The Power of Awe

From a therapist and MD, and based on their UC Berkeley study: a plan for daily, small-dose meditations of 5 - 15 seconds each, to improve chronic stress, pain, burnout, and more.​ "Mindfulness" has become a part of our everyday lingo, yet it is a practice that many find elusive. Now Jake Eagle, a therapist and longtime mindfulness practitioner and instructor, and Dr. Michael Amster, a physician specializing in chronic pain, share their bite-sized approach to this life-changing practice, using wonder and awe as an entry point. Their proprietary, science-based A.W.E. method itself is comprised of just three steps: Attention (giving your focus fully to something you value or find amazing), Wait (take a deep breath and appreciate this cherished item), and Exhale & Expand (as you exhale slowly, allow whatever you are feeling to expand and grow)--for a total of only about 5-15 seconds. Practiced two or three times a day, these microdoses of mindfulness have been proven to help reduce anxiety, burnout, chronic pain and inflammation, and confer a host of benefits. You might think you need to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon, see the ocean at sunrise, or watch a legendary musician perform to truly feel awe; indeed, all other studies had previously relied on taking participants to breathtaking vistas or replicating that experience with virtual reality. Jake and Michael's accessible practice allows you to find awe everywhere, every day. In The Power of Awe, you'll learn: The surprising and little-known science of aweHow we unwittingly cut ourselves off from feeling aweThe practice of A.W.E.How A.W.E. can enhance traditional mental health therapiesStrategies for using A.W.E. to improve relationships, alleviate existential anxiety, and manage chronic painand moreThe results of the practice speak for themselves: Jake saw greater connectedness, joy, and satisfaction in his clients, as well as, amazingly, decreased existential dread. Michael's chronic pain patients experienced decreased chronic pain and less acute pain flare-ups. Participants in the UC Berkeley studies, even those who were frontline healthcare workers in the early stages of the pandemic, experienced decreased stress and burnout, lower perceived loneliness, and greater feelings of overall wellbeing. There is a wide range of readers with heightened anxiety and disconnect about where they find themselves in the world. Microdosing mindfulness through the A.W.E. program is a simple, powerful antidote.