#Pico iyer the art of stillness transcript full
Yes, the famous musician known for his wordsmithery, good looks and full exploitation of the rockstar lifestyle. Iyer opens the book with a trip up to a monastery in the mountains where he meets Leonard Cohen. I’ve compiled some significant quotes from The Art of Stillness, with brief explanatory notes throughout. All quotes are organized under the same titles as are in the book. He explores “Nowhere”-its soft language, deep tradition, and sometimes frighteningly lonely customs. In fact, his personal website is a testament to that.Įven though “going nowhere” doesn’t seen like much of an adventure, Iyer paints a brilliant picture of slow transformation, abiding calm, and focused appreciation in the midst of a world that’s growing increasingly busy, increasingly distracted and increasingly chaotic. Despite his passion for travel, he has found great beauty and meaning in stillness. In a book about “Adventures in Going Nowhere” (the book’s subtitle), it’s either ironic or perfectly fitting, that the author is Pico Iyer, an internationally known travel writer. This lyrical and inspiring book expands on a new idea, offering a way forward for all those feeling affected by the frenetic pace of our modern world.I usually refer to stillness as a lack of noise or distraction, or, alternatively, a state of inner balance, but there’s another way to describe stillness: lack of movement. In 2013, Pico Iyer gave a blockbuster TED Talk. Ultimately, Iyer shows that, in this age of constant movement and connectedness, perhaps staying in one place is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before. The Art of Stillness paints a picture of why so many-from Marcel Proust to Mahatma Gandhi to Emily Dickinson-have found richness in stillness. Growing trends like observing an "Internet Sabbath"-turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning-highlight how increasingly desperate many of us are to unplug and bring stillness into our lives. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to rediscover the wisdom of an earlier age. He reflects that this is perhaps the reason why many people-even those with no religious commitment-seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or seeking silent retreats. Iyer also draws on his own experiences as a travel writer to explore why advances in technology are making us more likely to retreat. In The Art of Stillness-a TED Books release-Iyer investigate the lives of people who have made a life seeking stillness: from Matthieu Ricard, a Frenchman with a PhD in molecular biology who left a promising scientific career to become a Tibetan monk, to revered singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, who traded the pleasures of the senses for several years of living the near-silent life of meditation as a Zen monk. There's never been a greater need to slow down, tune out and give ourselves permission to be still. Why might a lifelong traveler like Pico Iyer, who has journeyed from Easter Island to Ethiopia, Cuba to Kathmandu, think that sitting quietly in a room might be the ultimate adventure? Because in our madly accelerating world, our lives are crowded, chaotic and noisy. Science Fiction & Fantasy - Available NowĪ follow up to Pico Iyer's essay "The Joy of Quiet," The Art of Stillness considers the unexpected adventure of staying put and reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug.Armchair Explorers for Children and Teens.