The Power of Awe by Jake Eagle & Michael Amster
Discover a clinically proven way to reduce inflammation, stress, loneliness, and burnout while improving overall well-being.
In May 2020, at the height of the pandemic, two trial groups embarked on a study through UC Berkeley to test a new method for “micro-dosing mindfulness.” One group was comprised of frontline healthcare workers; the other consisted of patients at a local medical center, as well as any of their friends and family who wished to participate. Almost immediately, both groups reported significant improvement in symptoms of stress, depression, and chronic pain—results that bore out over the course of the study and beyond. Jake Eagle, LPC and Michael Amster, MD, knew that they were on to something.
Research has proven that mindfulness improves well-being and reduces stress, anxiety, and pain. But for some, the practice itself feels challenging and inaccessible. That’s where the A.W.E. Method comes in. In THE POWER OF AWE: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose—In Less Than 1 Minute Per Day (Hachette Go; January 3, 2023; $29; ISBN: 9780306828973), therapist Jake Eagle and chronic pain specialist Michael Amster, MD, share their extraordinary yet simple mindfulness practice that turns ordinary moments into awe-inducing experiences, helping you effortlessly achieve a heightened state of consciousness usually reserved for seasoned practitioners of mindfulness—all within a matter of seconds.A.W.E. stands for Attention, Wait, Exhale and Expand, and the method is a five- to fifteen-second, three-step process. The A.W.E. Method quickly transports us into awe, an incredibly powerful emotion that produces wonderment and a heightened state of consciousness along with some remarkable changes in the mind and body that can improve health and wellness.
The three-step process A.W.E. process may sound too good to be true, but the results are very real. Bolstered by the success of the initial studies, plans are now underway to look at how A.W.E. can be used as a medical intervention to help COVID-19 long haulers and patients who have suffered heart failure. In THE POWER OF AWE, readers will learn:
Exactly how to enter a state of A.W.E. at home – no trips to the Grand Canyon or virtual reality equipment are required. It’s all about finding inspiration in the everyday, further distinguishing this research from previous studies that have relied on VR to simulate awe in a lab.
The science of A.W.E. on a cellular level—exactly how and why this practice works to reduce inflammation in the body (as measured by levels of the compound interleukin-6)
What A.W.E. looks like in practice – through a combination of results from the study, their own lives, and their work with clients, Eagle and Amster show exactly how the A.W.E. method is significantly improving people’s lives, and how readers can reap those benefits for themselves.
Experiencing awe does not require any demanding discipline or skills or “awesome” settings. The A.W.E. Method ensures that awe and its many benefits are accessible to you at any time, in any place—sitting at a stoplight, cooking a meal, petting an animal, or listening to a loved one’s laugh.THE POWER OF AWE will be released on January 3, 2023, published by Hachette. It is currently available for pre-sale on Amazon.
Praise:
"A powerful, practical, science-backed book that shows us how finding awe everywhere, every day is essential to our health and well-being. In The Power of Awe, the authors generously share their A.W.E. Method, a novel, and refreshing approach to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain by finding awe in the ordinary." —Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety
"The Power of Awe comes to us in the nick of time, when mental and spiritual health has become a global issue that impacts people of all ages in every corner of the world. The co-authors have amassed a comprehensive and impressive body of research, science, and clinical experience, as well as decades of passionate inquiry and lived experience, synthesized in a way that is fully accessible to readers without compromising the scholarship behind it. This simple, yet potent method can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, at any time. I highly recommend this book to the countless readers across the globe, who will be benefitted by the message and practice that not only addresses our individual and collective suffering, but also offers the possibility of greater access to our deeper human possibilities, and more fulfilling, awe-filled lives. —Mariana Caplan, PhD, MFT, psychotherapist and author of Eyes Wide Open and Yoga & Psyche
"The Power of Awe encapsulates the essence of the healing journey out of chronic mental and physical pain. I have witnessed hundreds of patients break from pain with these concepts. I am in awe of Eagle and Amster's work and how well it is presented." —David Hanscom, MD, author of Back in Control: A Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain
"The Power of Awe from Michael Amster and Jake Eagle guides us to the vast and miraculous moments of awe in each day and shows us how we can learn to access the healing medicine that surrounds us." —Christopher Hobbs, PhD, LAc, author of Medicinal Mushrooms: the Essential Guide
"Able guides Jake Eagle and Michael Amster empower us to find awe in the ordinary and throughout the day, let go of the filters of naming and categorizing experiences, and open instead to a more receptive state of mind--to reawaken a 'beginner's mind' and take in the breadth of life's majesty." —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, New York Times bestselling author of IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) As the Integral of Self, Identity, and Belonging
"In this deeply insightful book, Jake Eagle and Michael Amster introduce their A.W.E. contemplative approach, tested during the stress and trauma of the COVID pandemic, to increase your everyday sense of awe and wonder. This original book offers a new path to enjoying a more meaningful and awe-filled life, inspiring us to open our eyes to the wonders around us." —Dacher Keltner, PhD, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley, author, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life
About the Authors:
JAKE EAGLE, LPC, is a psychotherapist, mindfulness instructor, fellow member trainer of the International Association of NeuroLinguistic Programming, and cofounder of Live Conscious. After thirty years in private practice, Jake now works parttime as a meta therapist, working with people who want to go beyond the bounds of traditional therapy. Together, he and his wife, Hannah, lead lifechanging small group retreats at awe-inspiring locations around the world.
MICHAEL AMSTER, MD, is a physician and faculty member at the Touro School of Medicine. With twenty years of experience as a pain management specialist, he is currently the founding director of the pain management department at Santa Cruz Community Health. He’s been a student of meditation for over thirty years, as well as a certified yoga teacher and meditation teacher. He splits his time between clinical work, research on awe, teaching mindfulness, and leading awe-inspiring retreats around the world.
To learn more, go to ThePowerOfAwe.com