Most Popular Books by Mark Nepo

As a poet, philosopher, and cancer survivor, Mark Nepo has been breaking a path of spiritual inquiry for more than thirty years. In his new book, the #1 New York Times bestselling author explores how the soul works in the world. Called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," this beloved teacher explores what it means to become our truest self through the ongoing and timeless journey of awakening to the dynamic wholeness of life, which is messy and unpredictable. Nepo navigates some of the soul''s deepest and most ancient questions, such as: What does it mean to inhabit the world? How do we stay vital and buoyant amid the storms of life? What is the secret to coming alive? Nepo affirms that not only is the soul''s journey inevitable, it is essential to our survival. The human journey is how the force of life grows us, and no matter where we go we can''t escape this foundational truth: What''s in the way is the way. As Nepo writes, "The point of experience is not to escape life but to live it." Featured on Oprah''s Super Soul Sunday program, Nepo''s Seven Thousand Ways to Listen has inspired millions of people to redefine themselves in the face of life''s challenges. Comforting, moving, and spiritually practical, The Endless Practice is filled with universal insights and stories woven with guidance and practice, which will bring the reader closer to living life to the fullest.

“This book is so meaningful to me, I’m struggling to even find the words to explain the profound difference this book has made.” —Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory A new edition of the #1 NYT’s bestseller by Mark Nepo, who has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time” and “a consummate storyteller.” Philosopher-poet and cancer survivor Mark Nepo opens a new season of freedom and joy—an escape from deadening, asleep-at-the wheel sameness—that is both profound and clarifying. His spiritual daybook is a summons to reclaim aliveness, liberate the self, take each day one at a time, and savor the beauty offered by life’s unfolding. Reading his poetic prose is like being given second sight, exposing the reader to life’s multiple dimensions, each one drawn with awe and affection. The Book of Awakening is the result of Nepo’s journey of the soul and will inspire others to embark on their own. He speaks of spirit and friendship, urging readers to stay vital and in love with this life, no matter the hardships. Encompassing many traditions and voices, Nepo’s words offer insight on pain, wonder, and love. Each entry is accompanied by an exercise that will surprise and delight the reader in its mind-waking ability.

Mark Nepo is emerging as one of the truly significant writers and thinkers of today. Nepo has a singular way of distilling great truths down to their essence. Moreover, during his cancer journey, Nepo relied on the power of expression and the writing process to keep him tethered to life. In Reduced to Joy, Mark Nepo explores the places where pain and joy are stitched to resilience, uncovering them with deep wisdom, poetic passages and personal revelations. Nepo reminds us all of the secret and sacred places within, forgotten in the noise and chatter of our busy distracted 21st Century lives. Reduced to Joy is a lesson in stillness, in standing in the mystery and, above all, in the work of love.

"It''s easy in these times to allow ourselves to slip into resignation, isolation, or despair. The Book of Soul is an antidote." —Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global and Founder, Huffington Post "I recommend The Book of Soul for all of us wanting to stay connected to a deeper purpose." —Melinda Gates, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Moment of Lift "There is much to explore and savor in this [new] book [by] this incredibly talented writer, storyteller, poet, and teacher. The spiritual practitioner will rejoice in Nepo''s uncanny ability to consistently stretch our minds and souls with fresh musings." —Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice "I love all Mark''s books because of his deep insights and his amazing way with words, but there''s something truly special about this one. It feels like a compilation of the best and most profound ideas from his work. I want to savor each and every chapter." —Katy Koontz, Editor, Unity Magazine A powerful new book of spiritual awakening from #1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Nepo In The Book of Soul, Mark Nepo, the bestselling author of The Book of Awakening, offers a powerful guide to inhabiting an authentic and wholehearted life. After we are physically born, we must be spiritually born a second time, a process that takes place through the labor of a lifetime as we develop into more fully realized beings. The Book of Soul delves into the spiritual alchemy of that transformation in all its mystery, difficulty, and inevitability. The book is divided into four sections that mark the passages we all face: enduring our Walk in the World, until we discover Our True Inheritance, which allows us to live in the open by Widening Our Circle, as we Help Each Other Stay Awake. The Book of Soul is a piercing guide, replete with beautiful truths and startling insight, that leads us deeply into the process of transformation.

