You’re Invited: Virtual Book Launch Mini-Tour!

 

The author in Lumbini, Nepal - birthplace of Gautama the Buddha

Hello Beloved!

I’m writing to invite you to a very special event - two book launch parties on May 25th and May 26th via Zoom. Think of it as a large baby shower for a very special inanimate object. In this case, it’s my new book, Truth Seeker! I want to celebrate with you and honor this very important work.

Truth Seeker, my second spiritual memoir, is a legacy project. It was vital that I finished the book and published it, to bring it to the planet. If I had a Bucket List, getting this book out there and into the world would have been on that list.

I’m inviting you to join me in an hour of FUN and CELEBRATION. 

Evening Launch Party – 7pm PT Tuesday, May 25th - uncork the bubbly!

Reply to this email to RSVP and get the Zoom link for Tuesday, May 25^th at 7:00pm Pacific

Daytime Launch Party – 12N PT Wednesday, May 26th - coffee and chai!

Reply to this email to RSVP and get the Zoom link for Wednesday, May 26^th at 12pm Pacific 

 

The author at the Ganges. Rishikesh, India

 

Here’s an idea of what I’m planning: 

• Erin’s story: What was it like for me - good, difficult, fulfilling - to write Truth Seeker and share it with the world?
• Reading aloud from Truth Seeker - What’s your favorite chapter/scene, if you've read it? Email me and let me know!
  
• Q&A – What else do you want to know? Something more about the characters, events? The writing and publication of the book? What it’s like to write a memoir?
• Book Group Style Sharing – Say a few words about what struck you (if you've read it)! (Haven’t read it yet? You can order it here in paperback or Kindle. Amazon delivers Truth Seeker via Prime in 48 hours!)
• Entertainment – Each event will kick off with a different surprise special guest! Don’t miss out!
• Open Bar and Refreshments – (Hahahha! At your house, silly!). BYOB of choice!

Ghats of Varanasi, India

How you can make it a success:

#1 – RSVP for one or both of the parties on the FULL MOON! Reply to this email and let me know which time(s) you'd like to be there. You'll receive the Zoom link in return!

#2 – Read, share, enjoy Truth Seeker (and Bindi Girl, the unofficial prequel, on sale!)

 #3 – Tell Your Friends About the Book

#4 – Invite them to the event

#5 – Post or write about Truth Seeker!

 Share the book with:

• Folks needing spiritual support
• People having an existential or life crisis
  
• Armchair and intrepid travelers
• Yogis and meditators and Indophiles
• People who need a love story
• Those who need a grief story
• People who need a good laugh
• SPIRITUAL SEEKERS AND FINDERS

Can't wait to see you! Let's celebrate!

Lots of love!

Erin

 

TRUTH SEEKER IS NOW ON KINDLE AND PAPERBACK.

A spiritual memoir, an off-the-beaten path India travel tale, and a bittersweet love story all rolled into one wild ride.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY.

THANK YOU!

The author in Varanasi, India on the ghats of the Ganges

CLICK HERE TO GET TRUTH SEEKER

THE STORY OF A WOMAN'S EXISTENTIAL CRISIS,

THE END OF SEEKING,

AND THE WILLINGNESS TO LOSE EVERYTHING 

TO FIND TRUE, LASTING FREEDOM.

A combined off-the-beaten path India travel adventure, bittersweet romance, and deeply personal spiritual memoir, this book shares the profound, inexpressible grace of encountering one's spiritual teacher, or guru, and is an homage to the absolute faith and fearlessness required to be released from the shackles of suffering.

Truth Seeker: A Spiritual Adventure of Love, Loss, and Liberation is the long-awaited follow-up to the spiritual travel memoir, The Adventures of Bindi Girl: Diving Deep Into the Heart of India (2012).

