Summary of pema chödrön's start where you are

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 We have everything we need. We don't need to improve ourselves. All the trips we lay on ourselves, the heavy-duty fearing that we're bad and hoping that we're good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy, and the addictions of all kinds - none of these things touch our basic wealth. #2 The practice of meditation, called shamatha-vipashyana, helps us to know ourselves. It helps us to know our rough parts and our smooth parts, our passion, aggression, ignorance, and wisdom. #3 In shamatha-vipashyana meditation, we sit upright with legs crossed and eyes open, hands resting on our thighs. We simply become aware of our breath as it goes out. We are not grasping or fixating on it, but instead we are opening and letting it mix with the space around us. #4 The lojong practice is based on the notion that we can make friends with what we reject, and that we can share our joy and insights with others. It encourages us to embrace what we experience, instead of fearing that it will end.