The Awakening Guide: A Companion for the Inward Journey

Companions for the Inward Journey #2

by Bonnie L. Greenwell

Waking up spiritually is a life-altering event that shifts the world view, and changes the perception of what it means to be human. It is a significant grace in anyone's life, bringing the potential for profound peace, unconditional love and intuitive wisdom. However, spiritual "seekers" rarely have a clear understanding of what it means to become Awakened or Self-realized, nor do they recognize the natural tendency to become stuck in various cul-de-sacs along the way, or know how to cope with the challenges that arise in this process. Awakening is both sudden and gradual, often beautiful and ecstatic, but it can also be disorienting as the "seeker" falls away. Few spiritual systems or therapists are able to offer guidance to those in this process, and this can lead to confusion, detours and lengthy periods of darkness before embodiment and freedom are established. "The Awakening Guide" reveals how the search for love, wisdom and wholeness unfolds for those who meditate, and also those who have sudden awakenings to expanded consciousness, radiant emptiness, Oneness and the realization of Self. This might happen following breathing or energy practices, transmission or diksa, traumatic or near-death events, drug experiments, biofeedback, or spontaneously while walking down the street. Consciousness shifts. Wham! Another reality is opened, and the world you know changes before your eyes. Consciousness is invited to recall itself as Source. An initial awakening is seldom permanent, and many seekers are disappointed to discover that this first flash of insight was only a glimpse, and the subsequent months and years require trust, patience and a commitment to living in Truth if they hope to be stabilized in an awakened state. This inspirational book, written by a non-dual teacher and therapist who has explored the path of spiritual awakening for more than 40 years, and witnessed the spiritual emergence of over 2000 people, is a companion to support a new perspective as an old identity falls away. It offers some guidelines for awakening, descriptions of the varieties of experiences that have been called awakening, comments by people who have had glimpses of awakening, and a revelation of the primary issues and resolutions an awakened person may need to face. It is a companion to Dr. Greenwell’s book “The Kundalini Guide”.

Genres: Spirituality

186 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2014

Reviews

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically underrated!

Astonishingly unknown!

So good I honestly don’t know Why everyone who cares about this most important of all subjects doesn’t already know about this book and its author Bonnie Greenwell.

Maybe it’s because Dr. Greenwell seems more like your mom, and less like Gandolf or Dumbledore? Sometimes archetypes are more of a prison than a key. Particularly the patriarchal ones (don’t hate - I’m just sayin). Maybe it’s because Dr. Greenwell’s work is relatively recent? I don’t know?

I honestly don’t.

But anyway.

You might’ve heard it here first.

But don’t let that be a mark against it.

This book (V2), and its prior in the series, the Kundalini Gide (V1). Are MUST READS if you’re interested in the subject. And/or are living the experience and just need some (G)ood, (O)rganized (D)ata (GOD). Dr. Greenwell’s work serves!

[John McElheron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading

The best book I’ve come across on the subject. It is filled with humility and wisdom, very glad I got it as the sentiments are very reassuring.

[David Fore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guide for those experiencing spiritual emergences and/or emergencies

Bonnie’s work is vital and unique. Not only is she a therapist who has seen hundreds—even thousands—of clients experiencing energetic phenomenon, but she also has done a great deal of academic work on this subject, community leadership and, importantly, her own personal experiences waking up.

[Tom Loeswick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and helpful

I experienced straightforward guidance on the path to enlightenment. The author shares from her direct experience about what is helpful and what is not.

[Giacomo Mantani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasurable easy reading

[Darian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book that touched on many aspects of my experience. I appreciated that it was clear, concise, and straightforward, given the complexity of the topic

[Asakz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book contains basically everything you wanted to know about awakening and enlightenment. Bonnie Greenwell is very sober and rational, but at the same time very poetic and inspiring. When reading this book I often felt like the states described in it directly resonated in my soul. In my opinion one of the best books on this topic; highly recommended.

[pseudonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Bonnie Greenwell might be my spiritual teacher. She seems like a secret bodhisattva.
So plain spoken but really profound.
I plan on keeping her books near me when I meditate just so I can thumb through, find a random page, and use that for inspiration that day…

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Greenwell is a very clear teacher of profound truth. I'll re-read this again and again.

[Aikya Param · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed with both of Bonnie Greenwell's books related to Kundalini. I did not feel that she knew anything related to kundalini but used the tantalizing term to attract readers.