Born in Toronto, Canada, Jeff Brown did all the things he was
supposed to do to become successful in the eyes of the world. He
was on the Dean's Honor List as an undergraduate. He won the Law
and Medicine prize in law school. He apprenticed with top criminal
lawyer Eddie Greenspan. It had been Brown's lifelong dream to
practice criminal law and search for the truth in the
courtroom.
But then, on the verge of opening a law practice, he heard a little
voice inside telling him to stop, just stop. With great difficulty,
he honored this voice and began a heartfelt quest for the truth
that lived within him. Although he didn't realize it at the time,
Brown was actually questing for his innate image, the essential
being that he came into this lifetime to embody. He was searching
for his authentic face.
As part of his journey, Brown surrendered to his confusion and
explored many possible paths. He studied Bioenergetics and did
session work with cofounder Alexander Lowen. He practiced as a
body-centered psychotherapist. He completed an MA in Psychology at
Saybrook Graduate School in San Francisco and cofounded the Open
Heart Gang, a benevolent gang with a heartfelt intention. He
developed his student business and became a successful
entrepreneur.
The most important thing Brown did, however, was the inner work. By
going inside and connecting his spirituality with his emotional
life, he learned essential lessons. By learning to surrender to the
"School of Heart Knocks" (the school of life), he found his
authentic face and embraced the call to write Soulshaping. Although
he resisted it at first, he soon realized that honoring the call
was his best defense against sleeplessness. If he wrote, he slept.
If he didn't, he lay awake all night. This is the nature of a
calling.
Brown currently lives in Toronto, where he and the Open Heart Gang
are close to finishing a documentary about Bhagavan Das (of Be Here
Now fame). The film, titled Karmageddon, includes wonderful
dialogues with Brown and spiritual teacher Ram Dass, yogis Seane
Corn and David Newman, and chanters Deva Premal and Miten. In
addition, Brown is actively searching for wheels for the
Soulshaping bus tour, a spirited adventure across North America
with his soul-friends, heaven-bent on inviting more people to raise
the flag of the little voice to the rafters of consciousness.
"Soulshaping does an excellent job of demonstrating how we can
listen to and follow our soul’s guidance in the midst of life."
–Ram Dass, spiritual teacher and author of Be Here Now
"I often refer to the dictionary at the end of this wonderful book
to put new words to sacred experiences, fleeting understandings,
and the bigger mysteries that seekers have pondered throughout
history. The words are like bridges between my little self and my
vaster consciousness that is free from fear and open to peace."
—Elizabeth Lesser, author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can
Help Us Grow and cofounder of the Omega Institute
"This book is a role call for the soul. Jeff Brown is the kind of
writer who invites you to swim in gasoline and then provides a
match. This is no self-help book. This is a summons from the
mountaintop and from the trenches. I am so grateful for Brown’s
journey and his absolute genius in writing."
—Tama J. Kieves, best-selling author of This Time I Dance! Creating
the Work You Love
"Spiritual erotica! Jeff Brown lays down his soul on these pages
for us to see ourselves. In so doing, he demonstrates a rare
vulnerability, a wicked sense of humor, and a deeply personal
insight into the human condition."
—Kathryn Beet, master yoga practitioner and owner of Yoga Space,
Toronto
"Jeff Brown takes readers on a journey seeking to find his inner
self. It is a search for self-fulfillment, a field guide for life,
and a quest for the meaning of life."
—Eddie Greenspan, QC, criminal lawyer and earnest defender of the
presumption of innocence
"Soulshaping is a beautiful story of one man’s spiritual journey
that reveals the inspiring, yet often humbling, path of growth and
self-transformation. Jeff Brown offers us a raw, honest, and
humorous glimpse into the exploration of self, while also imploring
us to celebrate the opening of the heart and the awakening of the
soul—no matter where we are directed, what is revealed, or who
shows up."
—Seane Corn, international yoga instructor and spiritual
activist
"Soulshaping is the story of one man’s journey of awakening and
healing and is lit with epiphanies and hard-won psychospiritual
savvy not just for the author, but for all of us. Jeff Brown has
faced his dragons and has emerged from the flames with significant
treasures and a soul-centered, refreshingly raw travelogue that is
as readable as it is instructive. A brave book this is–a book that
serves our own journey of awakening and healing, simply by being so
unswervingly and nakedly human. This is not just another book about
soul, but a book saturated with soul."
—Robert Augustus Masters, PhD, author of Meeting the Dragon
"If you don't have a gut reaction to this book, you may be dead! My
heart completely opened up as I felt each page come alive with
emotion. It’s a must-read for anyone on a spiritual path to
identify and discover our powerful and majestic self."
—Jewels Johnson, host of Law of Attraction Talk Radio
"Tired of another by-the-numbers guide to spirituality? Soulshaping
is the real deal, a gritty look at the reality of fully inhabiting
your life. It may be the only soul-help book I have read that
brings spirituality and psychology together in a grounded
framework. I love the way Jeff Brown shows us how to shed our
emotional debris and ego armor, while at the same time transforming
all of it into the lessons we need. Nothing gets lost or
misplaced—everything is grist for the soul mill! Soulshaping
represents the next step in the spiritual transformation of Western
culture, a perfect blend of Eastern mysticism and emotional
healing. Brilliant and perfectly down to earth at the same
time."
—Zeydl Hemrend, lawyer and film producer
"Jeff Brown takes us on an intimate, compelling, enlivening, and
often quite humorous set of adventures with many of today’s leading
consciousness teachers on his journey to uncovering the deep truths
that live at the heart of all spiritual paths."
