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Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World
Many of us feel called to respond to the ecological destruction of our planet, yet we feel overwhelmed, immobilized, and unable to deal realistically with the threats to life on Earth. Noted spiritual and environmental thinkers Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown contend that this crippling response to world crisis is a psychological defense mechanism that has been endemic since the years of the Cold War arms race, when we had to adapt within a single generation to the horrific possibility of nuclear holocaust.
Since its publication in 1983, Joanna Macy's book, Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age has sold nearly 30,000 copies and has been the primary resource for groups of men and women confronting the challenging realities of our time without succumbing to paralysis or panic. Coming Back to Life provides a much needed update and expansion of this pioneering work. At the interface between spiritual breakthrough and social action, Coming Back to Life is eloquent and compelling as well as being an inspiring and practical guide. The first third of the book discusses with extraordinary insight the angst of our era, and the pain, fear, guilt and inaction it has engendered; it then points forward to the way out of apathy, tio "the work that reconnects". The rest of the book offers both personal counsel and easy-to-use methods for working with groups in a number of ways to profoundly affect peoples' outlook and ability to act in the world.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Mathew Fox
1. To Choose Life
2. The Greatest Danger: Apatheia, The Deadening of Mind & Heart
3. The Basic Miracle: Our True Nature & Power
4. The Work that Reconnects
5. Guiding Group Work
6. Affirmation: Coming from Gratitude
7. Despair Work: Owning & Honoring Our Pain for the World
8. The Shift: Seeing with New Eyes
9. Deep Time: Drawing on Past & Future Generations
10. The Council of All Beings: Rejoining the Natural World
11. Going Forth
12. Meditations for Coming Back to Life
Joanna Macy has developed an international following over the course of 40 years as a speaker and workshop leader on Buddhist philosophy and the deep ecology movement
Since its publication in 1983, Joanna Macy's book, Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age has sold nearly 30,000 copies and has been the primary resource for groups of men and women confronting the challenging realities of our time without succumbing to paralysis or panic. Coming Back to Life provides a much needed update and expansion of this pioneering work. At the interface between spiritual breakthrough and social action, Coming Back to Life is eloquent and compelling as well as being an inspiring and practical guide. The first third of the book discusses with extraordinary insight the angst of our era, and the pain, fear, guilt and inaction it has engendered; it then points forward to the way out of apathy, tio "the work that reconnects". The rest of the book offers both personal counsel and easy-to-use methods for working with groups in a number of ways to profoundly affect peoples' outlook and ability to act in the world.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Mathew Fox
1. To Choose Life
2. The Greatest Danger: Apatheia, The Deadening of Mind & Heart
3. The Basic Miracle: Our True Nature & Power
4. The Work that Reconnects
5. Guiding Group Work
6. Affirmation: Coming from Gratitude
7. Despair Work: Owning & Honoring Our Pain for the World
8. The Shift: Seeing with New Eyes
9. Deep Time: Drawing on Past & Future Generations
10. The Council of All Beings: Rejoining the Natural World
11. Going Forth
12. Meditations for Coming Back to Life
Joanna Macy has developed an international following over the course of 40 years as a speaker and workshop leader on Buddhist philosophy and the deep ecology movement
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
309 people are currently reading
3143 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Macy
59 books410 followersDr. Joanna Rogers Macy (1929-2025), activist, ecologist and author, was one of the pioneers of engaged Buddhism. Her online work includes the article "World as Lover, World as Self"; "Bestiary" (an ode to wildlife); Nuclear Guardianship, her testimony at the World Uranium Hearings in Salzburg, 1992; and The Vegan Vision, on the ethics of a vegan diet. Her other books include Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems, World as Lover, World as Self and Rilke's Book of Hours.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 25, 2015
I agree with everything the book is founded upon: ecofeminism, living systems theory, Gaia, Positive Disintegration, Deep Ecology vs Anthropocentrism, and, especially, Ecopsychology in contrast to western psychotherapy's tendency towards pathologizing individual symptoms of societal, if not species ills. Yet Macy's signature optimism, in this context, really comes from nowhere. Loosely speaking, it's based on an ancient prophecy (the famed Shambhala Kingdom, a westerner's lap dog of cultural appropriation) and a vague sense of 'the earth is alive, and we are part of it, so we are alive and CAN stay alive'. Everything in that last sentence is logical, just not the 'CAN stay alive' part. Macy's optimism is really founded upon a subtler form of anthropocentrism: we humans are a special, 'chosen' species -- thus we MUST be allowed to live and prosper, by nature.
