Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). When I woke from sleeping, there was that brief moment of re-remembering my shitty situation: Still in a hospital gown, still can’t eat. The criminal justice system can address only limited aspects of individual and community healing, and assault victims frequently find such procedures retraumatizing.

Of course, not every survivor of abuse will aspire to become a bodhisattva or even a spiritually oriented person, but this teaching can help anyone to take a step on a path of compassion, starting with self-compassion toward their inner child and radiating outward in their actions toward others. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. The inner child practice Thich Nhat Hanh teaches is just one exercise among many in a holistic system of activities his tradition offers to the world for transforming pain and suffering—and generating peace and joy.Hospitals are really good at cleaning up messes, and when I woke up in the morning I wondered if I had dreamt the whole scene. This book is her collection of thoughts and experiences on using the techniques of mindfulness to address and heal from trauma. Every time we’re in touch with the experience of suffering, we believe we can’t bear it, and so we stuff our feelings and memories deep down in our unconscious mind. Raising a baby helps because you get comfortable wiping shit off of whatever surface it has found its way onto.

In a culture of silence and shame, we survivors of sexual abuse may find it impossible to speak or even think about it, due to denial within the family or community. Admittedly, I was not enthusiastic at the prospect since I was already quite tired after a long day at the retreat, but out of a sense of gratitude to our hosts, I still showed up.

As I get older, it seems like there are always at least a couple of people I care about who are dealing with unsolvable suffering.

The woman sits down in the recliner across from me, and the nurse asks the young man questions about her symptoms. In Buddhist psychology, we often talk about the Five Faculties, which with practice develop into the Five Strengths—trust, energy or diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and insight or wisdom. Yet in that moment, on that day in front of this evening primrose plant, I woke up to the fact that I had never directly experienced how a flower actually blooms! It’s a place you need to simply endure, trusting that eventually you’ll get back to the surface where you can look around and think of what you need to do next.I created Flowers In The Dark in part because when I first got sick, I couldn’t find any resources that could convince me I wasn’t going crazy.