This book is a tour de force. An epic quest to find meaning and healing following a creative life that spans many eras. I was swept away on adventures to the Himalayan peaks that became feats of incredible endurance. I was taken to places that took my breath away and left me in tears and profound awe at the depth of beauty and heartbreak. Philippe’s writing is a balance between gentle observation and piercing honesty as he shines his insight beyond the surface. An incredibly uplifting and inspiring story about the resilience of the human spirit searching for belonging. A masterclass in how to trust your instincts and follow your hearts calling for freedom. Full of juicy life bursting from the pages, infused with passion, connection, vulnerability and strength. Wow I wasn’t expecting the positive impact on me that has awoken my passion and longing to step into my own life adventure. His courage and authenticity to face and speak about the hard truths of systemic abuse of children at the Osho ashram is a healing panacea for the collective and helps me feel safer in this world.
Sarah, UK, Nov 20th 2025
More reviews on: https://nirav-art.com/daring-the-truth-reviews/
Kindle & Paperback: https://a.co/d/4v24zHQ
Toss a Coin is a disarming book that sneaks up on the reader. Through a handful of ordinary moments (a book left by a swimming pool, a train ride to Mumbai, a few conversations in a modest flat) Philippe Nirav captures the lived impact of Advaita Vedanta when it is no longer philosophy but perception. His encounters with Ramesh Balsekar are rendered with honesty, humor, and vulnerability, revealing how the illusion of control dissolves through seeing. This is not a book about becoming enlightened; it is about relaxing into what already is. Gentle, precise, and deeply human, Toss a Coin stays with you long after the last page.
—Ursula, Germany
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Kindle & Paperback: https://a.co/d/j7tSuLr
Painting from Within is not a book about learning how to paint. It is a book about discovering what can happen when we stop trying to control the outcome.
Drawing on decades of meditation, painting, and teaching Intuitive Painting, Philippe Nirav explores creativity as a doorway into something much deeper: intuition, presence, play, freedom, and self-discovery.
What I particularly appreciate is that he doesn’t tell you what your painting should look like. Instead, he invites you to listen, to follow an impulse, trust a colour, make a mark without knowing where it will lead, and become comfortable with the unknown.
And that is where the book becomes much bigger than painting.
The canvas becomes a mirror for the way we live. How often do we want to know the result before we begin? How often do we silence an instinct because we are afraid of making the wrong choice? How often do we replace curiosity with the need to get things right?
Painting from Within gently challenges all of that.
The book is divided into two parts. The first explores Intuitive Painting and the deeper journey of trusting ourselves through creativity. The second is a deeply personal and beautiful tribute to Philippe’s painting teacher, Meera Hashimoto, whose influence runs through his artistic journey. This second part gives the book an added depth and intimacy, turning it not only into an exploration of creativity, but also into an expression of gratitude for the person who helped open that door.
It is the kind of book that reveals new layers when you return to it. You can read it once and enjoy it, then read it again and discover something you had completely missed the first time.You don’t need to be a painter to appreciate it. You don’t even need to think of yourself as creative. If you are curious about reconnecting with your intuition, spontaneity, and the part of yourself that knows how to explore without always needing to know where you are going, Painting from Within is well worth reading.
Because painting is only the doorway. The real journey is inward.
Kindle & Paperback: https://a.co/d/0eeMjYu9
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