MSI Press Blog

    excerpt from  How to Stay Calm in Chaos  by Julie Gentile 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 fi...

    excerpt from  How to Stay Calm in Chaos  by Julie Gentile Sunday Stay Present At the beginning of a new week, ask yourself, how will you stay present this week? Will you notice tightness in your shoulders or a deep sigh out through your mouth as you exhale?   Paying attention to these little details is an example of staying present. I notice them in me, too. Weekdays blending into weekends, soaring stress levels, anxious thoughts, feeling overwhelmed, scrutinizing every sneeze and sniffle, washing your hands more than you ever have, and going through multiple bottles of hand sanitizer would have anyone’s thoughts spinning. I’m living it, too. There have been a few nights where it took me hours to fall asleep (which hasn’t happened since becoming a mom, until now) because there is too much for my mind to process all at once.   A week before the stay-at-home mandate began where I live, I was driving to and from work, dropping off and picking up kids from...

  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...

  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 k...