Four Pranas of Happiness - Petr Casanova (review)

I received great recommendations for books by Peter Casanova, I haven't read any yet, but I was intrigued by the quotes of the author's thoughts and decided to read The Four Pranas of Happiness (The Art of Everyday Joy in Accelerated Times) first.

After reading the opening page, I was curious to see what the book would bring next. In the introduction, the author explains some concepts important to understanding the whole book.

"Prana is the gateway to real life, to happiness. From a biological point of view, prana represents all the streams of vital energy that circulate through the human body, such as blood and sap, and influence, for example, the contractions of the heart and respiratory system. But prana affects more than just the body. It means life, energy, strength for our mood, faith, determination." It has been known to ancient peoples, for example in Chinese there is a term for it called qi.

Of the whole introduction, I was probably most interested in the subchapter "The development of the seed", where Casanova used a very nice analogy: "Man is like the seed of a crop". "Even the seed of the most beautiful crop needs a soil full of nutrients, otherwise it will never show its full beauty."

Each chapter brings with it a personal story from one person's point of view, and the stories then intertwine to show us the essence of the author's ideas.

We can look at the world through the lens of abundance or the lens of scarcity. Here the author explains why and how to appreciate what we have. At the same time, he shows us how to help ourselves if we only start to appreciate real values/relationships when we lose them.

The author explains the four pranas of happiness using the elements (water, earth, fire, air).

Personally, I was very interested in the story of the girl Echo, or echoism, and the related need for appreciation, need for love, and measurements. We learn, for example, that the word: "no" is not essentially negative in nature.

The book is also enriched by stories from the lives of various famous personalities, e.g. There are also interesting stories about famous people, such as Keanu Reeves, and philosophical backgrounds from history, as well as biological curiosities.

In the last part of the work, we learn about the life experiences and experiences of Peter Casanova himself.

I read the book almost in one breath and overall I was impressed by the coherent impression and professional experience of the author.

If you would like to pause for a moment, realize what is important to you, and are looking for inspiration or want to gain from positive thinking, then I recommend you read The Four Pranas of Happiness.