What Macy forgets is what an ancient chinese philosopher once famously stated, which statement so happens to be NOT a lap dog of western cultural appropriation: 'Nature gives birth to humans, yet she treats us like we treat cattles.'
What Macy forgets is what an ancient chinese philosopher once famously stated, which statement so happens to be NOT a lap dog of western cultural appropriation: 'Nature gives birth to humans, yet she treats us like we treat cattles.'
August 16, 2011
Reading this book is like taking a cold shower that sobers you and wakes you up after a drunken stuper. Then it is like a friend standing by with a warm towel and some clean clothes. Then it is like a warm community gathering where everyone is included and compassionately held along the journey of deep healing. I can't say enough about this book. Words fall short.
June 16, 2020
Saved my life.
October 6, 2018
This is a really helpful book if you are planning a retreat based on Joanna Macy's work, and if you have attended her retreats already. If neither of these are true then I think readers may be lost. It is a workbook for workshop readers rather than a book for a general audience. As a workbook, it is a marvelous resource.
September 17, 2007
This book is a breakdown of what it takes to create a potent experiential workshop that truly changes lives. It is drawn from decades of activism, spiritual practice, and practical research by Joanna Macy, a woman i consider to be a valued elder of the community, a mentor, and a gift.
Joanna Macy has touched thousands of people through her life, training educators and clergy around the world in the implementation of group practices that range from eye opening to profound.
If you choose to read this book, let me know your thoughts on it. I welcome them.
Jonathan
Sebastopol, Ca
August 19, 2015
Macy is an incredible guide and true elder who gives away her most potent practices to teachers, activists and facilitators who recognize the immensity of the tasks that face humanity now and in the near future. In my opinion, the Work that Reconnects contains invaluable practices to engage students of all kinds and belongs in every classroom across the United States.
March 28, 2013
An awakening book that provides a plethora of suggestions, experiences, and exercises that promise to be helpful if you are interested in leading workshops focusing on deep ecology, or interpersonal bonding.
April 30, 2018
Immense gratitude for all the work done. Essential reading. Well articulated and presented, enthusiastically upbeat and realistic. Love the humility.
"As we go forth in the Great Turning, there are systems and institutions that we will and must challenge. The men and women who serve these structures may appear as our opponents, but they are likely in bondage to our true opponents: institutionalized forms of greed, hatred and delusion."
"As we go forth in the Great Turning, there are systems and institutions that we will and must challenge. The men and women who serve these structures may appear as our opponents, but they are likely in bondage to our true opponents: institutionalized forms of greed, hatred and delusion."
February 9, 2009
This has a bunch of great group exercises about facing despair and finding hope, as well as the theory behind Macy's work on despair (systems theory, eg)
July 18, 2012
Very good if you want to lead a group using her principles. After years of feeling despondent over the state of our world, her book helped me cope with my feelings.
October 8, 2012
Another wonderful and important book from one of my favorite authors!
October 19, 2014
Inspirerend, met basis/theorie, en veel oefeningen om met groepen te werken.
http://www.joannamacy.net/
http://www.joannamacy.net/
February 6, 2023
Initially, I was opposed to giving a rating to this book since much of it is a guide/ reference for Joanna’s workshops. Joanna describes her techniques and strategies for coping and living in the Industrial Growth Society. Much of this is heavily influenced by Buddhist and Quaker teachings. Terms referenced throughout this work included: ‘the Great Unraveling,’ ‘the Great Turning,’ and ‘the Work that Reconnects’ - all of which were appropriately defined and discussed to better understand the complexity in addressing the destructive forces plaguing our earth and it’s inhabitants.
I intentionally chose this book to help me find positive ways of addressing and coping with my deep concerns about the injustices of the world. I really appreciated that Joanna embraced unfiltered expressions of emotions. I learned that it’s ok to feel anger, despair, and sorrow without being judged or considered neurotic. The author validates all emotions in the face of hopeless and terrifying odds. As humans, we’ve never dealt with mass extinction of species and wild populations on the level we are facing today. Nor have we dealt with the effects of the climate crisis and how it’s impacting global communities in the form of death, displacement, famine, and poverty. The Work that Reconnects is a strategy to find solutions to these problems by first coming to terms with our emotions, while voicing our despair and hopes with others through various activities.
