True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart / Tara Brach, PH.D
RATINGS
Overall: 4 / 5 stars
Text Level: Medium
Entertainment: Medium
Self-Help: High
Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Buddhism, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help
Page Count: 285
Is this book right for my inmate and me?
People suffering form serious illness, family conflict, and obsessive thoughts about how everything will go wrong can find ways to cope through this book
Review By: Blackbird (Inmate)
Learn to find emotional safety for yourself through meditation.
When our world is crumbling all around us is there a way for us to get through it? What skills can we develop to cope with our greatest pains? Dr. Tara Brach teaches people struggling with life changing troubles techniques of meditation on reflection to hopefully restore mental health. In her restorative practices, people seeking help not only learn ways to address life traumas, but at the same time gain a deeper spiritual understanding.
Inside jail, there are moments where all seems lost. Moments where our minds begin to run through all the pain and possible sorrows we might faec. This mental breakdown can lead to a loss of control in anxiety and stress. IN these dark periods, we find ourselves as inmates thinking about self harm and ways to just make the pain stop. Many prisoners turn to drugs to cope with the feelings of guilt, shame, and sorrow. This is only a further negative cycle that spirals us further down away from our healthy true souls. We need positive outlets and techniques to help us heal.
In True Refuge, we can find a safe place far away from whatever life setbacks we are experiencing. Dr. Brach shares meditation, a breathing lesson that can help the reader get through these moments when they feel they are losing control towards negative. Whether it is sickness, loss or personal problems, the meditation techniques provided can get the reader through the moment with strength. Her lesson stem from a deep spiritual belief tied to Buddhism. However, not matter what your faith background might be, the message she shares can bring health and hope to anyone. Dr. Brach leads us through the Gateways of Refuge using a path based on the three principles of Truth, Love, and Awareness.
As inmates, building a better mindfulness based on these principles allow us more patience for ourselves and others. So often in jail, we are given difficult news with little ways to process them. We learn in this book the R.A.I.N. thought process that works on us recognizing the moment, allowing life to happen, investigating how we feel, and not being defined by the current problem. This is a major step for individuals living behind bars. We have a chance to live happy productive future. This book gives us the healthy strategies to get through the current moments until we get there.