Lola Tillyaeva’s debut book ‘Be Your Own Harmonist: Awakening Your Inner Wisdom for Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-Being’ is timely. Between the ongoing challenge posed by climate change and the seemingly endless chaos caused by the COVID epidemic, how to get life back into balance has become a real challenge for many people. It is a question  Lola Tillyaeva is uniquely qualified to answer. Besides being a mother and wife, Lola also runs her own business, operates several charitable foundations, at one point was a delegate to UNESCO and is a committed environmental activist. People often express amazement at how she is able to manage all her different roles and responsibilities. By publishing Be Your Own Harmonist, Lola Tillyaeva aims to answer that question and share what she’s learnt.

Calling the book, a ‘self-care guide,’ Lola describes it as “a merging of science and spirituality.” She considers this union between the two crucial to the future of human progress. In the book, Lola not only uses examples from her own life, she also applies her formal academic knowledge, and employs more unconventional sources of wisdom such as feng shui. Reviewing the book, Professor Kennedy from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore wrote:

“As the author Lola Till states, many great thinkers have tried to answer life’s great questions, using different knowledge bases to come to a range of answers. This journey is one everyone should take for themselves, and this book can serve as a roadmap for people to find their own answers to life’s essential questions.”

In her book, Lola Tillyaeva suggests that the “delicate interplay between our physical, emotional and mental wellness are critical to leading a richer, more balanced and satisfying life.” Lola explains how yoga can be applied to manage physiological issues and reduce chronic inflammation. She also suggests other powerful but simple steps individuals can take to improve their wellbeing which includes regular sleep routines and healthy eating habits. For improved emotional health, Lola suggests integrating meditation, breathwork and brain plasticity exercises into our daily routine. In each section of the book, she includes practical examples from her own life. Towards the end, Lola outlines her thoughts on the underappreciated impact of forgiveness on our wellbeing.

The relationship between forgiveness and positive mental health is gaining widespread recognition. The American Psychological Association says:

“Research has shown that forgiveness is linked to mental health outcomes such as reduced anxiety, depression and major psychiatric disorders, as well as with fewer physical health symptoms and lower mortality rates.”

Be Your Own Harmonist reminds us that mental and emotional health is one of humanity’s oldest problems. What makes Lola Tillyaeva´s approach so convincing is not only the blend of lived personal experience and theoretical explanations she includes in her book, but also her use of the latest scientific findingsand ancient wisdoms. Be Your Own Harmonist, thus, serves as a comprehensive roadmap for people to improve their wellbeing.