In the early eighties, pioneering educator and author Marsha Sinetar helped revolutionize the way we thought about work. Now, using her own progressively reflective life as a template, she speaks simply and deeply to those who seek spiritual wholeness. She recasts the ancient spiritual tradition of contemplation for contemporary, highly technological times.

Sinetar first reminds us of our innate longing for spiritual comfort. She proposes no less than a sweeping change and an upgrade of our lifestyle along a timeless route -- gradual, relaxed asceticism, or the "casual contemplative" way, by which almost all of us can rightly order our lives. Her discussion of what it might mean to design a prayerful life is meant to move its from a constricted, pressured mentality to the worshipful harmony of what mystics, metaphysicians, and the monastic tradition call unitive consciousness.

At the heart of Sinetar's vision is a wholesale lifestyle change. Daily devotion is a must. So is the cultivation of classical monastic practices. What we are extinguishing is our distracted attitude of worship, which seeks to obey the letter of the law but is divorced from our sacred ground of being. With an intimate look at her own life, and using everyday illustrations, Sinetar proves her point -- almost anyone can rightly order a life.

In her clear and uncompromising voice, Marsha Sinetar advocates a true traditional pilgrimage but with a modern flavor. For those who are struggling to achieve a balanced life and still fulfill family and work obligations, and for all those who think they are too busy to engage in such loftypastimes, Sinetar suggests, think again. "Put simply, state of mind, not material circumstance, creates your states of harmony, assurance, and comfort. Put simplest, with a few adjustments, you can bloom spiritually, right where you're planted."