The book’s title reminds us of a fact of which we are already aware. That normal is a term brought about and supported by science. Normal is the curve’s middle when considering a dataset. None of us are actually there – in the middle. And thus, none of us normal.

Whether you believe we are godly creations put here as a test to enter eternity in paradise or an aimless spec in the universe’s infinite expanse, one thing is for sure: WE ARE A MIRACLE.

There are seven major chakras: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown.The seven are divided into two categories, Matter and Spirit.

After a disappointing 20s and a heartbreaking 30s, I’m out to have the best decade of my life. I’ve studied the past and applied what I’ve learned to how I’m directing my future. I’m following five tenets that have changed and evolved to this point including connecting and engaging with relationships, being authentic without sacrifice, accepting love with grace, experiencing deeply, and going public.

At some point, I became aware that the main benefit I received from yoga was the breathing. The Ujayii – the champion’s breath – is my favorite. I do it most of the day, especially when working on tasks. I’ve wondered if this is the most important thing I’ve learned in my practice. James Nestor seems to have had a similar question as is evident by his 2020 offering Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.

Loneliness and isolation can be detrimental to your health. It is a drive just as strong as hunger. Without social connection, our souls starve.

Western medicine is becoming aware of its limitations. Treating symptoms does not cure the root cause. Scientific approaches often leave the experience of the individual out of the equation. And so the rise of holistic medicine is dawning.

In Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Makes Us Whole, Cain explores the idea of melancholy’s role in our lives through a cultural, scientific, and experiential lens.