MSI Press Blog

  This week's book back story features How to Stay Calm in Chaos by Julie Gentile. from the author -- Growing up, one of my dreams was to become an author. That dream came true on February 1, 2019, when my first book, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas , was published. I didn’t know just 18 months later my second book would be born. Inspired by working full-time from home with young children logging into school online during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide . Writing has always been a way for me to organize my thoughts and process my experiences. Accepting that we were living in a pandemic was no different. With the world on lockdown, I continued to persevere for myself and my children, and I did it all with the self-care foundation I built over the last several years. A daily yoga and meditation practice, journaling, and walks in nature were the reasons I was able to support myself mentally and

    excerpt from  How to Stay Calm in Chaos by Julie Gentile Introduction How are you? Really, how are you doing? How are you feeling emotionally, physically, spiritually? At the time of this writing, we are living history. Most of the world is under some level of a stay-at-home mandate and/or physical distancing due to a global crisis that has swept the planet. As my 4-year-old daughter has reminded me almost daily since this began, “Everything is closed.” She’s right. These days are different. Parks, schools, libraries, and restaurants are closed. Who would have thought you would have to be aware of how many people will be outside at the same time as you when you go for a walk around the block? The uncertainty during these unusual times can make you feel a range of emotions in the span of a few moments—from helpless and hopeless to overwhelmed and exhausted to disappointed and frustrated to joyful and hopeful—but definitely not calm. This situation is new for everyone, and everyone

  We are pleased to announce the release of the hard cover edition of How to Stay Calm in Chao s by Julie Gentile. Read more posts about Julie and her books  HERE .                                                                       Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

  Excerpt from How to Stay Calm in Chaos Tuesday Stay Flexible Do you consider yourself flexible? I’ve been teaching yoga on Tuesdays for several years and ever since I began, Tuesdays have reminded me to stay flexible. Not just in the body but in the mind and in the heart.    When some people think about yoga, they think about the movement part of it, but yoga is more of a path than it is about the asanas (poses). Our poses come to life with our breath, and we move so it’s more comfortable than sitting for meditation. [MR1]   The flexibility you learn in yoga extends well beyond the mat. Being flexible in thought and mind can lead to creativity and innovation, helping you transform, reevaluate, and innovate daily routines. Although so many things are closed right now, new possibilities are available if you are open to them. This is the beauty of remaining flexible. Staying flexible also helps you find rhythm and flow. Let this be a friendly little nudge to let you know that it’s OK to

  San Juan Books is the hybrid division of MSI Press LLC. It allows first-time writers to become published in a traditional way through the reduction of risk by sharing publication costs. All other publishing features are traditional in nature, and most SJB authors go on to be offered traditional contracts for their subsequent books. SJB publications are available as paperback, hard cover, and e-book versions. SJB authors' books very much hold their own against their contemporaries in the traditional publishing division. Indeed, a number of them have outsold their traditional compatriots. Today, San Juan Books presents author and yogi Julie Gentile. J ulie M. Gentile is a yoga teacher, author of two award-winning books:  108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas   and  How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide , and creator of the Stand Up for Your Self-Care blog and YouTube Channel. She is on a mission to empower busy people to prioritize self-care. In 2019, Jul

  Recently, Julie Gentile's article "Journal Your Way to Wellness," was the featured article in the December 31  YOGA + Life®  newsletter, and it was published in the print version of the Winter + Spring 2021-22 issue of  CO YOGA + Life® Magazine .   Also, Julie just launched a series of YouTube video #shorts,  A Second for Yourself . Every Self-Care Sunday for the next 52 weeks, she will be highlighting one relatable, motivational mantra in video format. These mantras are little seeds of affirmations that can help listeners achieve their goals and dreams this year. Readers can subscribe to her  Stand Up for Your Self-Care YouTube Channel   to view the videos as soon as they are published. Read more posts about Julie and her books HERE . Read more posts about authors in the news HERE . Julie's book, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas , is on sale at the MSI Press webstore for $5 while inventory lasts. A 25% discount with coupon code FF25 also applies, m

  " The author's wisdom and experience shine through to inspire and motivate with accessible and straightforward practices that can provide calm in the chaos. She exudes kindness and boundless hope for staying connected in mind, body, and spirit no matter how trying life becomes amid a pandemic and beyond. Her simple but powerful guide can serve as an effective launching point for managing stress by acquiring self-care practices that can be adapted into daily routines." Read the rest of the review HERE . Julie's book received a RECOMMENDED rating. For more posts about this book, click HERE . For posts about Julie and her books (yes, she has more than one), click HERE .