Advance Praise for Erin Reese's new book

TRUTH SEEKER:

A SPIRITUAL ADVENTURE OF

LOVE, LOSS, AND LIBERATION

 “With razor-sharp wit and breathtaking pace, Truth Seeker immerses readers in the India few travelers see—the authentic India in all its beauty and abomination. Equal parts love story, spiritual quest, and travelogue, Truth Seeker, ultimately, is an homage to India itself and the extraordinary teacher Erin Reese found—and lost—there. This book is exactly what many of us need right now—spiritual sustenance, a glimpse of the majestic potential of humans, and a good, hard laugh.” —Lynn Braz, author of Flying Free: Life Lessons Learned on the Flying Trapeze

“Erin Reese’s Truth Seeker is a true gem! It relates both her journey through the land of India and her spiritual search culminating in spiritual awakening. As I read this beautifully written account, I could feel the heat, hear the sounds, and smell the scents of her Mother India. I could feel her emotions as she struggled along the way. I felt her devotion for her beloved guru. Her description of spiritual awakening is honest, clear, and genuine. To paraphrase Christ’s words about his disciple Nathanael, “Here is a woman in whom there is no guile.” —Marshall Davis, author of Experiencing God Directly: The Way of Christian Nonduality

TRUTH SEEKER: Now Available for Pre-Order!

“The willingness to lose everything to find true, lasting freedom!”

Hello dear friends!

I have some BIG NEWS. My long-awaited second book, Truth Seeker: A Spiritual Adventure of Love, Loss, and Liberation is available now for preorder on Amazon Kindle – and will be ready in paperback on April 12!

Here is the link to preorder:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091BKLZ49

I am THRILLED to share this with you.

Such a long time coming! I published The Adventures of Bindi Girl: Diving Deep Into the Heart of India in 2012. I became pregnant immediately afterward with my second book! Can you imagine? Pregnant for nine years? It was beyond uncomfortable. Cankles and cravings, mood swings and meltdowns don’t even begin to describe it.

At my tiny, small-town post office the other day, mailing off advance review copies to readers around the globe, the post office worker said, “You send a lot of books! Are you an author?”

“Yes,” I replied. “It is NOT fun. Don’t ever say you want to write a book.”

“Oh!” she responded. “Another woman who comes in here is also an author. She told me I should definitely try writing a book, that it’s a wonderful thing!”

Yeah… well…

Different strokes for different folks!

Notwithstanding the crushing and horrifically grueling process of “killing one’s darlings (or babies)” – the dark term referring to throwing out massive chunks of your own cherished writing to make the work stronger – the reason Truth Seeker has been so challenging to shape, finish, edit, publish is that it shows not the finished, nicely wrapped up product of intense spiritual and psychological work, but rather, the book exposes the process. The guts of it all. What it’s really like to have a major existential meltdown, to be “ready to die,” to chuck everything and surrender in India. To risk everything to find true, lasting freedom. To find one’s teacher and to be released from the shackles of suffering and seeking.

In writing Truth Seeker, first I had to LIVE it, then I had to write about it while I was being torn to bits, and then I had to put it all together in a coherent fashion, then clean it all up to make it into a professional, polished work of art.

During the last painful weeks of work, I thought of Fleetwood Mac and the making of the album Rumours (there’s a great documentary on Amazon Prime about it). Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie reveal about how incredibly long the process took and how arduously painful it was. They were in a bunker-style situation in a Sausalito studio for over a year. More money, more writing and arranging; no sleep, strung out, relationships coming and going – and all the while deeply committed to the art.

It had to be right. It had to be beautiful art. And it had to tell the truth.

The result? Rumours is a masterpiece, and almost 45 years later, it is still being thoroughly loved, appreciated, adored by fans new, young, and old.

I am not saying my book is another Rumours (one never knows). But, it is most definitely my personal Rumours.  My “Dreams.” My “Silver Springs” (hidden track!). And my “Chain.”

My Dreams for Truth Seeker

This morning I asked myself, what do I wish for Truth Seeker?

I wish for many, many folks to read it. To enjoy it. To feel less alone. To be inspired.

This book is…

For those who are having or have had a serious existential crisis.

For those who have had their own experience of a personal hell.

For those who are suffering, spiritually, mentally, emotionally.

For those who feel they can’t go on anymore, or who felt that way in their past.

It is also…

For those who love yoga, meditation, or mindfulness.

For those spiritual practitioners who have been practicing a while, and experience some benefits, but are not feeling the deep relief and peace they seek.

For those who are drawn to India, or exotic, off-the-beaten path travel.

For those who are drawn to Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, Tantra, Zen, Taoism.

And it is…

For those who have been unlucky in love, and wonder “what is wrong with me?”

For those who dream of falling in love, but can’t seem to make it work. Ever.

