Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves From Old Habits and Fears

Pema Chödrön

Language: English

Published: Sep 8, 2009

Description:

From Publishers Weekly

This gently encouraging book by popular teacher Chödrön (_When Things Fall Apart_; The Places That Scare You) applies Buddhist wisdom to the problems of deeply ingrained reactions. An American Buddhist nun in the lineage of Tibetan master Chogyam Trungpa, she writes that we already have what we need to change and heal. Chödrön focuses on the preverbal moment—called shenpa in Tibetan—in which individuals are hooked into harmful stories, emotions and actions within the flux of their experiences. Clear descriptions of how this process works are accompanied by simple techniques to begin to break the cycle. Her suggestions can be easily practiced by anyone at any time without meditation training, although she presents the benefits of sitting meditation. With anecdotes from her teachers and examples from her own and others' lives, Chödrön demonstrates that people can stop their suffering and access their natural intelligence, warmth and openness. Throughout, she emphasizes the global implications of personal change. Among her strengths are compassion for the difficulty of human existence and her willingness to acknowledge her own failings. This short guide provides valuable tools for change in uncertain times. (Sept. 8)
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Review

“This gently encouraging book by popular teacher Chödrön applies Buddhist wisdom to the problems of deeply ingrained reactions. Among her strengths are compassion for the difficulty of human existence and her willingness to acknowledge her own failings. This short guide provides valuable tools for change in uncertain times.”—_Publishers Weekly_

 “Straightforward and personal, Taking the Leap is a fine addition to Chödrön’s work.”—BellaOnline.com

“You don’t have to be a Buddhist to benefit from reading Chödrön’s book, you just have to be willing to approach new ideas with an open mind.”—_The Lindsay Post_ (Canada)

“_Taking the Leap seems to speak directly to the angst we are currently facing and she is spot on with her teachings.  Chödrön is effective not because she coddles the reader, but because we get the sense that she understands exactly what this pain feels like.”—LA Yoga_