Finding the Deep River Within

For over two decades, Abby Seixas has taught women how to slow down and reclaim their lives from the tyranny of their to-do lists. Based on the experiences of women whose lives have been transformed by her workshops, this highly anticipated first book presents her comprehensive program to nurture contact with the Deep River Within, the soul-nourishing dimension in each of us that flows beneath the busyness of daily life. With gentle encouragement, practical guidance, and compelling stories of struggle and success, Finding the Deep River Within details the three preliminary doorways and six core practices for inviting the rich resources of our deeper nature into everyday life. Deep River Exercises and Practices.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Part One: Thirsting for the Deep River Realm.

1. The Disease of A-Thousand-Things-To-Do.

2. The Deep River Within.

3. Getting Started.

Part Two: Touching the Deep River: The Practices.

4. Take Time-In.

5. Make Boundaries.

6. Befriend Feelings.

7. Tame Self-Expectations.

8. Practice Presence.

9. Do Something You Love.

Part Three: Keeping the Deep River Flowing.

10. Beyond Self-Care.

Victory Log.

Notes.

Selected Reading.

The Author.

Index.

"Seixas offers no quick fix or hollow slogans. Rather, she delivers carefully considered, gently explained, and tested tools for simplifying life via small but meaningful steps." --Boston Globe, October 2006

"Psychotherapist Abby Seixas ... won't tell you how to tick more items off your to-do list or find time for more activities. Instead, she counsels women to pare down their lives by learning to say no, quieting their inner perfectionists, and taking alone time every day. Seixas' program is a practical antidote to our culture's obsession with having--and doing--it all."--Ladies Home Journal Online

"If you can wait at a red light without applying makeup or practicing Italian verbs with a CD, this book is not for you. For the rest of us, Seixas has a message: Slow down!" --Brandeis University Magazine

Abby Seixas is a psychotherapist specializing in issues of life balance. Her work has been featured in national and local media, including NBC's The Today Show, the Hallmark Channel, O. The Oprah Magazine, Self, Body + Soul, Woman's Day and The Boston Globe. She is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband near Boston, Massachusetts.

Gentle Wisdom for Women in a Hurried World

"Finding the Deep River Within holds the key to lasting health and sustainable joy."
—Christiane Northrup M.D., author, Women's Bodies,Women's Wisdom

"Finding the Deep River Within is that rarity—a book that is at once poetic and pragmatic. Abby Seixas is a grounded writer who offers a toolkit that is as deep and calm in experience as the listening heart she urges her readers to discover."
—Julia Cameron, author, The Artist's Way

"In this beautifully written and profound book, Abby Seixas shows us, step by step, how to save our own lives. Her wise and simple suggestions and exercises will?rekindle the power within you and free you to live your best life."
—Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author, Kitchen Table Wisdom

"In Finding the Deep River Within, Abby Seixas gives us a wisdom-filled recipe for living a soulful life. There is not a woman I know who wouldn't benefit from this valuable book."
—Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

"Readers who . . . lament their lack of time will find themselves engrossed within the first few pages of [Finding the Deep River Within] . . . Seixas's accessible prose and the slow, lasting journey she advocates are welcome in light of the many self-help books that teach us to snatch moments of rest while still keeping on the go, go, go."
—Publishers Weekly

"Seixas's program is a practical antidote to our culture's obsession with having—and doing—it all."
—Ladies Home Journal online