Inner Peace: The Four Agreements, The Power of Now and Ikigai

Breni's Four Agreements path teaches inner peace through three short, practical books. There are 3 courses: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. Ruiz gives four rules for daily life, Tolle teaches attention to the present, and Ikigai looks at purpose and long life in Okinawa. Learners finish with a short daily practice of their own.

  • 3 courses
  • 29 learning objectives
  • Level: beginner
  • Language: English
  • Price: Subscription, free trial

What you will be able to do

  • Apply each of the four agreements to a real situation
  • Watch your thoughts without being carried away by them
  • Explain what the pain-body is in The Power of Now
  • Tell the Japanese meaning of ikigai from the Western diagram
  • Build a short daily practice for calm and purpose

Full curriculum

Part 1 · Daily rules and presence

1. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz: Practise Four Simple Rules

Apply the four agreements to everyday words, reactions and effort. Units, in order: Domestication and the dream; Be impeccable with your word; Don't take anything personally; Don't make assumptions; Always do your best.

  • — Domestication and the dream
    Learn how society and family shape our beliefs through domestication.
    • The dream of the planet
    • Human domestication process
    • The mind's mitote fog
  • — Be impeccable with your word
    Use your words with care and avoid speaking against yourself.
    • Power of the word
    • Speaking with integrity
  • — Don't take anything personally
    Stop letting other people's actions and words hurt you.
    • Everyone lives in a dream
    • Freedom from needless suffering
  • — Don't make assumptions
    Stop inventing stories and learn to ask clear questions.
    • The danger of assumptions
    • Communicating with clarity
  • — Always do your best
    Give your full effort without falling into self-judgment.
    • Your best changes daily
    • Silencing the inner judge

2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: Live in the Present

Notice your thinking and bring attention back to the present moment. Units, in order: You are not your thoughts; Watching the thinker; The pain-body; Living in the present moment; Mindfulness: what research supports.

  • — Recognizing Your Thoughts
    Learn to separate your true self from internal mental noise.
    • The Voice in the Head
  • — Watching the Thinker
    Observe your mind without judgment to find inner peace.
    • The Watcher
  • — Understanding the Pain-Body
    Explore how unexpressed emotional pain remains trapped inside you.
    • The Pain-Body
  • — Living in the Present
    Anchor your awareness in the present moment instead of psychological time.
    • Moving Into the Now
  • — Mindfulness and Science
    Examine how secular mindfulness practice is studied and supported by research.
    • Mindfulness and Research

Part 2 · Purpose

3. Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles: Find Your Reason to Live

Find what gives your days purpose, using ikigai and lessons from Okinawa. Units, in order: What ikigai means in Japan; The Western ikigai diagram; Okinawa and long life; Hara hachi bu: stop at 80% full; Flow; Friends, community and moving every day.

  • — Meaning of Ikigai
    Learn what ikigai means in Japan.
    • Reason for being
    • Two aspects
    • Word roots
  • — Western Diagram
    Explore the Western Venn diagram of ikigai.
    • Four diagram parts
    • Diagram limits
  • — Okinawa Longevity
    Study life expectancy and traditional diets in Okinawa.
    • High life expectancy
    • Sweet potato diet
  • — Hara Hachi Bu
    Learn to stop eating when eighty percent full.
    • Eighty percent full
    • Body mass index
  • — Flow State
    Understand full immersion and focus in activities.
    • What is flow
    • Flow factors
  • — Community and Movement
    Discover how friends and daily work promote longevity.
    • Working without retiring
    • Moai friendship groups

Sample: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz: Practise Four Simple Rules

The opening tier, (Domestication and the dream). Learn how society and family shape our beliefs through domestication.

The dream of the planet

Understand how society hands us a collective dream of rules and culture.

Human domestication process

See how reward and punishment train us to accept other beliefs.

The mind's mitote fog

Discover the noisy fog of beliefs that keeps us from truth.

Questions about Inner Peace: The Four Agreements, The Power of Now and Ikigai

What are the four agreements?

Don Miguel Ruiz's four agreements are be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best.

What is the pain-body?

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle uses "pain-body" for old emotional pain that builds up and can take over your thinking. He suggests watching it rather than acting from it.

Is the ikigai Venn diagram Japanese?

No. The four-circle diagram of love, skill, need and pay is a Western addition. In Japan, ikigai usually means simple things that make life feel worth living.

Is Breni affiliated with the authors?

No. Breni is not affiliated with Don Miguel Ruiz, Eckhart Tolle, Héctor García, Francesc Miralles or their publishers.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes, finishing all 3 courses earns a Breni certificate of completion.

Related learning paths

Start Inner Peace: The Four Agreements, The Power of Now and Ikigai

Get Breni on Google Play and start Inner Peace: The Four Agreements, The Power of Now and Ikigai Download on the App Store