The information found within this book is considered ancillary. Therefore, it may be essential to find workshops in your community to truly reap all the benefits of the information provided here. Luckily, Joanna highlights and dismantles many of the different rituals and practices performed throughout her workshops to help others host them in local communities. While it was great to read about these practices, many of them were a bit monotonous and lacked the impact that an in person session would have. Joanna does warn readers ahead of time that some of the material, particularly in the middle of the book, can be a bit dry. Also, some of the practices appeared to be heavily influenced by Indigenous peoples. I was concerned that some of it may have bordered appropriation.
Lastly, I loved how Jonna examined the Great Turning from the perspectives of diverse populations. For example, how to appropriately inform children and teenagers in the face of global crises and how they perceive the world. Or, how marginalized communities such as Blacks, Indigenous, and Latinx peoples have had to cope with so much trauma and how their voices can help others face the global dilemma of capitalism, colonialism, dispossession, and genocide.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the information compiled within these pages. Some of it, particularly the middle, was a bit dry. However, I’d recommend this to others interested in finding tangible ways of coping with global crises.
I intentionally chose this book to help me find positive ways of addressing and coping with my deep concerns about the injustices of the world. I really appreciated that Joanna embraced unfiltered expressions of emotions. I learned that it’s ok to feel anger, despair, and sorrow without being judged or considered neurotic. The author validates all emotions in the face of hopeless and terrifying odds. As humans, we’ve never dealt with mass extinction of species and wild populations on the level we are facing today. Nor have we dealt with the effects of the climate crisis and how it’s impacting global communities in the form of death, displacement, famine, and poverty. The Work that Reconnects is a strategy to find solutions to these problems by first coming to terms with our emotions, while voicing our despair and hopes with others through various activities.
The information found within this book is considered ancillary. Therefore, it may be essential to find workshops in your community to truly reap all the benefits of the information provided here. Luckily, Joanna highlights and dismantles many of the different rituals and practices performed throughout her workshops to help others host them in local communities. While it was great to read about these practices, many of them were a bit monotonous and lacked the impact that an in person session would have. Joanna does warn readers ahead of time that some of the material, particularly in the middle of the book, can be a bit dry. Also, some of the practices appeared to be heavily influenced by Indigenous peoples. I was concerned that some of it may have bordered appropriation.
Lastly, I loved how Jonna examined the Great Turning from the perspectives of diverse populations. For example, how to appropriately inform children and teenagers in the face of global crises and how they perceive the world. Or, how marginalized communities such as Blacks, Indigenous, and Latinx peoples have had to cope with so much trauma and how their voices can help others face the global dilemma of capitalism, colonialism, dispossession, and genocide.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed the information compiled within these pages. Some of it, particularly the middle, was a bit dry. However, I’d recommend this to others interested in finding tangible ways of coping with global crises.
January 3, 2021
Not my cup of tea.
While I'm wholeheartedly in line with the underlying philosophy of the the Work that Reconnects, the workshop practices are not applicable to my current context and I'm therefore unable to give it a higher rating, which is purely subjective.
A specific criticism I have is that the 2nd chapter is oversimplified and forcefully packed into the Great Turning worldview. I'm already on board, but these explanations don't make the foundation of my beliefs any firmer. I could imagine someone who's not already on board being very put off by this.
Other than that, I think this book can be incredibly beneficial in the right person's hands.
While I'm wholeheartedly in line with the underlying philosophy of the the Work that Reconnects, the workshop practices are not applicable to my current context and I'm therefore unable to give it a higher rating, which is purely subjective.
A specific criticism I have is that the 2nd chapter is oversimplified and forcefully packed into the Great Turning worldview. I'm already on board, but these explanations don't make the foundation of my beliefs any firmer. I could imagine someone who's not already on board being very put off by this.
Other than that, I think this book can be incredibly beneficial in the right person's hands.
December 17, 2015
Yes – the planet’s ecosystems are being systematically exploited and destroyed, the mountains torn apart for coal, the seas poisoned with oil. If you have ever flinched away from these facts, feeling them too overwhelming to face, much less act upon, this is a book to read, to contemplate, and to use in sharing circles and community groups. It is not an easy book to read – Macy does not shy away from the painful reality of what is happening to our planet – but in facing the pain straightforwardly, urging a context of sharing and support, she offers a path to healing and inspired action.
July 29, 2020
Joanna Macy is a treasure: a wise elder who also shows up as a real human being with foibles, fierce love, and humor. As one of her students, I've used this book extensively in teaching for the past 20 years, and recently purchased the updated version. It was wonderful the first time, and it's even better and more relevant now. It consists largely of powerful exercises that you can apply with others. Highly recommended, as is all of her work.
