Have you ever had an itch-and not scratched it? In the Buddhist tradition, this points to a vast paradox: that by refraining from our urge to “scratch,” great peace and happiness is available. On Getting Unstuck, Pema Chödrön introduces a valuable teaching on what in Tibetan is called shenpa. “An urge comes up, we succumb to it, and it becomes stronger,” she teaches. “We reinforce our habits and addictions by giving in to them.” Now, Pema guides us through this “sticky feeling”-exploring the moments when we get hooked-and offers us a look at the freedom available when we uncover shenpa, and work with it intelligently and compassionately. This full-length recording offers tools for learning to stay with our uneasiness, and shows us how to recognize shenpa, catch it as it appears, and activate the wisdom and confidence that lies beneath it.
Extraordinary, useful, inspiring, freeing I became interested in Pema Chodron’s teachings a few months ago, and continue to be amazed by her simple way of describing things that philosophers, psychiatrists, and academics would take volumes to hint at.The teachings themselves I appreciate; after zillions of years of every kind of self-help known to womankind, these ideas and instructions are an enormous relief. This isn’t a review of Buddhism, or this lineage within Buddhism. This isn’t a review of this particular set of…
Naked reality never looked so good! I normally find authors audio series very disappointing. Not this one. I am a huge fan of Pema Chodron’s work. She is a great example of someone willing to do the work to shift and change and create a better world around her. In typical fashion, she isn’t offering you a blind eye to the painful or negative things in your life. She teaches you how to step into it and allow your own energy to shift and change the negativity. Truly an inspiring piece of work. When you do this work, reality…
Sage advice for meditators and other folks, too. Pema Chodron offers some sound, beautiful ideas on how to cope with not only addictive behavior, but basically anything in life that you just plain don’t like. Her lovely, grounded voice is a pleasure to listen to, she’s damned funny, and I’ve found myself listening to the ideas on this CD over and over as I make my way through the often hostile streets of Manhattan. It’s like a primer in how to stay clear and calm and grounded in life, no matter how lousy (or terrific) your circumstances may…