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allofmypurplelife's review
5.0
loved her straight-forward style that starts with the original wording then rephrases or uses parables to enable a deeper understanding.
megnotarte's review
5.0
This book took me forever to read, but mostly because I read it in really small segments. I can't say that I really understood all of it, but I feel like it gave me a different way of looking at conflict and compassion.
abbeyjfox's review
4.0
per usual, another great book by pema chodron. not my favorite, and probably not a great place to start to delve into her philosophies for living, but still very practical and meaningful. this book is organized around buddhist slogans that she deconstructs thoroughly in the chapters. if you are dealing with life, you should be reading pema chodron.
mayagracebailey's review
5.0
read this over a long period of time (like a chapter at a time) so that i could digest it and it really resonated with me-def will be coming back to this one over and over (5 ⭐️)
tpanik's review
4.0
A truly helpful guide for exploration of the meditation techniques Pema uses in her practices. You’ll return to this for guidance and technique again and again.
cindywho's review
4.0
I would have had a difficult time with this book if I had not been meditating and reading up on the subject for a while. It seems to have been derived from a series of talks on mind training "lojong", a certain teaching that incorporates slogans to reflect upon. Despite the jargon, she keeps up a friendly, chatty tone while presenting intense ideas about how to approach the experience of having a brain with thoughts and emotions. It's given me some new tools to work with. Thanks, Pema!
aaylajanelle's review
3.0
First let me start by saying that I really love reading some Pema wisdom. This woman knows how to speak ina way that engages your attention.
About half of this book, or a little more, was brilliant and useful to me. Unfortunately, the title is a little misleading.... there are some things that she talks about very briefly, and the lack of detail or explanation makes it difficult for a new practitioner to access her wisdom. Unlike what you may imagine, this book isn't really for beginners in Buddhism. The phrase "start where you are" seems to pertain more to the fact that you can start Buddhist practices whether your are a very kind and open or a very unkind and closed off person... it doesn't have much at all.to do with the idea that you could pick up this book and benefit from it whether you had read 0 or 100 Buddhist texts.
With that in mind... I benefited a lot from the ideas I understood, and I wished she would've explained more about some of the other ones. Still, I like her style and plan to read some other books my her.
About half of this book, or a little more, was brilliant and useful to me. Unfortunately, the title is a little misleading.... there are some things that she talks about very briefly, and the lack of detail or explanation makes it difficult for a new practitioner to access her wisdom. Unlike what you may imagine, this book isn't really for beginners in Buddhism. The phrase "start where you are" seems to pertain more to the fact that you can start Buddhist practices whether your are a very kind and open or a very unkind and closed off person... it doesn't have much at all.to do with the idea that you could pick up this book and benefit from it whether you had read 0 or 100 Buddhist texts.
With that in mind... I benefited a lot from the ideas I understood, and I wished she would've explained more about some of the other ones. Still, I like her style and plan to read some other books my her.
callanisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Pema creates a map toward loving-kindness with this meditation guide. She highlights ways we can use our pain and distress as a path toward acceptance and openness. Prompting a radical reframing of everyday struggles, it offers practical means of shifting perspective to find peace.