The original notion of the word "courage" is to stand by one''s own core. Mark Nepo''s latest book invites readers to explore their own inner core through the stories of ordinary people, political activists, artists, spiritual teachers from a variety of traditions. These are people who have faced themselves, their warts and weaknesses.They have stood by the courage of their convictions in all kinds of moments, great and small. Nepo''s insights and commentary are spot on, and help readers relate the stories of others to their own lives. The book is divided into three sections-finding our inner core, standing by our inner core, and sustaining the practice of living from that place. Each ofthe nearly 60 brief essays and stories elucidates and inspires. Nepo''s broad range of stories and people, of traditions and insights, will empower readers to relate to their own search for courage.

In Seven Thousand Ways to Listen, Nepo offers ancient and contemporary practices to help us stay close to what is sacred. In this beautifully written spiritual memoir, Nepo explores the transformational journey with his characteristic insight and grace. He unfolds the many gifts and challenges of deep listening as we are asked to reflect on the life we are given. A moving exploration of self and our relationship to others and the world around us, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen unpacks the many ways we are called to redefine ourselves and to name what is meaningful, as we move through the changes that come from experience and ageing and the challenge of surviving loss. Filled with questions to reflect on and discuss with others, and meditations on how to return to what matters throughout the day, this enlightening book teaches us how to act wholeheartedly so we can inhabit the gifts we are born with and find the language of our own wisdom. Seven Thousand Ways to Listen weaves a tapestry of deep reflection, memoir and meditation to create a remarkable guide on how to listen to life and live more fully.

"This book is an enduring resource for our times. Journey here and discover your own strength." —Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Modern Elder Academy In Surviving Storms, bestselling author and spiritual teacher Mark Nepo explores the art and practice of meeting adversity by using the timeless teachings of the heart. We live in a turbulent time. Storms are everywhere, of every size and shape. And like every generation before us, we must learn the art of surviving them, so we can help each other endure. In order to stand firm against life’s unavoidable storms, we need to know our true self, deepening our roots and solidifying our connection to all Spirit and all life. Then we, like a firmly rooted tree, can endure the force of trials and heartbreak. A profoundly timely resource, Surviving Storms describes the heart’s process of renewal and connection with insight and accuracy. Though we must each map the territories of our souls for ourselves, this spiritually practical book is an indispensable guide, bringing us to common passages and paths and urging us forward on the journey. Once the rubble clears, we, like those before us, are inevitably called to build the world one more time, admitting that we need each other.

A hardcover 20th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller by Mark Nepo, who has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time" and "a consummate storyteller." Philosopher-poet and cancer survivor Mark Nepo opens a new season of freedom and joy--an escape from deadening, asleep-at-the wheel sameness--that is both profound and clarifying. His spiritual daybook is a summons to reclaim aliveness, liberate the self, take each day one at a time, and savor the beauty offered by life''s unfolding. Reading his poetic prose is like being given second sight, exposing the reader to life''s multiple dimensions, each one drawn with awe and affection. The Book of Awakening is the result of Nepo''s journey of the soul and will inspire others to embark on their own personal journey. Nepo speaks of spirit and friendship, urging readers to stay vital and in love with this life, no matter the hardships. Encompassing many traditions and voices, Nepo''s words offer insight on pain, wonder, and love. Each entry is accompanied by an exercise that will surprise and delight the reader in its mind-waking ability.

An invitation to be in relationship with deep and life-giving material.

Weekly wisdom from The New York Times bestseller, The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo. The Book of Awakening has become a modern classic, a spiritual guide for living in hard times and good times that speaks to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, this spiritual favorite, chosen as one of Oprah Winfrey''s favorite things, is available in a special pocket-size paperback edition. The Little Book of Awakening takes some of the very best wisdom from The Book of Awakening and distills it into a set of weekly readings. Each week explores a theme, such as abundance, awareness, blessing, interdependence, presence, opportunity, being heard, being real, and facing our suffering. Award-winning author Mark Nepo writes about spirit and friendship, urging readers to stay vital and in love with life, no matter the hardships. Encompassing many traditions and voices, his words offer insight on pain, wonder, and love. The Little Book of Awakening is the ideal inspirational gift for any occasion.

A poetic treasury of spiritual insight, The Language of the Soul uncovers the original meanings of words to help us remember what it means to be fully alive For poet and spiritual teacher Mark Nepo, words have always been more than tools for communication—they are vessels of meaning, portals to the sacred, and medicine for the soul. In The Language of the Soul, Nepo explores the deep, often forgotten roots of 228 words from thirty-one languages and traditions, revealing their original, undiluted power to awaken, connect, and heal. Woven with stories from history, mythology, and the author’s own remarkable life journey, this is a rich and contemplative guide to the spiritual essence of language. Just as rivers and mountains erode over time, so too do the meanings of words. Nepo invites readers to walk beside him along a timeless river of understanding, where ancient expressions are reawakened and everyday language is imbued with depth and resonance. Whether it’s a word like “courage” or “forgive” or a lesser-known gem from Sanskrit, Hebrew, or Chinese, each entry becomes a doorway into timeless wisdom, offering moments of insight, stillness, and transformation. For seekers, artists, caregivers, and lovers of language, The Language of the Soul is both a spiritual lexicon and a personal companion. With the lyrical clarity that has made him one of our most beloved spiritual voices, Nepo reminds us that words, when opened with care and wonder, can carry us back to ourselves—and forward into the world with greater compassion, clarity, and grace.

