*NOTE: For those selecting a perk, please note that for some perks we are requesting a donation for shipping costs as well. Please add this additional amount to your total donation when you enter your contribution. Much love and many thanks! - Michael & Jessica

Who We Are

Jessica and I (Michael Sandler) met at a meditation center after I looked up and said, “Oh, there she is!” Though I’d never met or seen her before, I knew I’d marry her. Until recently, we've never been apart.

Since that time we’ve started our own company, written best-selling books, and even produced a how-to movie. We’ve traveled the world working to help others, sharing our love and experiences along the way. Everything we’ve done has been about helping others to heal, overcome life's challenges, and find greater peace, happiness and joy. 

We've been seen on: 

What Happened?

On May 19^th of this year, I was injured in an accident that nearly took my life. I slipped in leather moccasins in a mountain creek, falling and landing hard on a pyramid shaped rock. My femur exploded on impact, with bones cutting through muscles, veins, ligaments and tendons. Miraculously it missed my femoral artery, but stuck in a freezing cold creek, I couldn’t breath and began to blackout.

As everything faded out, I could have easily closed my eyes and died there on the trail. But I looked over at Jessica, saw the look of fear and terror on her face, felt her heartache and KNEW I couldn’t die.

And so I began FORCING myself to breathe. For two hours before being helicoptered out, I focused on my breath, bringing in sunlight, and breathing out love. These two things were the most powerful, soothing feelings and ideas I could think of, and they helped me get through.

Though it was an incredibly scary time for both of us, it was also magical and transformational. Sitting next to a spouse who might die was life changing for Jessica. And for myself, stuck in the creek and focusing on my breath, my intuition instantly expanded. I began to get downloads of information that came in instantaneous packets, or what felt like little sparkles or glitters of information. Now each time I sit at my desk to write, one of those sparkles opens up into an entirely new concept, idea, or teaching I'd never thought of before.  

Why the Accident was a Gift

Even in the creek, we never said “poor me”, or “poor us”, or “why did this happen to me?” Instead, we accepted it as a gift, and a turning point in our lives. We knew we were shifting gears from teaching about the more physical side of life, to teaching the lessons we were now learning about the more spiritual side of life and how we can each overcome any challenges if only we believe.

The Book We Had to Write

So that’s what our book is about. Breathe Love shares the story of the accident, the pivotal events that led up to it, our healing journey and where it takes us. And it shares the lessons we’ve been learning; lessons we were ignoring before the accident, and new ones we gained there on the trail, each of which have been branded into our souls.

Two Loving Perspectives

We feel we have to write this book, to share the love, gratitude, and healing power we found out there on the trail…and to share it from a couple’s point of view. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Jessica’s love and help to keep me alive and keep me going. This book is from both of our perspectives, mine, going through the physical pain and coming out the other side, and Jessica's, who's pain is more emotional, and more challenging in many ways. It’s a challenge for her to make the time to rest or step back, she always has to be there for me, a tireless job from the minute I slipped.

What’s in It for You?

This book will fill you with hope and inspiration, and help you to overcome any challenges you may have in life, whether that's physical, emotional, relational, financial, or spiritual. The lessons we’ve learned will lift your spirit and speak to your soul. For instance, we've learned that life's greatest challenges are opportunities for the miracles, miracles that are happening around us all of the time. In our case, getting injured was the best thing that ever happened to us. It helped us heal serious challenges and communication issues in our relationship, creating a new closeness and a much greater bond.

How precious and fragile and important life is, and how we must cherish each moment because we truly don't know how long we have here.

What is the Money for?

Production and marketing of this very special book.

Book Production, Marketing & Publicity Costs:

Based on our Barefoot Running book which became a Best Seller:

1.     Editing:  $9000

2.     Layout:  $6500

3.     Cover Photo/Graphic Design:  $1000

4.     E-book Conversion:  $1000

5.     Printing Hardcover (limited edition):  $5500 (200 books)

6.     Printing Softcover:  $13000 (5000 books)

7.     Marketing: $6,000

8.     Publicity:  $8,000

9.     Laptop:  $2000

Total Book Production Cost and Goal: $54,000

What if we get extra money?

We can do it! - Our track record

Our goal is to turn this into another Indie Best-Seller, and then to take it mainstream. That means we need to sell between 5000 and 10,000 books on our own.

However, this isn't the first time we've set this goal and achieved it too. Jessica and I are known for “making the impossible possible”.  For instance, though some of our trusted advisors told us we didn’t stand a chance, our first book defied the odds and became an indie-best-seller, before going on to become the #1 exercise and fitness book on Kindle out of all books, worldwide! We then got picked up in a two-book deal with Random House.

A Bit More About Us

Jessica and I are the best-selling authors of Barefoot Running and Barefoot Walking, and producers of the DVD/Movie: Barefoot Running. We’ve toured extensively and spoken before thousands throughout the entire US, Canada, plus Asia. We’ve been featured on dozens of TV shows, in magazines such as Shape and Men’s Health, and on radio shows such as NPR’s The Story, by Dick Gordon, and the Martha Stewart Living show.

With Much Love and Gratitude

Thank you for helping us share this with the world. Thank you for helping us inspire and heal countless others, and to help everyone open up there hearts more, in order that they may overcome life’s greatest challenges and discover more joy, more happiness, and more peace.

This “accident” like so many of the challenges we all face, was really a “gift” in disguise”.

You can do anything in life and overcome almost any challenge, if only you believe!

Thank you so much for your support!!!

Special Thanks

Special thanks to Gina for filming the footage at the accident scene, to Shaun Simmons for the use of his love-filled music, "Learning to Fly" and Barefoot Truth for "Dancing in the Trees".

FAQ

1. How do we pay for shipping for physical perks such as books & t-shirts?

Under the perk description, there is information on how much to add for domestic and international shipping. Once you select a perk, please add the additional cost of shipping to the amount you would like to contribute. There is no free shipping; however, all shipping is automatically upgraded to USPS Priority shipping. 

2. Does Michael have weak bones?

No, when we asked the orthopedic surgeons this same question after surgery, they chuckled and said absolutely not. Michael has a healthy bone density.