  MSI Press has published a number of how-to books in a variety of areas. Written by experts who are also practitioners, these books have won multiple awards. Check them out: How to Argue with an Atheist How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick How to Get Happy and Stay That Way How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately   How to Live from Your Heart How to Stay Calm in Chaos

 Just out from US Review of Books, the verdict is: This book is a must-have companion for those seeking a guide that will help them re-center and re-focus. It is easily accessible for readers of all backgrounds and ages, and it will make them look forward to incorporating the book's message into their daily lives. Read the entire review HERE . For more information about Julie and her books, click HERE . For more posts about and by Julie and her yoga and self-care topics, click HERE . Read about Julie's other book, How to Stay Calm in Chaos , HERE . Julie's books are available at  Amazon Barnes & Noble MSI Press (coupon code FF25 will give you 25% discount)

  Julie Gentile, author of award-winning books, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas and How to Stay Calm in Chaos, has been interviewed on two podcasts. Check them out: Relentless Pursuit Podcast "Everyday Self-Care" an Interview with Julie Gentile   The Teaching and Learning  Podcast Self-Care for Teachers   For more posts about Julie and her books, click HERE.

  MSI Press author, Julie Gentile, has once again contributed to Natural Awakenings Chicago . This time her artile is about self-care and is titled,  Three Ways To Say ‘Yes’ to Self-Care . This article is a nice complement to her earlier article, \ Self-Care Tips for Parents in a Pandemic . Check them out. And while you are at it, check out our other blogs about Julie and her books HERE .

  Congratulations to Julie Gentile on her book,  How to Stay Calm in Chaos , being selected as the  Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards  honorable mention in the category of mind-body-spirit.   "Whether you write it out, sweat it out, breathe it out, or let it go, these mind-body-spirit practices can help you cope with the ever-changing landscape we are living in.” Read more posts about Julie, this book, and her other award-winning book, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas HERE .

  Looking for something new to read on your Kindle? These are our newest -- fresh out: Click HERE for posts on Women, We're Only Old Once. Click HERE for posts on Weekly Soul . Click HERE for posts on Staying Safe While Sheltering in Place. Click HERE for posts on  How to Stay Calm in Chaos . Click HERE for posts on Exercising in a Pandemic . Click HERE for posts on Damascus amid the War .

  Monday Stay Motivated What motivates you to get out of bed every day? There’s a reason why Motivation Monday is a thing. It’s the start of the work and school week, with the possibility of making room for something new. If you’re feeling like every day is just a blur, find what motivates you to help you bring more meaning to your day. Everyone is motivated in a different way. What motivated you before might not work for you anymore, so let’s explore what can help you get and stay motivated in times of chaos with the ideas below: ·        Start your day with purpose and intention. Choose an affirmation from the practice below to get started. ·        Wake up with something to look forward to every day, even if it’s small. It could be eating delicious, gluten-free dark chocolate chip pancakes (even better if someone else makes them), giving your kids a big snuggle, exercising, or eating a quality piece of organic dark chocolate. (Can you tell I like dark chocolate?) Choose something

  Julie Gentile recently made a presentation on the topics in her book, How to Stay Calm in Chaos, at her local library. Now, you can listen to it, too! Just click HERE . For more posts about Julie and her books, click HERE .

  Your Self-Care Bucket: Fill It First  Self-care is anything you intentionally do to nourish and renew your mind, body, and spirit. It’s not like you practice it once and then you’re good to go for the next two years. It’s the accumulation and constant replenishment of sustainable self-care practices that can help you stay well physically, emotionally, spiritually, and beyond. I often describe this accumulation in terms of a self-care bucket. Visualize an empty bucket in your favorite color or pattern. We’ll call this your self-care bucket. Now visualize all the self-care practices you do every day or every week. Every self-care practice represents a drop that gets added to your bucket. For example, if you exercised today, add a drop to the bucket. If you got eight solid hours of sleep last night (way to go if that’s you!), sprinkle in another drop.  Eventually, your bucket will be so full of drops of self-care that the accumulation of drops overflows, spilling out into