, MD, author of Total Meditation Don’t believe everything your mind tells you. Are you a chronic overthinker? Do you obsess to the point of feeling anxious, hopeless, angry, or stressed out? Have you ever tried to “think your way out” of one of these negative thought spirals, only to fall in deeper? Let’s face it: trying to escape your thoughts—or control them—just doesn’t work, and can actually make you more miserable in the long run. So, how can you overcome your addiction to thinking? In Can’t Stop Thinking, psychotherapist and spiritual counselor Nancy Colier offers the keys to breaking free from the obsessive rumination that drives stress, worry, and anxiety. Using powerful tools grounded in the ancient wisdom of mindfulness and evidence-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), you’ll learn how to observe and gain distance from troubling thoughts, put an end to harsh self-criticism, and manage difficult feelings like resentment and shame. If you’re ready to discover a life beyond your thoughts—one of self-compassion, presence, and peace—it’s time to stop thinking and start living.

The primary obstacle to successful performance of any kind is our own mind. In a clear and compassionate style, Colier shows us how to understand and overcome the psychological barriers that keep us from achieving our full potential. The book demonstrates how to radically change our relationship with negative thoughts, move beyond comparison, self-doubt, and jealousy, and stop chasing a perfect and unattainable future and start living the moment that's here now. Colier presents an "inside-out" approach, and ultimately, teaches us how to build a a strong and reliable core self, from which all performance is born. She offers a ground-breaking new approach to performance, competition, and life. For all types of performers and competitors, this is a truly original manual for becoming our own ally instead of our own enemy. Above all, Colier teaches how to allow ourselves to succeed.

Momoko, a girl who was born from a peach and plans to make the world a better place, sets out to discover the truth surrounding rumors of a terrible ogre living nearby.

Everyone's favorite New York Times bestselling Grumpy Monkey is back in this hilarious bedtime story about dealing with frustration when you don't get to do what you want! Have you ever stayed up way past your bedtime? Jim Panzee certainly has. Jim is going to a slumber party and there's LOTS to do. Jim plans on bobbing for mangoes, going termite fishing, and of course staying UP ALL NIGHT! But Jim gets more than a little frusrated when all the things he wanted to do go awry. One by one, everyone else falls asleep, while Jim is determined to stay up. How long will he last? In this delightful addition to the GRUMPY MONKEY series, kids see what happens when you stay awake too late!

This is a read-along edition with audio synced to the text, performed by Geraldine McEwan. The classic picture book story of Sophie and her extraordinary teatime guest has been loved by millions of children since it was first published more than fifty years ago. Now an award-winning animation!

All kinds of animals show up at a young girl's house, each enjoying the special tea party to which they have been invited. Certain animals, however, simply lack the decorum for a proper tea. While cleaning up afterward, the young girl realizes that certain activities are best left to humans.