For those who straight-up appreciate memoirs, women’s memoirs, spiritual memoirs, travel memoirs.

For those who need strength to keep going. A good laugh. A good cry…

And a good read.

Thank you in advance for reading Truth Seeker! When you do, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads if you are so inclined and inspired! And tell your friends!

If you preorder here today, it will be delivered to your Kindle automatically on April 12! OF COURSE I’ll send out another email when the paperback goes live the same day!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091BKLZ49

(Bonus good karma points to repost the link to share with friends!)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

A deep bow to you and all the readers.

With love,

Erin

“Erin Reese’s excellent new book Truth Seeker is a deep dive into the heart, dedication, and courage that is required in spiritual awakening. This book isn’t merely about truth seeking; it’s about truth finding. At first glance the book appears to be about a journey into the spiritual cornucopia of India, but the book is far more than this.  It’s an inspirational nudge into the deepest depths of your own heart. Do you have the courage? The dedication? I highly recommend this book to both glistening spiritual newbies and jaded old-timers.  After reading I was left in a beautiful, resonant heartfelt state.  This alone is worth the price of admission.”

– J. Stewart Dixon, author of Spirituality for Badasses: How to Find Inner Peace and Happiness Without Losing Your Cool

Freedom in the NOW: Spiritual Retreat with Erin February 5-7 via Zoom

Freedom in the NOW

Retreat with Erin Reese 

February 5 to 7, 2021

This is an unprecedented moment in time to drop into the Present, and discover the ultimate supportive resource of unlimited Being.

Such talks and meetings are called "satsang," which means "a spiritual discourse or sacred gathering." In Sanskrit, sat means "true essence, or nature" and sang means community or gathering. There is something powerful about gathering together in this manner, witnessing others' inquiries, and receiving transmission of wisdom in a safe, open space where the focus is on true freedom.

Therefore, I'm offering a three-day "intensive" the first weekend of February, wherein we will join together four times over a period of three days to go deeper into these teachings, which are called "non-duality" or advaita in Sanskrit ("not-two"). To put it most simply, All Is One, and the total and complete realization of this truth is called awakening by some. I call it freedom.

Freedom In the NOW

A 3-Day Intensive

Spiritual Talks and Meetings

with Erin Reese, M.S.

via ZOOM

Friday February 5 to Sunday February 7

Friday 4:30pm to 6pm PT

Saturday 10am to 11:30am PT

Saturday 4:30pm to 6pm PT

Sunday 10am to 11:30am PT

Saturday 12pm to 2pm (optional):

15-minute private meetings with Erin

Cost: $195 to $395 sliding scale

Scholarships Available

Register with Erin directly

There will be no outside "work" or practices outside of the satsang meeting times. It is entirely up to you how you spend your time between sessions, whether you choose to read, meditate, be in nature, dance, be with your family, journal, be silent, or work. The teachings will naturally deepen in you through simple Existence.

Some folks have expressed a sincere interest in participating, but are experiencing financial stress right now; therefore, I'm offering a scholarships, so please email me soon for information on applying. If you are drawn to attend, the way will be made available to you.

The whole point is freedom. Freedom from suffering.
The peace that is always and ever-abiding, in the NOW.

I look forward to seeing you soon.
With love,
Erin

Liberation is not an acquisition but a matter of courage, the courage to believe that you are free already and to act on it.

- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information.

 

 

New Moon in Capricorn: Reclaiming Inner Authority

Tomorrow, we receive the New Moon in Capricorn, cardinal earth sign of power, politics, authorities, and authoritarianism. The Moon is conjunct Pluto-Hades, assuring intensity and power grabs with the tone of total transformation, one in which many forms may fall away in order to make room for the new. We see those who are lusting for power and control, and those who are in opposition. With Saturn, Jupiter, Mercury and asteroid goddess Pallas-Athena converging tightly in radical Aquarius nearby, we see those who are revolutionaries, resisters, and change-makers, whether we agree with them or not. The playing field is changing from moment to moment and it’s close to impossible to know who’s in charge anymore.

Let’s understand who’s really in charge: Consciousness. The Eternal. When we settle into this, we settle into our own inner authority, which is always moment to moment. This is where true peace and freedom lie. It requires a dropping of the need for things to make sense or to go the way one thinks they should. It requires a much deeper trust in Nature, in Reality, in a wisdom that is beyond politics, religion, or belief systems.

