How to Live Like a Monk: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Life

How medieval monastic practices―with their emphasis on a healthy mind, soul and body ―can inspire us to live fuller lives

We know that they prayed, sang, and wore long robes―but what was it really like to be a monk? Though monastic living may seem unimaginable to us moderns, it has relevance for today. This book illuminates the day-to-day of medieval European monasticism, showing how you can apply the principles of monastic living―like finding balance and peace―to your life.

With wit and insight, medievalist and podcaster Daniele Cybulskie dives into the history of monasticism in each chapter and then reveals applications for today, such as the benefits of healthy eating, streamlining routines, gardening, and helping others. She shares how monks authentically embraced their spiritual calling, and were also down to earth: they wrote complaints about being cold in the manuscripts they copied, made beer and wine, and even kept bees.

This book features original illustrations by Anna Lobanova, as well as more than eighty color reproductions from medieval manuscripts. It is for anyone interested in the Middle Ages and those seeking inspiration for how to live a full life, even when we’re confined to the cloister―or our homes.

  • This beautifully illustrated self-help guide . . . reimagines monastic practices to help readers live with greater peace, simplicity, and purpose.

    Publishers Weekly

  • This is a brilliant concept, beautifully delivered - a look at the lives of medieval monks, told with great knowledge, with a view to passing on lessons learnt many hundreds of years ago, but still so relevant today. This highly original work is the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life.

    Charles Spencer, Bestselling Author of The White Ship

  • This entertaining and enlightening book almost made me want to become a monk. Almost...

    Dan Jones, NYT Bestselling Author of The Templars

  • Filled to the brim with wise and practical advice, How to Live Like a Monk is a wonderful reminder that most of what we need to live a full and fulfilling life is already within us.

    Tal Ben-Shahar, NYT Bestselling Author of Happier

  • This compact, beautifully illustrated volume contains a world of practical wisdom, wrapped up in amusing anecdotes and revealing quotations from medieval sources. It wears its learning lightly, but readers will find many surprising facts about the Middle Ages, as well as seeing their own lifestyle in a fresh light.

    Seb Falk, Bestselling Author of The Light Ages

  • This is a profoundly lovely book. Here is the life of a medieval monk, vividly described (and beautifully illustrated) with clarity, wit, and a humane wisdom that, gently and perceptively, offers food for thought about the modern world. It’s not simple to distil so much expertise into prose that’s joyfully easy to read. Danièle Cybulskie makes it seem effortless.

    Helen Castor, Bestselling Author of She-Wolves