Every Breath, New Chances: How to Age with Honor and Dignity. A Guide for Men

(Paperback)

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Tools and anecdotes to reframe aging from the bestselling author of Work as a Spiritual Practice and Aging as a Spiritual Practice. Aging is not just a process, but a journey- a decades-long adventure of new opportunities and surprises. And while loss, tragedy, and decline are inevitably part and parcel of getting older, so too are joys, gifts, and new discoveries. For men in particular, the decline in virility and power that accompanies age is a tough pill to swallow- when these fall away, what remains And without them, what does it mean to be a man As life unfolds, a man's identity is renewed, reviewed, and negotiated- the markers that make him himself at 20 won't be the same at 35, 50, or 70. This book shows readers how to turn toward these changes, to come into their own as older men by reframing the losses of age as strengths and opportunities for growth. Drawing from interviews and personal anecdotes, each chapter includes a contemplative practice called Deep Mind Reflection to help readers navigate aging and topics like divorce and single living; illness, death, and emotions; relating to partners; health, denial, and substance abuse; retirement and encore careers; and reframing a masculine identity once predicated on strength and virility. For every challenge or difficulty men face as they age, there are positive outcomes and fresh possibilities. This book encompasses the totality- fears and aspirations, new careers and next steps, and spiritual preparation for the final decades of life.

Reviews

PRAISE FOR EVERY BREATH, NEW CHANCES

"Make no mistake, this book is not just for men! Every Breath, New Chances is a wise and compassionate companion in the journey of aging. Richmond shares his own experiences of aging and provides Deep Mind Reflection exercises to explore inner feelings and other aspects of aging. He encourages the reader to meet these challenges as a rich opportunity for personal growth and development. For women, Richmonds insights are not only helpful for better understanding those in their life who are facing the fact that they no longer possess the virility, power, and control they once had, but also for understanding the feminine path of aging. This is a must-companion along the way."
DIANE ESHIN RIZZETTO, author of Waking Up to What You Do

"This is a book you can trust to guide you as you age! Every Breath, New Chances is rooted in real wisdom and full of heart. It deepens many aspects of growing older and being a man without being too simple or too loud. Richmond really wants you to get more out of life. Im about to turn eighty, and I feel better for having read it."
THOMAS MOORE, author of Care of the Soul

"To process the mental and emotional challenges he faced growing older, Lewis Richmond says he wrote the book he needed. That sound writing advice has produced a one-of-a-kind toolkit with insights and practices that show others how to bring alive (and thus gain life-changing wisdom from) the books profound core message: 'vulnerability is strength.'"
PAULA SPENCER SCOTT, author of Surviving Alzheimers

"As my entire generation moves toward its end, I cant think of a more helpful, necessary book. Lewis Richmond offers a calm and systematic framework and practice to help you get the most out of your life right now! Why miss a second of it Why not learn to love our growing old This book will help you."
PETER COYOTE, actor, writer, Zen priest, and author of Sleeping Where I Fall

"Every Breath, New Chances is the first of its kindan incredibly valuable book on male aging covering all the salient points. I highly recommend it, both for men and the women who care about them."
LAMA PALDEN DROLMA, author of Love on Every Breath

Author Bio

LEWIS RICHMOND has been a meditation teacher, musician, and software entrepreneur. He is the author of four previous books, including the national best-seller, Work as a Spiritual Practice- A Practical Buddhist Approach to Inner Growth and Satisfaction on the Job (1999) and the more recent award-winning, Aging as a Spiritual Practice- A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser (2012). In addition to these books, Richmond's essays have appeared in such magazines as Tricycle, The Buddhadharma, Turning Wheel, and Shambhala Sun. While in retirement, he remains a musician and composer, and an editor and mentor to other authors.