Nothing compares to the sensation of being alive in the company of another. It is God breathing on the embers of our soul. —Mark Nepo, "The Way Under the Way" When we shift from trying to be special to seeking what is special in everything, we discover "the way under the way"—the timeless terrain of that mysterious force which animates and unites us. The Way Under the Way brings you a sweeping three-part collection of 217 of Mark Nepo''s original poems and essays to open the heart, awaken insight, and support you on each step of your unique journey through life. The first two works, Suite for the Living and Inhabiting Wonder (originally published by Bread for the Journey Intl.) bear witness to the messy and magnificent adventure of being human. Evolving these further, Mark Nepo integrates nearly 60 new poems into the thematic reach of the material. The Way Under the Way presents a wholly new work, centered on "the place of true meeting that is always near" and the natural rhythms of opening and closing that can become the art that keeps us vital. "All we ever need is right where we are, if we can open the ordinary treasure that is always before us," writes Mark Nepo. The Way Under the Way is an invitation to "ignite your own exploration of the nature and workings of the inner life."

A fresh perspective on the art of being alive and essential insight into how we can minimize what stands between us and an authentic experience of life, in the spirit of works by Deepak Chopra and Ram Dass “Once again, Mark Nepo draws us to the heart of what matters. He illuminates love with the light of his own understanding.”—Marianne Williamson In these fast-paced times, the exquisite risk facing each of us every day is to slow down so that we may experience life rather than simply manage it. In The Exquisite Risk, poet and teacher Mark Nepo encourages readers to become quiet enough and open enough to listen to what truly matters—our own hearts, our loved ones, the wonders of nature—in order to live a life with nothing held back. In rich, lyrical prose, Nepo shares his own spiritual path, including a battle with illness that helped him understand how daring to embrace all that life has to offer can bring us to a deeper appreciation of its meaning and beauty.

"By illuminating the art of finding and restoring what matters and by exploring the craft of awakening, The One Life We''re Given affirms our purpose as not just to stay alive but to stay in our aliveness, "--Amazon.com.

Many are familiar with teacher and poet Mark Nepo''s books on inner transformation, relationship, and the emergence of purpose in our lives. But less well-known is the journey that shaped his vision as a teacher that began in 1987 when he was diagnosed with cancer. The revelations during that time would inform every dimension of his work to follow. With Inside the Miracle, Mark Nepo shares what he discovered along this challenging terrain, and the insights most essential to those of us who now find ourselves there. The lessons and stories here are for all of us, ill or not, when the inevitable question arises: How do we move through an overwhelming crisis—whether from physical illness, grief, or a major life change—into the rest of our lives? This offering presents in its entirety Nepo''s 1994 literary gem Acre of Light, written shortly after his recovery. Here, he expands and enriches its themes with new poems, essays, and teachings gathered in the decades since. Throughout, Mark includes compelling questions and exercises from his popular workshops, to invite us to personalize the experience. What emerges is a reading companion to be explored in many ways: as a memoir, as a "survival kit" of wisdom and verse that helped Mark during his own journey, and as a conversation to spark our own contemplation, journaling, and discovery. "To live in wonder on the other side of suffering and disappointment," reflects Mark Nepo, "is to know how magnificent and fragile it is to be here at all." Inside the Miracle calls us to leap into our lives with tenderness and courage, so we can fully inhabit the miraculous moments that await us.

