Getting Unstuck

This work provided me with the most practical emotional 'tools' I've ever been exposed to. Pema is not only fun and 'centering' as a speaker, but she speaks articulately and without a lot of extra verbage. She gets right to the point and in the gentlest way shows us possibilities of responding differently to things that disturb us. We learn that by looking at things differently it is easy to empower ourselves to not be so disturbed, to not be so reactive, and yet still be very much authentic to ourselves. She is a true beacon for those trying to become more patient, more positive, more focused on what they really want to become in their lives. Highly recommended for people of any age, temperament or religious persuasion.

Pema is very funny and personable. She cuts throught it and gets to the point with excellent real world examples. What she gives on this CD is something that you can use everyday. Her discussion on "Shenpa" was worh the price of the CD!

Don't go into situations with specific expectations or you may end up frustrated and angry. The book helps you learn to roll with the punches. We find ourselves in such a rush and that puts extra pressure on ourselves (and the others around us).

I found myself getting stuck in repetitious thought patterns even after decades of meditation practice. This audio book is one of the best teachings I've ever heard and can apply to anyone with an open mind who is ready to find the keys to get unstuck. I speak from my experience and the experience everyone I know who listens, to it. I hear things like "life altering changes". "Getting Unstuck" is awesome. Done with a good sense of humor and lots of down to earth wisdom, Pema Chodron has outdone herself with this one.

Pema Chodron begins by presenting the concept of 'staying', being present, in situiations both mundane and difficult. She points out, with insight and humor the reality that only for a small percentage of our lives are we actually 'present' rather than being preoccupied by- or purposely escaping in- thought. From there she introdueces 'shenpa' the Tibetian term for the quality or pre-cognative engery that is the genisis of the 'hook' that grabs you in the form of both negative and positive emotions. By discecting the events that lead to one's reaction to a given situation, i.e. anger, she shows us how to drive a wedge between the event and our response so we have a choice. We are no longer doomed to react, and repeat the same stimulus and response over and over and over. What makes these concepts so practical is her willingness to discuss them in terms of her own life and how memories of past traumatic events were eventually divested of the their destructive energy; then disucsses how we can use these tools in our own lives.