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  The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics) Paperback – August 13, 2002
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  This item:The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics) by Pema Chodron Paperback $27.66
  ISBN-10 : 1570629218
  ISBN-13 : 978-1570629211
  Dimensions : 6 x 0.4 x 9.1 inches
  Publisher : Shambhala; 1st edition (August 13, 2002)
  Best Sellers Rank: #198,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  #181 in Tibetan Buddhism (Books)
  #1,505 in Spiritual Self-Help (Books)
  #1,969 in Meditation (Books)
  5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to stay.
  5.0 out of 5 stars This book was transformative for me. Mired in pain ...
  5.0 out of 5 stars Really helps with Anxiety and Fear
  2.0 out of 5 stars Not Resonating With Me, Feels Weirdly Arrogant ...
  This has been disappointing. This book is wordy, to the point of being nonsensical if you radiating perfect attention. The concepts themselves are not bad, and I found some of the ideas helpful. But it's almost as if it were written to sound really smart but just came off as boring and a little arrogant. It dismissed one other practice i use to work through difficult things and desire negative thoughts to turn them to positive ones as lying to yourself. I stopped there. I can't keep in with a book and learn when other beliefs and practices I've found helpful and even life changing are being mocked. I did like the basic idea of having fears and treating life as an experiment ( in a safe and logical way). I stepped out of my comfort zone and was rewarded with new knowledge about myself. But it was a downhill read. Maybe I'll revisit it someday, but at this time it's not resonating with me.
  5.0 out of 5 stars Another pearl from Pema Chodron.
  5.0 out of 5 stars The right voice in a challenging time
  5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly down-to-earth
  I've been interested in meditation for most of my adult life & have practiced a wide range of different techniques with different organisations. Favouring more secular practices, I always shied away from Tibetan Buddhism & its esoteric cultural trappings. For instance, when I was first taught Ton Glen meditation, it involved visualizing myself as a Buddha with a particular symbolic meaning, who was holding various symbolic objects, etc. Even though I was briefly told what they were, a lack of familiarity with this image made it difficult to relate to. Then I recently attended a Mindfulness course in which the teacher taught a secularized, Western-friendly variation of Ton Glen. Rather than a Buddha, he asked us to visualise ourselves at an earlier age, and then give this earlier self all the compassion, forgiveness & emotional support which they had needed at the time. This was an incredibly powerful experience for me. And, as it turned out, it was the version of Ton Glen which features heavily in this book.
  Prior to this, I hadn't really used visualizations in meditation & it wasn't something which appealed to me. Yet I found this version of Ton Glen to be incredibly powerful. No prior book-learning of the Tibetan Buddhist canon was necessary & the emotional link to a difficult time in my past helped to connect with some deeply-rooted feelings & mental processes. The consensus in the group discussion afterwards was that it had helped those of us who had no problem with meditating on compassion for others but who struggled to find compassion for themselves. This, as Pema Chodran points out in this book, means we had not been extending our compassion to everyone in the universe. And thanks to that emotional connection, compassion became an accessible feeling instead of merely an intellectualized concept. Once we have compassion for ourselves, Chodran presents practical insights into how it is easier & more meaningful to pass our compassion onto others – not only loved ones but also strangers & people we actively hate, or who just rub us up the wrong way.
  This was my first Pema Chodran book & I didn't actually realise it was about Ton Glen when I bought it just after the course - isn't it great when you find exactly the right book at exactly the right time?! Chodran's approach is also refreshingly Westernised & easy to relate to. Her description of Ton Glen & its benefits was regularly furnished with down-to-earth examples. An example which stuck with me was her advice on meditating on 'loving-kindness'. Because this is a vague term, translated from a different language which will mean something slightly different to everyone, she recommends replacing it with a more specific one of your own choosing. She gives examples from her own students, which include 'may all beings have an experience which leads to growth' & 'may my father have coffee'. The latter was from a lady whose terminally ill father had all the care he needed, so she hoped he could see past the suffering & medical procedures to still connect with the simple joy in life which coffee always gave him.
  As soon as I finished this book, I bought several more from the same author. Chodran has completely changed my perception of Tibetan Buddhism, by showing that behind the cultural trappings – which can be pushed aside if need be – are some practical techniques which have helped deepen my practice immeasurably. Her approach is wise, compassionate & utterly practical. Highly recommended.
  5.0 out of 5 stars A no bulls*** approach to meditation
  A very insightful book on meditation. It talks about opening ourselves while taking a hard look at who we are and not escaping our problems. Is not a cheesy self help book... in fact, it's very no-nonsense. I would not recommend it to a beginner, because it speaks about the struggles you can find during the practice. Even though is short, it is not an easy read, not because it's boring - is actually, fascinating - but because it is complex. You may find yourself trying to absorb the words and re-reading them to fully understand the message (maybe I'm just dumb). The main reason I say is not for beginners is that you need to be a meditaton practicioner, without the practice you won't relate to the problems she's addressing. If you worry that your meditation practice is failing you, or you have neglected it, or you simply worry about it not being perfect, this book is for you. It's definitely more than what meets the eye, I know this because the first two pages I was not convinced and then I ended up completely blown away but it's realistic, analytical approach and sometimes even cold hard truths.
  5.0 out of 5 stars Arrived promptly, as described and with an informative content
  The books were well packed, as described and arrived well within the allocated time.
  I am looking forward to gaining much insight into Pema Chodron's thoughts and advice regarding being fearless and loving yourself and the world. I have read her book, When Things Fall Apart which was exceptionally well written and very thought provoking.
  5.0 out of 5 stars The places that scare you; it helps!
  This book is superb, I struggle with anxiety and depression and this book has some great advice on dealing with the world around you in a different way. It focuses on Mindfulness style of looking at the world and really helps. If you are on the fence between this one and Start with where you are; for finding coping strategies for stress, anxiety and depression, I would favor the Start with where you are. If you can afford it go with both, but start with the Start with where you are book.
  4.0 out of 5 stars I really like Pema Chodron's writing style
  I really like Pema Chodron's writing style. She expresses herself in a really clear and kind manner. But, I think I would prefer to hear the contents of this book delivered in a workshop as it's difficult to take on board some of her teachings by just reading them. (She tends to use lists with 4 items a lot).
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