New Book & Inspirational Project by
By RENEE PATRICK Cascade A&E Editor 
“Wherever I am in life there always seems to be something guiding and nudging me to get out of the hell I was living in and to do something greater. Something that was pushing me on my cane to take just one more step. Something that has always kept reminding me to never give up before the miracle.” – From the introduction to Falling Down Getting Up by Michael Harris
Michael Harris may be a familiar name in the Central Oregon community as the founder and former owner of Bikram Yoga in
The book and project are intrinsically intertwined as Harris has drawn on his life experiences of “falling down” and the resulting creation of a deeply gratifying and rewarding life. At Harris’ rock bottom, he spent ten days in a coma and was told by doctors he would loose his legs to vascular disease. Years later he became deeply involved with the Bikram Yoga movement and is embarking on a new goal of inspiring individuals and businesses through telling his story (the subject of his book) and helping others to navigate their way to an enriching life through telling their stories (The Getting Up Project).
“In today’s world with so many struggles going on, I live by the ideas that stories help people; other people’s stories can be very inspiring,” said Harris. The second book [which will be focused on The Getting Up Project] will be about other people telling their stories. It is more about giving people inspiration to get back up and keep going no matter what. Everyone has a story.
“People are struggling and some can’t get a job; maybe there are opportunities for people to lift themselves back up and live well…I have had to take care of myself and create whatever it is to survive, I think a lot of people haven’t done that before and don’t know how or need to get inspired,” he said. By using himself as an example through his book, seminars, webinars and individual sessions, Harris hopes to help others create passion and abundance in their lives, discover skill sets and learn how to monetize their strengths and, as he states, “to truly live the life that only you can imagine.”
Harris has been pondering the idea of a book for the past ten years, but despite bouts of writing, it wasn’t until 2011that he began working diligently towards the goal and even committed to finish the book in 90 days. He sold Bikram Yoga in January to focus on the new work: writing. “I have not really had experience writing…but once I sat down, I had so much information in 79 days that I felt I could just write forever,” he commented. “It was easy once I made that commitment, I loved it.
Harris was helped along the way by a number of other authors, particularly his brother, Bill Harris, author of Thresholds of the Mind and a primary contributor to The Secret. “I divulge some pretty personal things in [the book], and thought, “Am I really going to say this and divulge this?’ That part of exposing myself has been challenging, but after talking to other authors and publishers I see it is those ideas and parts of myself that will help the reader connect with what I am saying by allowing that vulnerability…I have learned a lot about that and it has given me some inspiration by being willing to talk about it.”
Falling Down Getting Up can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com; the book will be published in mid-April and will be available at most bookstores in Central Oregon and as an ebook. michael@michaelbharris.com, Www.fallingdowngettingup.com. To share your story, visit www.thegettingupproject.com.