I read and reviewed this author’s book “Lovingkindness” and found it wonderful.

As far as the present book is concerned, I cannot really say what it is about, though I can see that the subtitle is “the journey from isolation to openness and freedom”.

There were also short passages or sentences that I had difficulty in comprehending. It is her way of writing I find difficult. I prefer things to be concrete for them to be comprehensible.

Sharon is a Buddhist so the book contains much about this religion.

The Buddha declared that the only status that truly matters is the status of personal goodness and this is attained through personal effort, not by birth.

He said that a true Brahmin is one who is gentle, wise and caring.

In Buddhist teaching, the journey to freedom can be described as:

Moving from craving/endless searching to peace’

Moving from aversion (anger and fear) to compassion

Moving from delusion to vibrancy and connection.

We’re told to practice looking directly at difficult feelings and having equanimity or peace of mind toward them.

We’re told about RAIN,

R is for recognize

A for allow

I for investigate

N for nurturing – remembering to be kind to yourself.

“The use of RAIN shows us how we might create a larger, lighter, kinder space for any emotion -- “

This brings about a natural sense of greater freedom and ease.

Tibetan teacher Tsoknyi Rinpoche shares a way of connecting to ourselves called the “handshake practice.

Here we are invited to shake hands with what he calls “our beautiful monsters”.

Come into your body. Don’t look for special things, just be with what’s there.

Skilful handshaking involves the following:

Soften and allow for your experience

Stay grounded

Be with yourself without expecting to change what’s there.

Listen and welcome.

We are given a breathing technique:

Inhale for a count of four

Hold your breath for a count of four, and

Exhale for a count of eight.

I found the book worthwhile to read, though I may have missed its basic message As stated above, I found the author’s style of writing difficult, and this is probably why I failed to comprehend everything she wrote.

The appendix comprises the Eightfold Path, a meditation guide and a section on Lovingkindness meditation. (I would highly recommend reading Sharon’s book on this subject.) ( )

Echt leven. Van eenzaamheid naar openheid en vrijheid. Door: Sharon Salzberg.

Salzberg ken ik van de Insight Timer app; haar stem is mijn favoriete stem, diegene die me het meest kalm krijgt. “It’s just one breathe”. Ik hoef de app niet eens te openen om haar stem in mijn hoofd te horen :) Grote fan dus.

Vandaar dat ik dit boek wou lezen, haar eerste voor mij. Echt leven gaat er over dat we alle gevoelens en emoties moeten toelaten, recht in de ogen kijken maar er niet over oordelen. Opdat we ons vrijer zouden voelen, onze innerlijke rivier breder kan gaan stromen. Want door schaamte, schuldgevoel, ontkenning, verdringing,… verkrampen we, krimpt onze rivier en dus ook onze blik, ons gevoel en daardoor ook onze kansen tot een beter leven. Klinkt misschien een beetje zweverig maar is het niet; lees het maar in Salzbergs woorden.

Hoewel dit boek heel boeiend is vond ik het soms wel moeilijk te lezen. Voornamelijk door de vele verwijzingen naar en uitspraken van andere mensen die ze in haar verhaal opneemt. Die extra info vergroot haar kennis en kunde en zodoende ook die van ons maar maakt dat het minder vlot leest. Veel van de aangehaalde mensen zijn geweldig hoor: bell hooks, Audre Lorde en Bruce Springsteen bijvoorbeeld, maar soms werd het me wat te veel.

Ik ga nog wat naar mijn Insight Timer app luisteren om het allemaal een beetje te laten bezinken ;) ( )

Sharon Salzberg, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, has written a variety of books on meditation and spiritual life. Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness was written during the pandemic and Salzberg addresses the isolation imposed on us. Salzberg is a natural storyteller and draws from the her own and others' experiences to show us how we can move from fear to joy. While Salzberg is a Buddhist and the appendix includes information on the Eight Fold Path and lovingkindness meditation, she uses The Saturday Night Seder, a YouTube program that began during COVID, as the focus with the metaphor of the Passover journey as a theme. The book celebrate moving from constriction to expansion and I find Salzberg's approach to be comforting. ( )