Sacred Stress: A Radically Different Approach to Using Life's Cha Paperback – 22 April 2016

Excellent book to help orient us to what is scientifically shown to be most important to living a life well-lived. The explanations really helped me to understand a lot of the concepts in a much clearer way. Truly excellently written with a double heaping dose of wisdom; yet so simple.

This is a book written with much wisdom that really challenges our very approach to and understanding of stress. The authors argue that stress in and of itself is not inherently bad nor something from which we need to rid ourselves. Stress can be reinterpreted as an opportunity for growth, the cultivation of inner strength and even personal transformation. If we can have the courage to actually open to stress and embrace those unwanted feelings and thoughts, we may be surprised to find an encounter with gratitude, compassion and faith. This is a book written with humor, humility and brutal honesty. Unique and set apart from so many other stress management books is the way in which the authors skillfully incorporate the spiritual dimension and bring the Divine into the equation, even referring to stress as god’s sacred instrument’. In a culture where problems or stress are regarded as needing to be 'fixed', this wonderful book argues that the greatest antidote may be found in human connection- feeling deeply validated, heard and held. Overall I found this book to be well written, very human and inspiring towards living a life of meaning and abundance.

We are constantly inundated with reports regarding how stress is detrimental to our health as well as the newest techniques to conquer stress. However most of these techniques are not based on connection but rather solo activities which tend to work in the moment; it’s like putting a bandaid on a wound that requires stitches. Sacred Stress is an excellent book in helping one view stress in a more accepting manner and speaks to the importance of connection as a release of the imprisonment of stress. Faller and Wright do a fabulous job in describing emotions. They give the reader a deeper look into secondary emotions in understanding how they may look like on the surface, but what is really the driving primary emotion. This is crucial information which affects not only our relationship to ourselves but our relationships with loved ones. In sharing their own personal stories, it helps the reader relate to the authors as well as to connect to their own emotions.Another beauty of this book is that it offers the reader the ability to use God or a Higher Power as a way to work through stress. Furthermore, they write of the benefits of having stress be part of one’s life such as it being a motivating factor and not something that needs to be feared. It's a book that can be read several times. I highly recommend this book!.

An uplifting paradigm shift! Sacred Stress powerfully reframes life’s distress as opportunities for connection. The authors’ authenticity embodies the humanity that connects us all. They vulnerably share the anguish of disconnection when distress divides, while honoring the function of the self-protection strategies. The authors demonstrate felt experience of the courage it takes to risk turning toward in vulnerability to seek connection.An excellent resource for anyone who enjoys experiencing hope and joy!

This has become a classic text for me as a therapist who works with couples and individuals facing relationship issues. Soundly rooted in attachment theory and brain science and yet very accessible. Packed with very compelling stories and evocative images, author is able to so succinct describe the pursuer-distancer dance of couple. I routinely hand copies of this book to clients I see in therapy and have used sections of the book for a graduate level course that trains therapists. Really struck by effective and respectful use of spirituality and religious references without being the least bit alienating to others of different backgrounds.