Alane K. Daugherty - Unstressed: How Somatic Awareness Can Transform Your Body’s Stress Response and Build Emotional Resilience

Unstressed uses the latest science to show readers how to master their emotions to create a fulfilled life. True contentment is attainable, as Alane Daugherty shows in this wonderful book.

Paul J. Zak, PhD , professor at Claremont Graduate University, and author of Trust Factor

Such a wonderfully practical book, full of simple, powerful ways to step out of stress and into wholehearted living. Deeply intelligent and immediately useful.

Rick Hanson, PhD , author of Resilient

Unstressed is a skillful guide to managing stress. It is clearly and simply written, and will help the reader develop skills and efficacy. The focus on the body and heart is a unique contribution.

Frederic Luskin, PhD , senior consultant in wellness at Stanford University School of Medicine, and author of Forgive for Good

Unstressed frames stress as the emotional disequilibrium we can all easily recognize in our lives, with ample discoveries from science to explain why, then skillfully applies practices of mindful awareness to recover our inner equilibrium, and carefully designed heart-based practices to fully recover our ease and vitality. A clear and practical road map for reliably moving into resilience and flourishing. A true and timely gift.

Linda Graham, MFT , author of Resilience

Unstressed explains the science and provides the skills for transforming the emotional chaos of stressfulness into resilience and well-being. It describes how mindfulness and heartfulness, working together, cultivate the calm and connection for which we all yearn. When our hearts are erratic with reactivity, this book restores us to the heartbeat of embodied vitality and love.

Frank Rogers, PhD , Muriel Bernice Roberts Professor of Spiritual Formation and Narrative Pedagogy, and codirector of the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology; and author of Practicing Compassion (named top five spirituality books in 2016 by USA Best Book Awards)

Those of us on a spiritual path, who have cultivated contemplative practice and engaged in social action and service of Mother Earth, are often baffled and distressed to find ourselves navigating the human condition with far less grace than we would have expectedgiven all the work we have done on ourselves. This book is both an explanation for and antidote to this dilemma. Alane Daugherty offers lucid, practical tools to restore sanity, soften our hearts and expand our self-compassion, and embolden us to step up as robust and joyous humans in this beautiful, broken world.

Mirabai Starr , author of Caravan of No Despair and Wild Mercy

Having read Alane Daughertys Unstressed , I am filled with gratitude. For she has shown me that I dont have to live with the anxiety, disease, and stress that ripple (or crash) through my daily existence. She leads me along a clear, precise path to a life of engaged compassion, a life grounded in the strength of abiding calm and connection. I offer her my heartfelt thanks!

Andrew Dreitcer, PhD , professor of spirituality, and codirector of the Center for Engaged Compassion at Claremont School of Theology

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Printed in the United States of America

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2019 by Alane K. Daugherty

New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Daniel

Acquired by Elizabeth Hollis Hansen

Edited by Gretel Hakanson

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Daugherty, Alane, author.

Title: Unstressed : how somatic awareness can transform your bodys stress response and build emotional resilience / Alane K. Daugherty, PhD.

Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, Inc., [2019] | Includes bibliographical references. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2019017393 (print) | LCCN 2019021605 (ebook) | ISBN 9781684032846 (PDF e-book) | ISBN 9781684032853 (ePub) | ISBN 9781684032839 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Stress (Psychology) | Stress management. | Emotions. | Mind and body.

Classification: LCC BF575.S75 (ebook) | LCC BF575.S75 D27 2019 (print) | DDC 155.9/042--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019017393

To the memory of

Kissane Sandy Ferguson

6/22/1927 to 11/8/2015

and

Linda Marie Rogers Kuttler

4/25/1967 to 6/11/2016

Contents

Foreword

When I was a young student at Cal Poly Pomona more than 25 years ago, I was struggling. Completely overwhelmed with the stress of academic and personal life challenges, I made some bad choices that threatened to derail my future. Fortunately, I found myself in front of Robert Naples, the dean of student affairs. With great intuition, he could see what I couldnt express: that actions arent random, and that there were deeper reasons for the mistakes Id made. By choosing to act from compassion instead of punition, he was instrumental in giving me the opportunity and guidance to get back on the track that led me to where I am today.

In fact, a couple of years after that incident, another seemingly small decision by someone who believed in me made a significant impact on my life. Physical education professor Ray Daugherty agreed to write a letter of reference for my application to medical school. While Id taken Professor Daughertys class and conducted research with him, I was amazed at the glowing praise for my character and capability that he included in his letter. I couldnt recall anyone ever believing in me that much, and his confident praise made me believe for the first time that I could really live up to those expectations.

Looking back, Ive often wondered what would have happened to me if someone other than Dr. Naples had been in charge of my corrective action or if Id not taken Professor Daughertys class at that important crossroads in my young life. Ive no idea where I might have ended up.

Today, my nonprofit organization, the Love Button Global Movement, offers a lecture series to medical students at Cal Poly and other universities through its Integrative Medicine Research and Outreach Program. The lecture series provides the students with information on integrative medicine and whole patient care that they dont get in the classroom. It also offers support and essential information on how students can mitigate the mounting pressure and stress from highly competitive degree tracks like medicine, as well as constructive ways to maintain a balanced life outside of school. Its a healthy mix of information and intervention aimed at students who are struggling with how to manage their lives just like I was so long ago.

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered earlier this year that the featured speaker for the inaugural lecture in the series was none other than Alane Daugherty, cofounder of the Mind and Heart Research Lab at Cal Polyand the daughter of Professor Ray Daugherty, the professor who played a crucial role in my personal development as a young man. Her presentation was on transforming stress and anxiety into resilience and success. During her talk she shared a touching story about her father.