Unbinding the Heart | Wake Up To The Joy of You

Unbinding the Heart invites us on an inspiring journey of inner exploration to reconnect with our true selves. Born in Greece, a country that celebrates life, Agapi Stassinopoulos learned the essential truths of happiness through the examples of wisdom, caring, playfulness, and generosity she saw all around her, starting with her own mother. She came to realize that we are all born with open hearts, but that we quickly learn to put conditions on our happiness—comparing ourselves to others, casting judgment, doubting ourselves, allowing fear or entitlement or self-righteousness to take hold—and slowly our hearts begin to close. We isolate ourselves, feeling alone, disconnected, and unheard; and in doing so, we immobilize our spirit, stifle our authentic expression, and cut off our joy. As she went on, Agapi, like so many of us, came under the soul-constricting influences of the larger world. In her struggle to find her place and her voice, trying to balance the acting career she dreamed of with the spiritual life she longed for, she discovered a path that was uniquely hers. Unbinding the Heart shows how she found her way home to herself. In 32 personal, heartfelt stories full of insight and humor, Agapi takes us from her mother’s bountiful kitchen, where the seeds of fearless living were planted, to the London classical stage, to an epiphany on a New York City bus—and inspires us with the confidence to let go of the beliefs that bind us and come to a deeper understanding of life and love.

Praise For Unbinding the Heart

“Agapi Stassinopoulos is an authentic, genuine, and inspirational writer and speaker who knows how to connect with and move her audience. She brings out the beauty, power, and independence in all of us.”

— DEEPAK CHOPRA, author of War of the Worldviews

“This book dives into the center of her heart and shares pearls of wisdom of how to keep ones heart open and fluid which has a direct relationship to the health of your physical heart. You’ll gain such value and wisdom in reading this book.”

– DR DEAN ORNISH, author, The Spectrum and Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease

“Agapi’s book is a life changer, one that triggers us to find the richness in our hearts and share it with others.”

— BLAKE MYCOSKIE, founder and chief shoe giver of TOMS

“Besides being a loving sister, Agapi has an innate wisdom and a gift for communicating it to her readers. The insight and passion that she brings to Unbinding the Heart, and the lessons it holds for bringing freedom and grace into our lives, make it a must-read book.”

— ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group

“I laughed, I cried, I got a craving for hummus . . . read this book, it’s smashing.”

— TRACEY ULLMAN

“Unbinding the Heart is like a sumptuous Greek feast. It is a place filled with family, friends, and lovers, offering sustenance for the mind and spirit. Agapi’s colorful stories are full of spiritual depth and personal insight, which will nourish the soul of her readers.”

— LISA OZ, author of Us

“Agapi shares her heart with us through her personal stories, full of hope and possibilities, and inspires us to open our own hearts to more loving for ourselves and others.”

— DONNA KARAN, founder of Urban Zen

“Unbinding the Heart, with its beautiful prose, comes at a perfect time, reminding us, that even if life’s grip becomes cold, we have the resources to heal each other and to heal ourselves. The book is as warm as any hearth in any loving home. It is a call to the remembrance of love’s power.”

— ANNA DEAVERE SMITH, actress and playwright

“Agapi’s book is like a warm hug that inspires you to live as authentically and openly as possible.”

— MARLO THOMAS, actress and best-selling author of Growing Up Laughing