Grief and Renewal by Don Miguel Ruiz

Title: Grief and Renewal; Finding Beauty and Balance in Loss

Authors: Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys

Publisher: Urano World

Publication Date: September 25, 2023

Length: 160 Pages

About the Authors
 Don Miguel Ruiz practiced as a surgeon until a near-death experience brought him closer to the traditions of the Toltecs, following in the footsteps of his Mexican ancestors. 
Barbara Emrys is a teacher of the ancient Toltec arts and has co-authored several books with Don Miguel Ruiz.

Dealing with Grief
The authors present a five-part course on the topic of death and loss in the human experience.

• Day 1 - The Reality
• Day 2 - The Reflection
• Day 3 - Grief
• Day 4 - Grace
• Day 5 - The Elegy

My Thoughts

I chose this book because I recently read "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. The four agreements are: Be impeccable with your word, Don't take anything personally, Don't make assumptions, and Always do your best.

This book challenges the reader to think about death, change, and grief in a new way.  Life is the constant process of creation and destruction. We know our lives will end, but we fight the reality of death. We must accept the fact that death does not discriminate; it touches everyone. Death is a natural part of life.

The authors encourage us to discover how our approach to death can inspire a more conscious approach to living. We can be aware of our own eternal and infinite nature. We can appreciate the nature of all living things and how each reflects life differently.

I will revisit this book often as I reflect on my life journey. This book on death and grief is actually about life and living. 

MY RATING - 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an excellent reading experience.

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Mindful Practices to Spark Creativity

Be, Awake, Create: Mindful Practices to Spark Creativity

Author: Rebekah Younger, MFA

Publisher: Reveal Press

Publication Date: June 1, 2019

Length: 264 Pages








About the Author
Rebekah Younger has created artwork, knit clothing, interiors, businesses, communities, and books. She brings her love of creating to all aspects of her life and shares it with others through teaching mindful creativity. 

Activities to Spark Your Creativity
This book offers contemplations, mindfulness practices, and art activities to spark creativity. Each chapter is written to invite self-reflection and creative expression through "hands-on" learning. The print version of this book is a workbook/journal that allows the reader to record responses on the pages. If you read a digital copy, the author suggests the use of a journal or notebook to record written and artistic responses to the prompts.

My Thoughts
Creativity is defined as "the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination" (Dictionary.com).

Ms. Younger has done an excellent job in developing exercises, activities and prompts that encourage creativity. She considers herself a "creator" and uses her creative talents in everything she does. This book is not limited to the visual arts. The author encourages the reader to discover creative ways to express herself in art, music, dance, writing, photography, sewing, and other activities.  

Mindfulness meditation is used to develop an awareness of our environment and the world around us.  Meditation helps the creator stay focused and be awake to things that might be overlooked. A creator has a mindset that is open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

A few years ago, Ms. Younger had heart by-pass surgery and spent many months recovering. During this time, photography became a tool for her recovery. She used her camera to record images of ordinary things around her that she had previously taken for granted. She developed a new way of looking and seeing things that brought her joy and fulfillment.

I think the ideas in this book will definitely spark creativity in the hearts and minds of the readers. The more you put into the activities, the more you will get out of this excellent book. Highly recommended!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I got a free digital copy of this book to review from NetGalley.

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