Natural Awareness: Guided Meditations and Teachings for Welcoming All Experience

by Pema Chödrön

Return to Your True Home: The Realm of Natural Awareness

As a child, did you ever sit under a favorite tree, immersed in the wonder of a single, precious leaf? As our days grow more complex, teaches Pema Chödrön, these vibrant and wholehearted moments may begin to elude even seasoned meditators. But it doesn't have to be that way.

With Natural Awareness, this celebrated teacher guides us through Buddhism’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness to bring us to a surprising destination: the effortless state of presence known as "non-meditation." It's a journey back to the unabashed presence and delight of the “Child Mind” that lies within all of us. Along the way, you'll learn how to:

Work with the body, emotions, thoughts, and sense perceptions as your objects of focusTune in to your natural cycles of attention and effortless “non-meditation” awareness
• Embrace the inevitable “meditator’s struggle knot" (it means that your practice is working!)
• Open a heartful space with others to listen, speak, and connect more authentically
• Master a wealth of Ani Pema's favorite practices for riding life’s emotional storms
"We've been training our minds for a lifetime to flee—to escape to anywhere but here." With this encouraging new offering, Pema Chödrön shows us how to stop running and come home to the abiding freedom waiting for us right here, right now.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Self Help, Meditation, Buddhism, Audiobook

4 pages, Audio CD

First published March 28, 2011

About the author

Ani Pema Chödrön (Deirdre Blomfield-Brown) is an American Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition, closely associated with the Kagyu school and the Shambhala lineage.

She attended Miss Porter's School in Connecticut and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught as an elementary school teacher for many years in both New Mexico and California. Pema has two children and three grandchildren.

While in her mid-thirties, she traveled to the French Alps and encountered Lama Chime Rinpoche, with whom she studied for several years. She became a novice nun in 1974 while studying with Lama Chime in London. His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa came to England at that time, and Ani Pema received her ordination from him.

Ani Pema first met her root guru, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, in 1972. Lama Chime encouraged her to work with Trungpa, and it was with him that she ultimately made her most profound connection, studying with him from 1974 until his death in 1987. At the request of the Sixteenth Karmapa, she received the full bikshuni ordination in the Chinese lineage of Buddhism in 1981 in Hong Kong.

Ani Pema served as the director of the Karma Dzong, in Boulder, CO, until moving in 1984 to rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to be the director of Gampo Abbey. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche gave her explicit instructions on establishing this monastery for western monks and nuns.

Ani Pema currently teaches in the United States and Canada and plans for an increased amount of time in solitary retreat under the guidance of Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.

Reviews

[Steve H · Rating 3 out of 5]

About four hours of technique, tips, and practice on meditating using naturally occurring "distractions" as focus objects. This is a recording of various sessions at a workshop, complete with several minutes here and there where you and the in-person participants have time to practice different meditation techniques. Not exactly the best thing to listen to while cleaning the house or walking the dog, but since the technique is to use things from daily life (noises, ill-feelings, other distractions, etc.) for awareness it's not too bad. Oddly, the recording from Overdrive seems to cut off abruptly at the end just after a great quote: "People often said to me 'I felt bad about my weight. I felt bad about my temper. I felt bad about a lot of things, but now I hate this meditation thing because now I feel bad about thinking." :)

Very down to earth, as others have said. Easy to understand. I'll probably try to come back to her works as I learn to practice meditation and mindfulness more.

[minz · Rating 2 out of 5]

An audio of her teachings at a retreat made with an area microphone rather than a personal mic. If you are contemplating attending a retreat this may be a good taste of what it would be like. If you are looking to start meditation, this is not the place. I checked it out of the library about 3 times because it is always available and have yet to get more than half way through it. I would not say good or bad, simply not what I was looking for and had to give it an OK (although 2 stars always feels like I am giving it a fail)

[John Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

natural awareness pema chodron= 1. Conscious and unconscious awareness 2. Emotions-cause my drinking, my insecurities 3. Thoughts- change is constant, use a thought for mediation 4. Senses- use one sense, focus on the one sense, 3 jewels darna(tesching) Buddha songa(community)

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intimate and kind approach of this audio brings you in closely to understand meditation. So many people practice in solitude but the beauty of finding your place in this gathering is so good.

[Traci D'Antonio]

Love that Pema!

[Tina Panik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immensely helpful, in terms of the context and flow of this practice.

[Prima Seadiva · Rating 2 out of 5]

4 disc quick listen. Recording of her speaking at a retreat. Okay but not the kind of guidance I was looking for. Her books go much more into detail and depth.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice change of pace to try meditating on different focuses.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very down to earth instruction in the practice of meditation, making it accessible to many for whom more esoteric tests may be not easily understood.

I listened to the audio book, which is great, since it incorporates actual meditation sessions. These are live lectures given at the abbey. You feel as if you are right there with the attendees.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a good resource for trying to build meditation into everyday life, and to use meditation to practice maintaining intention and attitude in the face of difficult emotions and compelling thoughts. I got a lot of valuable practices from it, and it has immensely improved my meditation.

[AngelLeah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this audio is practicing "non-meditation."
The second half (which I found more interesting) is question and answers.

Probably not for someone who hasn't practiced meditation first.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gentle and frank teaching from a renowned Buddhist, accessible and experiential.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by Pema Chodron that was not exquisite.

[Kazia Trujillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few very easy meditation practices that take the edge off the day.