February 28, 2012
I have a feeling I'm going to be returning to this book many times to review its insights and practice the group exercises.
July 25, 2020
Wonderful resource book to The Work that Reconnects- I read it as part of a facilitator training program on The Work.
For independent reading, I would recommend 'Active Hope'.
For independent reading, I would recommend 'Active Hope'.
April 15, 2025
I've been looking for a book that would help me deal with the grief I've been feeling over the unending abuse humans bring to the planet for awhile now without much luck. Coming Back To Life by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown was another attempt to find that book and I would call it a mild success.
The first three chapters are a good discussion of how, as the authors call it, the Industrial Growth Society, continues to be at the root of the problem and the book provides some guidance on how we need to respond and are responding to turn the tide toward a life sustaining society. But the rest of the book is a guide to putting on workshops called, "The Work That Reconnects" that apparently have been done by Joanna Macy and others all over the world for many years. It felt a bit cultish somehow. They had all these catch titles for various aspects of the workshops and the philosophy behind them which put me off for some reason. Not only the "Work That Reconnects" but also the "Great Turning", the "Great Unraveling", the "Industrial Growth Society" and the "Life Sustaining Society" were all used repeatedly, like mantras that we as readers should be repeating and then finishing with a long "ommmmm" or something. I don't know, maybe it shouldn't have bothered me, but it did.
Which is not to say that the book didn't have some good ideas that are worth reading and thinking about as ways to reduce the pain of loss we get as we witness the slow (or maybe not so slow) death of the planet. In their words, it all boils down to feeling good about feeling the pain of loss because that means we are aware of the interconnectedness we have with the earth and all its inhabitants. Since we are part of the earth and from the earth and interconnected with all life on it, the pain is as much for ourselves as anything else. When we destroy various aspects of life on earth we are destroying ourselves is the idea they are putting forward.
Not exactly novel I don't think but true nevertheless and a good reminder. But what to do about it to reduce our grief is another thing. There are no easy answers provided, which is a realistic take, but they suggest you need to act in some fashion, large or small, to move the state of things closer to where they need to be somehow if you are going to feel better about it. Again, not exactly an earth-shattering (pardon the horrible pun) idea but true nevertheless I'd say. Extracting ourselves from the Industrial Growth Society and creating a model that is life sustaining is the ultimate message in the book. How to get there is less clear, but the authors provide some loosely connected ideas about that and leave readers with a modicum of hope that we might actually get there. Whether it will be in time or not is left as an open question.
The first three chapters are a good discussion of how, as the authors call it, the Industrial Growth Society, continues to be at the root of the problem and the book provides some guidance on how we need to respond and are responding to turn the tide toward a life sustaining society. But the rest of the book is a guide to putting on workshops called, "The Work That Reconnects" that apparently have been done by Joanna Macy and others all over the world for many years. It felt a bit cultish somehow. They had all these catch titles for various aspects of the workshops and the philosophy behind them which put me off for some reason. Not only the "Work That Reconnects" but also the "Great Turning", the "Great Unraveling", the "Industrial Growth Society" and the "Life Sustaining Society" were all used repeatedly, like mantras that we as readers should be repeating and then finishing with a long "ommmmm" or something. I don't know, maybe it shouldn't have bothered me, but it did.
Which is not to say that the book didn't have some good ideas that are worth reading and thinking about as ways to reduce the pain of loss we get as we witness the slow (or maybe not so slow) death of the planet. In their words, it all boils down to feeling good about feeling the pain of loss because that means we are aware of the interconnectedness we have with the earth and all its inhabitants. Since we are part of the earth and from the earth and interconnected with all life on it, the pain is as much for ourselves as anything else. When we destroy various aspects of life on earth we are destroying ourselves is the idea they are putting forward.
Not exactly novel I don't think but true nevertheless and a good reminder. But what to do about it to reduce our grief is another thing. There are no easy answers provided, which is a realistic take, but they suggest you need to act in some fashion, large or small, to move the state of things closer to where they need to be somehow if you are going to feel better about it. Again, not exactly an earth-shattering (pardon the horrible pun) idea but true nevertheless I'd say. Extracting ourselves from the Industrial Growth Society and creating a model that is life sustaining is the ultimate message in the book. How to get there is less clear, but the authors provide some loosely connected ideas about that and leave readers with a modicum of hope that we might actually get there. Whether it will be in time or not is left as an open question.