—Robert Gass, EdD, workshop leader, spiritual activist, composer,
performer, and recording artist
"As a therapist and as a human being, I highly recommend
Soulshaping. It is a must-read for anyone wanting to move beyond
the profound emotional blocks of early wounding and gradually, very
gradually, begin to awaken to increasing levels of self-acceptance
through the wisdom and tenderness of their own essence. Through his
school of 'heart knocks,' and with astonishing emotional
authenticity, Jeff Brown implores us to embrace and fully
'excavate' our Shadow, the seeming darkness within. Only by fully
honoring all aspects of our journey (every wound, every person,
every trauma) can we begin to accept and eventually honor all of
who we are."
—John Pollard, MA, psychotherapist and spiritual director at
Transformational Arts College
"Soulshaping was the most valuable, engaging, and hard to put down
book I read this year. This book goes way beyond the rote ‘how to’
presented in so many spiritual books and offers a sincere and
true-life story of what it is really like to journey into the inner
world of self-creation and to listen, truly listen, to that tiny
voice inside. Jeff Brown is the real deal and he shows with
heartfelt honesty that there is no ‘arrived’ when it comes to the
quest of the spirit."
—Dr. Melissa West, international radio show host with Contact Talk
Radio
“Soulshaping is an insightful, thought-provoking testimonial, an
autobiography of one man's spiritual journey to find a more
authentic way of being…a refreshingly truthful, heartfelt
account...I think this book will appeal to those who are seeking a
more meaningful way of being. It is beautifully written and there
is comfort in reading and relief in hearing.”
—Bath Chronicle
"Soulshaping is a direct expression of a powerful individual
radiating his inner divine strength, while fully revealing
wholeheartedly the human side of his earthly undertakings and
allowing readers to capture meaningful wisdom, inspiration, a
renewed sense of empowerment, and hope. Jeff Brown is a true
pioneer with his endless dedication, commitment, and balanced
expression that promotes authenticity and long-lived
self-transformation. Cheers to him for his powerful service to
humanity!"
—Dulcinea Contreras, founder and executive producer of Evolution
Revolution Media Productions
"Just as a sculptor shapes his clay on the wheel, Jeff Brown shapes
his soul from the wheel of his life. An alluring and riveting
journey, a definitive cure for soul-dysplasia, this book is real!
Never before have I read a book so eagerly anticipating the next
page—not because of a mystery unfolding, but because I wanted to
see if Brown had my story right. For those on their soul journeys,
this book will no doubt reveal a different vantage point to help
them find their way."
—Susie Bonham-Craig, spiritual psychologist and author and host of
Wisdom Wide Open Radio
"If I were to use words to describe my innermost feeling after
reading Soulshaping, I would use two: true inspiration. I believe
this book will be used as a ‘bible’ to those who truly need a guide
for their journey. Jeff Brown’s life journey will truly inspire
those who have started and then stopped, those who have a knowing,
but don’t know where to begin, those who have despised their life
due to some traumatic experience at some point in time, and will
realize by reading this book that they can go on!"
—Laura Annicharico
“Brown’s story is an emotionally raw, no-holds-barred account of
life in the trenches along the spiritual path, and a guide to
moving from survivalist behaviors and attitudes to living in tune
with one’s higher purpose in the midst of the madness of modern
life.”
—ForeWord Reviews
“Rivetingly personal and profoundly universal, [Soulshaping] is for
anyone who has heard a whisper of something truer calling out to
them amid the distractions of modern life.”
—Spiritual Media Blog
“Offering much food for thought as [Jeff Brown] tells a story that
many readers will find relation to when coming to terms with their
own soul and their spirituality, Soulshaping is a heartily
recommended read.”
—The Midwest Book Review
“Through verdant prose Jeff, the wordsmith, leads us to
authenticity through ‘the challenge of actualizing a soulful
calling in a harsh landscape.’… Like a touchstone I will return to
Soulshaping as I continue to weave my own web of soul-shaping.”
—Food for Thought
“Through Brown’s passionate storytelling and insights, gleaned from
his life journey, three powerful points emerge… The essence of life
is that it is all a soul’s journey. The heart of the soul’s journey
is to have a profound faith in the human experience. The process of
realizing our soul’s calling is to feel our feelings fully until we
discover what we need to learn. [Soulshaping] is a very inspiring
book, and I recommend it both for people searching for hope and
guidance in order to find meaning in their lives, and for those who
have found meaning and would appreciate revisiting their
journey.”
—AHP Perspective
“This is a good book for anyone who has heard a little voice (or
voices) about another way of life.”
—MyShelf.com
“I found Soulshaping to be a wrenchingly personal and sometimes
painful expression of Jeff's life journey… Jeff has a particularly
engaging way of mapping out his text...a word wall that is a canvas
for the verbal paint splashes that find their way into his
writing.”
—Edie Weinstein, The Bliss Blog, Beliefnet
“Soulshaping is a powerful memoir about how making different
choices in life can change it for the better—if we only listen to
our inner voice. … This book offers a good narrative and would be
helpful to anyone trying to come to grips with their own life and
soul path.”
—New Consciousness Review
“Soulshaping is the optimal demonstration of walking one's true
path. … Jeff Brown's brilliant formulas will immerse you in the
school of heart knocks. Soulshaping will awaken parts of you and
guide you on a deliberate purpose driven, soul searching
journey.”
—Intentional Conscious Parenting
“Soulshaping is the journey of awakening for Jeff Brown, and is
described so intricately, and shared so deeply, one could use this
as a ‘template’ for dissolving fear and opening to oneness.”
—Eco Luminescence
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