Trusting Inner Authority

I was raised by a Capricorn single mother in the 1970’s when there was no such thing as helicopter parenting or awards and trophies passed out to every child in class. Times were more than often tough in our struggling household, to be sure, and one key thing I learned straight out of the gate from my mother: work hard, buck up, don’t complain, and take care of yourself because nobody is going to come a-running to rescue you, skinned knee or broken heart or hurt feelings or anything of the sort.

Tough Love, indeed. I don’t condone this sort of parenting overall – but to be honest, I’d rather have been raised to fall back on myself, my own inner authority, than not. Eventually, I had to recover to reclaim my sensitivity and creative and emotional life, and learn to offer myself a sweeter side, to nurture and comfort myself, and to offer words and acts of self-care, self-tenderness and self-compassion. I learned to receive, to let others help me, to soften and relax. And to trust the Divine, thank Goddess.

And yet, with the staunch tone of the striving Sea-Goat, the climbing Capricorn at the helm, there’s no time for victimhood. No one else is going to come from outside to make you happy or rescue you. It’s all an inside job.

As I look at the New Moon chart, I see the intensity rising as we head toward the U.S. presidential inauguration. Many folks are on tenterhooks, wondering what will come, whether freedoms will return or be revoked. Whether we will heal as a nation or further be fractured and opposed to each other.

No matter one’s political leanings, those scrambling to find answers in the external are distressed. Again and again over the past year (and since time began), Consciousness makes it impossibly obvious: we see that there are no external answers, and serenity is not found outside of ourselves. Many reading this have been preparing for peace for their entire lives. This is called relying on a higher wisdom, and trusting  your self, your inner authority, and The Self. No longer can we wait for answers to our happiness and peace to come from the media, from D.C., from Twitter or CNN, The New York Times, Facebook or FOX News.

Anything can happen right now – the veil is lifted. We are offered the opportunity to awaken, to stabilize our peace within. If we keep holding on to the old ways of governing, of leading, of attempting to control, we are going to be miserable.

Stabilize in Present Time

How to stabilize? It is absolutely vital to stay in the Present Moment.

Turn off your phone. Go for a walk. Breathe.

If you are a news junkie or find yourself falling into a “scroll hole” regularly, make concerted efforts to take breaks. Set a timer or an alarm if you need to. Your serenity need not be determined by what you are reading, hearing, watching.

Remember: you will always know exactly what to do in the NOW, in the present moment. This is the only way.

If you are feeling fear, more than likely you are not in the present moment. You are living in the future, which is ultimately false and unreal, bring yourself back to the now by tuning into your body. Find your feet. Breathe from your belly. Trust your intuition completely.

If the fear and anxiety are continuing, check in with your Inner Child. Did she get spooked by what she heard or read? Is he feeling afraid because the adults around are losing their minds and behaving crazily? Perhaps the madness in the world – fear of illness, infighting, treachery – mimics the early childhood environment. Children of all ages can easily go into shock – fight, flight, freeze reactions – when “caregivers” or “authority figures” are behaving unpredictably or are just flat out mentally ill or behaving like raging alcoholics. What is happening in our greater society resembles the craziness of being in an alcoholic or abusive home environment. Power grabbing, gaslighting, controlling, terrorizing – it’s all here. So, work with your tools of detachment and healing from codependence. Reassure your archetypal inner child that they are loved, cared for, safe –that you are paying attention to them and that you will look after them and protect them no matter what. You will immediately find a relaxation occurring.

The truth of Who You Are, can never be contained. No person, institution, virus, politician, cranky family member or opinionated friend can take away your peace once it is firmly established in the Self, the Ground of Being. If you are still jacked around by belief systems, religions, politics, ideologies – allow the smoldering power of Pluto-Hades in Capricorn to burn it all, to take it and transform it at this New Moon time. Release the identification with the external. It is so unnecessary – the belief that things must go this-a-way or that-a-way. The Truth is What Is unfolding, in the here and now. Once this is realized completely, one can easily relax.

At this Capricorn New Moon, we have an opportunity to reclaim our inner authority, which is always in present time. Again: you will always know exactly what to do in the moment. Not a hair’s breadth before or after. Drop the stories, and stabilize in the Now.

Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information.