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Integrated Peace Arts publishes books and videos that are consistent with its mission.
by Kim Gold MS, RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher)
Order at Amazon/Kindle or Hard Copy
This book outlines the Mindful Life curriculum. It is the textbook for our program, as well as a self-help book for home study and practice. You are guided through the five areas of weight loss, and will create small goals in each of these areas. You will also learn how to eat mindfully, how to measure success, how nature can help with weight loss, how to handle emotional eating, and much more.
The creation of the Mindful Life Weight Loss program dovetailed with earning an M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). In this clinically-focused program, I studied and applied systems thinking to the lives of individuals, couples, and families. I mentored with experts in the field and learned how to see the whole picture, not just the parts. I was trained in how to understand problems in their context, the basic rules of how systems operate, and how change happens. I learned how small changes in one part of the system can create large changes elsewhere, and how to work with this dynamic process. I grew to understand how to effectively support people as they maintain new behaviors. And I didn’t just read this in a book. I applied it in a clinical context and saw dramatic results.
One of the most enduring lessons from my MFT training was the rejection of a pathologizing model of mental health. My training views people as being whole, and as experts on their own lives. I don’t look for what is wrong with people. I look for what is right with them. Obesity does not mean that something is wrong with a person, or their choices. Rather, something is not working in the larger system of their whole lives, and our modern culture dominated by addictive processed foods. Obesity is the red flag catching our attention. We should be thankful for this red flag, as it is an opportunity to course-correct.
Additionally, I have worked as an editor of medical/scientific books and journals. I am also a student of tai chi and black belt in Aikido. In my spare time I can be found rescuing animals and creating art. Those who have worked with me enjoy my warm, supportive, and practical style.
The author has been a student of martial arts for over 40 years and engaged in financial study and management for over 30 years. This short book distills these years of experience so the reader can approach their financial management and education with the discipline of the martial arts. Martial arts teach one to engage in an activity with calm, efficiency and integrate the process with one’s life mission of finding happiness. The purpose of the Integrated Financial Education Series is to provide individuals with a system to manage their finances with a minimum cost both in terms of time and money.
Recent surveys suggest many people feel overwhelmed by the complexity of managing their personal finances. Yet without the ability to rely upon a pension for retirement, they must take more responsibility for their lifetime spending needs. Recognizing that our financial system is broken, they do not know where to turn to find advice. Many people do not want to manage their own finances, but are not completely comfortable with the alternatives.
Whether one only wants to find a trustworthy adviser or become self-directed, this book and supporting links simplifies the process. First the book helps the reader identify the areas of finance that will produce for them the greatest economic benefit. By limiting the areas of finance studied, the overwhelming task becomes manageable. Then unlike some rules of thumb common in the financial media, real depth in thought is needed to be certain that one’s efforts are genuinely directed towards achieving their goals. Once a framework is developed for financial decisions, it can be applied quickly and easily to any decision that may arise over time. If one wishes to continue their financial education, cost effective resources are suggested.
The reader is also challenged to question how their approach will lead to happiness. Ultimately, the approach to study and the resulting decision processes are rooted in martial arts discipline to promote efficiency as well as happiness in life.
