Reviews

Making Friends with the Present Moment by Sylvia Boorstein

studiomikarts's review

hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

This was a very short and easy read. It only took me a couple hours from start to finish. It could serve as a nice intro to Buddhist mindfulness principles, though because I am already somewhat familiar with them, I can't be sure what the experience would be for someone who has never thought of things this way before. In my case, this book was a light reexamination of these principles from another individual's perspective. It was comforting at many turns, including the passage reassuring the reader that to forgive does not mean what the other party did was ok, it just means your own heart and mind are now free of heavy burdens such as anger or the desire for revenge. The meditations section at the end was also a welcome inclusion. There were only three or four and they all are meant for various different situations (my favorite? the one you can do at any time, without any preparation: "May I meet this moment fully. May I meet it as a friend." I've been actively working on this recently).

If you're interested in reducing the personal suffering that comes from being stuck in the indelible past, or being immobilized by the infinite possibilities of the future, this book could help you stay free within the present 😊