Editorial Review:

Product Description:


Amazon.com Review:
'Feelings of loss don't go away; they go deeper,' says grief counselor Stephen Levine, whose work over the past 30 years has won acclaim from the likes of [[LINK]][Elisabeth Ku[umlaut]bler-Ross]. He claims that chronic grief can result just as easily from the death of a loved one as it can from everyday disappointments like 'unfulfilled ambitions.' Whatever the source of one's sense of loss, Levine argues that grief must be thoroughly worked through, or it can lead insidiously to addiction, clinical depression, and other physical complaints. Borrowing heavily from Buddhist teachings, Levine recommends mindfulness meditation as one of several paths to reaching relief through 'self-mercy.' Unfortunately, as earnest he may be, Levine has a tendency to meanders in his writing, even in chapters that average just five pages in length. He's right that Americans in particular are too-often taught to 'swallow our grief,' but (likely distraught) readers may have a hard time wading through his ponderings to reach the far-between bits of concrete advice. --Erica Jorgensen









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Rating: - Loved These Short Vignettes That Were So Powerful and Poignant
I am a big fan of Stephen Levine's work and this was an excellent addition. There are short stories that really hit home in several areas of grief and loss.

As a professional who helps caretakers find a balance between caring for their loved one and also taking care of their own needs, I read constantly about bereavement. Many of the clients I serve are actually bereaved at some point as the one they loved has died either some time ago or recently.

This book has helped me to help my clients understand their feelings and move forward in a way that works for them.

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Rating: - A Healing Journey: Gentle and Compassionate
I read the review that said this book is repetitive, etc. . . . and I felt I needed to share my experiences with this book.

Sorrow can run deep. Especially when a pattern of grief and sorrow is laid down when you are a child; it can persistently sap your energy, your joy.

What is lovely about this book is that, recognizing the persistent nature of this malaise, it gently speaks to you of other alternatives. When I was in pain, I really appreciated the slow pace; the way it is written with such kindness, and compassion; the gentleness with which the materials are presented. This book is more about helping you find your peace within your sorrow than about expressing tools and techniques; although the tools and techniques are there.

It is a lovely book, and it can be very, very helpful in working through those old patterns. I highly recommend it.

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Rating: - Different and useful take on the grieving process....
This book is very different from most other books. Rather than explaining the grieving process and approaching it from the head, it is an invitation to opening up the heart and letting our sorrow and unmourned material come to the surface and speak to us. In Western societies, the expression of grief or sadness is often swept under the rug. This book treats it more like a messenger from the soul and invites the reader to let the sorrow drive you inward. As such, it is written in more of a poetical and lyrical manner. The analogies and insights are powerful and the book is filled with pearls of wisdom.

If you are looking to understand the grief process from the inside and to gain a fresh perspective on grief, this book will be very helpful. I am a personal growth coach and I recommend this to certain clients, particularly ones who have difficulty surrendering to tender emotions or sadness. There are many tips in here on how to open up to the grieving process in a mindful way and move through it without sweeping it under the rug.

If you like a very linear and logical approach, most likely this book is not for you. However, if you are feeling scared, alone, confused and need to sort out complicated feelings, this may be just what you need.

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Rating: - Grieving the great and small losses in our lives
After the recent, too-early loss of my youngest sister, I searched for insight to help me and my parents through our grieving. This book addresses the accumulation of sorrow due to death, loss of love, disappointment, disillusionment, rejection, betrayal and the many injuries over the years that scars our hearts and drags down our lives.
The aim of the book is to help "process the grief" so we aren't overwhelmed by the anxiety, fear or anger that unresolved sorrow can bring. I feel the need to reread the book later when my mind and emotions are clearer. When grief is too fresh, it is hard to concentrate on the important concepts this book contains.
Here's what is covered in the 40 chapters:
Chapter 1: Unattended Sorrow
Chapter 2: Every Day We Lose Something
Chapter 3: The Heart of Loss
Chapter 4: Softening the Belly of Sorrow
Chapter 5: The Reservoir of Sorrow
Chapter 6: Loss of Trust in Life
Chapter 7: The Meaning of Life
Chapter 8: In the Absence of God
Chapter 9: When the Mirror of the Heart Is Broken
Chapter 10: A Bad Dream
Chapter 11: Opening the Heart in Hell
Chapter 12: The Trauma of Survival
Chapter 13: Connection
Chapter 14: Making Peace with Our Sorrow
Chapter 15: What Is the Body Pattern of Grief?
Chapter 16: Reentering the Body
Chapter 17: Attending the Mindset of Loss
Chapter 18: A Day of Walking
Chapter 19: Heart Breath
Chapter 20: Tapping the Resources of the Heart
Chapter 21: Loving Kindness
Chapter 22: A Day in the Heart of Pain
Chapter 23: Making Peace with Our Pain
Chapter 24: Mindfulness: An invitation to Liberation
Chapter 25: A Day of Silence
Chapter 26: Breaking the Isolation of Fear
Chapter 27: Forgiveness
Chapter 28: A Day of Forgiveness
Chapter 29: Our Most Ordinary Existential Grief, Our Very Human Architecture
Chapter 30: Overcoming Perfection
Chapter 31: The Ten Thousand Sorrows
Chapter 32: A Day of Singing
Chapter 33: Our Life Is "Just This Much"
Chapter 34: The Map of Our Lives
Chapter 35: Who Are We When We Are Not Who We Thought We Were?
Chapter 36: A Day of Compassion
Chapter 37: A Day As If It Were Our Last
Chapter 38: A Heart Revived into a New Life
Chapter 39: Day in a Life of Love
Chapter 40: Gratitude

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Rating: - Unattended Sorrow
I'm a new widow having lost my love after almost 40 years. Went through service, thank you notes, legal stuff, but why didn't I feel better? Unattended Sorrow came to my rescue revealing how to deal with the horrible black hole in my heart, what to do with the feelings, how to go on. It is a spiritual how-to book showing a path for the feelings. Widow to Widow is the book to read afterwards that deals with the practical aspects of moving forward. But, Unattended Sorrow MUST come first! I keep a copy to send to newly widowed friends.