A deeply heartfelt weave of reflections and poems about what it means to live the creative, expressive life "I cherish the wisdom and embrace the practices offered in this luminous book." —Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair and Wild Mercy "Meaningful art, enduring art—and the transformative process it awakens—keeps us alive," writes Mark Nepo. With Drinking from the River of Light, this bestselling poet and philosopher will lead you on a journey to discover just how art and authentic expression can bring our deepest truths to bear in the world. In this collection of interconnected essays and poetry—covering subjects ranging from the importance of staying in conversation with other forms of life to a consideration of how innovators such as Matisse, Rodin, and Beethoven saw the world—Nepo presents a lyrical ode to the creative urge that stirs in each of us. Whether it''s the search for a metaphor to reveal life''s beauty or the brushstroke that will thoroughly capture the moment, Drinking from the River of Light examines what it means to go ". . . beyond the boundaries of art, where the viewer and participant are one." Here you will discover: • The importance of openly embracing the full scope of your emotions • The need for raw honesty and self-exploration in education • Why a new perspective always waits only a "quarter turn" away • The importance of staying in constant conversation with other creative voices • The crucial difference between giving and getting attention • Concrete guidelines for respectful peer review • What it means to channel the sound of your innermost being—and the universe In Nepo''s words, "This book is meant to be experienced and journeyed with." Including dozens of journaling prompts and personal exercises meant to enliven the reader''s creative instincts, Drinking from the River of Light traces the search for our most essential selves and the importance of the life of expression to bear witness to the sorrow, depth, and joy of life.

Mark Nepo—the #1 New York Times bestselling author and popular spiritual teacher—“has given us not only a much-needed message of hope and inspiration, but a practical guide on how to build a better tomorrow, together” (Arianna Huffington, founder of HuffPost). This poignant and timely meditation on the importance of community, demonstrates how we can live more enriching lives by cultivating connectedness. At once a moving meditation and an empowering guide, More Together Than Alone is a compelling testament to the power of community and why it’s so essential in our lives, now more than ever. Mark Nepo draws from historical events, spiritual leaders, and the natural world to show how, in every generation, our tendency is to join together to accomplish our greatest achievements, from creating education to providing clean drinking water, and preserving the arts. Nepo’s historical snapshots, from ancient times to contemporary examples, show how community creates a light in the darkest of times. The book explores the heart of how we come together in varied and beautiful ways, whether forming resistance groups during the Holocaust or rebuilding after the nuclear devastation in Nagasaki. These inspiring stories teach us that even in the bleakest days, we have the power to create connections and draw strength from one another. Featuring thought-provoking analysis and practical takeaways, More Together Than Alone will help us inhabit a stronger sense of togetherness where we live and in the world so we can achieve our highest potential, as individuals, and as communities. “In an age of racial divisions, school shootings, and international conflict, this book’s message about the necessity of coming together is timely, and its examples of human compassion and unity are often comforting” (Publishers Weekly).

Counter Six Pack - A 20th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo, who has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time" and "a consummate storyteller." Just in time for the holidays - this six-pack makes the perfect display! "There was one book that transformed my life and that book is The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo. The river of life is wide and the journey we make together is made so much more beautiful, important, and moving when our lives are linked by this book."--Jamie Lee Curtis, from the Foreword

Falling Down and Getting Up is an invitation to view adversity from a new perspective. In this gentle, insightful guide, Mark Nepo helps readers navigate the challenges of life by transforming their experience into a chance for deepening and renewal. Each one of us is offered opportunities to choose between surviving and thriving, managing risk and enhancing risk, opening and closing, giving and receiving, living a balance between solitude and community. We can choose to enlarge our sense of things when pain and fear make us small. We can choose to delight in the never-ending practice of course-correcting and tuning as we go. Falling Down and Getting Up introduces readers to their own gifts and wisdom, helping them explore the perennial practices and choice-points we all face in life. Mark Nepo is a master teacher who has been convening circles and guiding retreats for fifty years all over the world. Beloved as a poet, teacher, and storyteller, he has been called “one of the finest spiritual guides of our time,” “a consummate storyteller,” and “an eloquent spiritual teacher.” Filled with humble insights and wise words, Falling Down and Getting Up will encourage and inspire readers from every walk of life.

Now in his seventies, poet and philosopher Mark Nepo explores the rhythms of aging in the second half of life. As the years go by, the question for each of us becomes more and more real: What does it mean to age? Despite the limitations that come as the body wears down, Mark Nepo believes that there are many gifts to inhabit by aging. So much is gained and so much is shed along the way. As Mark began to reflect on the gifts and challenges of this process we’re all immersed in, he realized, more than ever, that we are called to live a creative life as we age. We are led to what the Chinese call “the fifth season”—that moment in late summer when the glare of the sun fades so that we can see clearly the true colors around us. The Fifth Season offers Mark’s wise and gentle insights on growing older, helping readers identify the second half of life as a turning point, a time of integration and transformation that guides us in making sense of our experiences. All seasons lead to this season; all experiences lead to this understanding of experience. In truth, Mark writes, we each must face living and dying from the inside of the one life we are given. But we can share the journey, which is the purpose of this book, to be a companion in your effort to enter the fifth season of your life.