Eat, Pray, Love

As Eastern philosophy becomes more prominent in the West, it's apparent in the lifestyles (Ashtanga at noon on Wednesday? Meet you there.) and writing of Americans. Not only are there entire sections in bookstores dedicated to eastern religious studies but there are now, as a result, sections dedicated to the Art of Happiness, self-searching books, self-help books and spirituality. Along the same lines, a recent New York Times best seller and personal favorite book of mine EAT PRAY LOVE has "changed the lives of many" according to Oprah. Skeptical? You shouldn't be. Although the mainstream bookclub run by the American talk-show queen gave the book lots of praise, it's with good reason this time.

When Oprah featured the best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert on her show, Gilbert told her story of travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia in which she searched for herself after a terrible divorce in the states, which she writes about in her novel. Although personally I don't want to have much to do with Oprah's book club, I was drawn to the book when a mentor of mine recommended it.

Self-searching or not, Eat, Pray, Love will help you discover a little something about yourself...or inspire you to do whatever it takes to find happiness in your own life, even if it takes a journey abroad as Gilbert's did. The book even seems to reach out to an audience larger than women whom can directly relate to Gilbert, her marriage and career struggles. Being in college, I too was directly inspired by Gilbert's anecdotes of what is was like to leave her comfort zone, live in an Ashram and travel to these countries.

One of my favorite quotations, "I've always been fascinated by wraith-like, delicate souls. Always wanted to be the quiet girl. Probably precisely because I'm not. It's the same reason I think that thick, dark hair is so beautiful-- precisely because I don't have it, because I can't have it. But at some point you have to make peace with what you were given and if God wanted me to be a shy girl with thick, dark hair, He would have made me that way, but He didn't. Uselful, then, might be to accept how I was made and embody myself fully therein"

Many can argue that a lot of what Gilbert writes it's obvious to any Buddhist, Hinduist, or person learning about eastern philosphy, but her way with words and ability to directly put it in the perspective of a modern westerner makes it worth reading.

Gilbert is coming to speak at the Paramount Theatre in October, tickets ranging from 30-50 bucks. For more info check out the Paramount's website.