May 12, 2025
think this is a great book to read if you’re planning on leading workshops, but if not you may find it boring.
i read it for some ideas of how to approach a gratitude workshop i was delivering. as a yoga teacher, i also found the meditation ideas really good and loved the integration of buddhist philosophy throughout.
some parts felt repetitive and some suggestions felt silly, but maybe that’s just me.
i read it for some ideas of how to approach a gratitude workshop i was delivering. as a yoga teacher, i also found the meditation ideas really good and loved the integration of buddhist philosophy throughout.
some parts felt repetitive and some suggestions felt silly, but maybe that’s just me.
Read
March 22, 2020Despite what was written as a review tagged to this book, Life is coming back slowly, acceptance is showing itself, a smile is enough to bright a day, and a hug from a child equals the whole world.
Family and kind people around you can keep every pain away, taking you out of any dark pool, full of hatred and cruel against any happiness in your life.
Family and kind people around you can keep every pain away, taking you out of any dark pool, full of hatred and cruel against any happiness in your life.
April 11, 2018
I didn't realize this was going to be so heavy on the facilitation exercises and so light on the theory. it's not really what I was looking for.
March 4, 2022
Gave me the confidence and tools to run a climate grief workshop with 13 teenagers
Very important book, on so many levels.
Very important book, on so many levels.
Want to read
December 7, 2023rec: Kenosis, the Graduate Theological Union
October 19, 2024
Guidebook for Work that Reconnects
More of a guidebook than I expected, but good content to facilitate actions and workshops. Focused on global crisis awareness.
More of a guidebook than I expected, but good content to facilitate actions and workshops. Focused on global crisis awareness.
October 14, 2015
We repress what we really feel about the future, a growing anxiety that we are losing it. We are losing nature bit by bit. We are losing community, we are losing possibilities for future generations of enjoying biodiversity, and we are risking the very future of sustaining life itself. In our race of time, we repress these feelings, we replicate a model that plunders the earth, based on a false need of continuous production, consumption, division of labor and marginalization of great parts of society.
CONSUME OBEY (HAT) BE SILENT (IMAGE OF TAPED MOUTH) AND BE WITH THE EARTH ONLY IN ETERNAL SILENCE
Joanna Macy suggests to own and use, instead of repress this pain. Just as the agricultural and industrial revolutions paved the way to an Industrial-Growth Society, we need an ecological revolution to a Life-Sustaining Society. Combining teachings from buddhism, ecology, and systems thinking, Macy echoes a collective proposal for a fundamental shift in worldview and values. She does give examples of the need of actions to slow damage to the Earth and its beings and structural analysis of the causes and alternatives, although it is not the main theme of the book.
Examples of what else could be done:
-Documenting the ecological and health risks of the Industrial-Growth Society.
-Civic monitoring and participation in decision-making.
-Promoting community-based initiatives: for conflict resolution (mediation), alternative forms of land ownership, community gardens, tool-sharing and skills banks, local currencies, etc.
The book focuses, however, on the shift in mindset necessary. Realizing the myth of the separated, competitive ego. We relish ancestral knowledge that tells us otherwise, we seek planetary saving and we celebrate scientific news that speaks of interconnectedness. Learning to live in harmony with nature means realizing or remembering we are as much part of nature as any other part. This shift away from seeing man as the center and reference point, and independent from nature is the shift to biocentrism (as opposed to anthropocentrism), and is supported by both science and religion.
"The model of self in Western culture is 'I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.' That discourages us from confronting issues which remind us that we do not exert ultimate control over our lives. We feel that we ought to be in charge of our existence and emotions, to have all the answers. And so we tend to shrink the sphere of our attention to those areas in which we believe we can exercise some direct control. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: the smaller our sphere of attention, the smaller our sphere of influence. We become as powerless as we fear to be."
Power in systems theory is not a zero-sum game. If one part of a system (as we all are of the Gaia system) gains power, the entire system benefits from greater flexibility and creativity prowess. If a nerve cell, for example, accumulates power and differentiates itself, and we touch a burning stove, we wouldn't know we were in pain and the nerve would die.
Another way of putting it in a humorous way:
It is impossible to change a narrative with rationality alone. This book-guide offer a series of rituals that involve, intellect, empathy, role-playing a deep variety of emotions to involve the audience or group worked with.
Some of my favs:
The Despair Ritual - designed to allow sharing of anxieties and preoccupations about the world and provide an emotional outlet, and a circle of trust.
The Systems Game - a game to understand the way we work inside a system, with all the properties that entail: self-regulation, interdependence, feedback loops.
My Choices for this Life - "Spiritual traditions affirm that true liberation arises when we can embrace the particulars of our lives, and see that they are as right for us as if we had indeed chosen them". A ritual for coming to terms with ourselves, and letting go of control or anxieties about inadequacies.
The Remembering - a guided meditation that reflects upon the cosmic context of human existence.
CONSUME OBEY (HAT) BE SILENT (IMAGE OF TAPED MOUTH) AND BE WITH THE EARTH ONLY IN ETERNAL SILENCE
Joanna Macy suggests to own and use, instead of repress this pain. Just as the agricultural and industrial revolutions paved the way to an Industrial-Growth Society, we need an ecological revolution to a Life-Sustaining Society. Combining teachings from buddhism, ecology, and systems thinking, Macy echoes a collective proposal for a fundamental shift in worldview and values. She does give examples of the need of actions to slow damage to the Earth and its beings and structural analysis of the causes and alternatives, although it is not the main theme of the book.
Examples of what else could be done:
-Documenting the ecological and health risks of the Industrial-Growth Society.
-Civic monitoring and participation in decision-making.
-Promoting community-based initiatives: for conflict resolution (mediation), alternative forms of land ownership, community gardens, tool-sharing and skills banks, local currencies, etc.
The book focuses, however, on the shift in mindset necessary. Realizing the myth of the separated, competitive ego. We relish ancestral knowledge that tells us otherwise, we seek planetary saving and we celebrate scientific news that speaks of interconnectedness. Learning to live in harmony with nature means realizing or remembering we are as much part of nature as any other part. This shift away from seeing man as the center and reference point, and independent from nature is the shift to biocentrism (as opposed to anthropocentrism), and is supported by both science and religion.
"The model of self in Western culture is 'I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul.' That discourages us from confronting issues which remind us that we do not exert ultimate control over our lives. We feel that we ought to be in charge of our existence and emotions, to have all the answers. And so we tend to shrink the sphere of our attention to those areas in which we believe we can exercise some direct control. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: the smaller our sphere of attention, the smaller our sphere of influence. We become as powerless as we fear to be."
Power in systems theory is not a zero-sum game. If one part of a system (as we all are of the Gaia system) gains power, the entire system benefits from greater flexibility and creativity prowess. If a nerve cell, for example, accumulates power and differentiates itself, and we touch a burning stove, we wouldn't know we were in pain and the nerve would die.
Another way of putting it in a humorous way:
It is impossible to change a narrative with rationality alone. This book-guide offer a series of rituals that involve, intellect, empathy, role-playing a deep variety of emotions to involve the audience or group worked with.
Some of my favs:
The Despair Ritual - designed to allow sharing of anxieties and preoccupations about the world and provide an emotional outlet, and a circle of trust.
The Systems Game - a game to understand the way we work inside a system, with all the properties that entail: self-regulation, interdependence, feedback loops.
My Choices for this Life - "Spiritual traditions affirm that true liberation arises when we can embrace the particulars of our lives, and see that they are as right for us as if we had indeed chosen them". A ritual for coming to terms with ourselves, and letting go of control or anxieties about inadequacies.
The Remembering - a guided meditation that reflects upon the cosmic context of human existence.
August 4, 2021
Theoretically this book is my cup of tea. Buddhism, ecology and mysticism—all totally my jam. Upon reading it, I find the tone a little overly strident and the mishmash of philosophy, spirituality, and new age beliefs feel like it’s meant to preach to the choir more than anything. I think I’ve developed a marked preference for academic writing, and books like this that adopt the form but not the slightly detached and observant style that mark more scholarly work feel weird to me now. I get the rebellion and pushback against academia as gatekeepers to knowledge and acceptance of ideas, but I appreciate a tight argument and writing that demands involved reflection to process instead of handing your reaction to you. Don’t tell me how I feel—present your case and let me figure that out for myself. No disrespect intended to Ms Macy, who has tremendously needed wisdom. Just not my cuppa.
Want to read
June 25, 2009one i'll have to take a closer look at...
only willing to pay two bucks for it though :)
(used) See if it decides to appear at a tag sale!
"MANIFEST!"
???
we'll see
:)
Read
August 16, 2012new
August 10, 2015
This is a book I keep coming back to for engaging activities to share with groups and workshops. Beautiful!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews