When Things Fall Apart: A Slow Reading Journey
Join our community as we explore Pema Chodron's wisdom, one chapter at a time.
Welcome to Mystics Reading Society! We’re currently slow reading When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron. Simply subscribe to our newsletter to join the journey.
Dear Mystic,
Starting next Sunday, we’re diving into something truly special together: a community slow reading journey of When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron.
If you're not familiar with this book, it’s a powerful guide to navigating life’s challenges with compassion, courage, and clarity. It offers wisdom for times when things feel uncertain, overwhelming, or out of our control. Right now, I believe it’s exactly the kind of book we need as a community.
The world around us feels as though it’s unraveling, and many of us are grappling with uncertainty, fear, and the unknown. It’s as if the world is falling apart in ways both grand and intimate.
That’s why When Things Fall Apart feels so right for right now—not just because it speaks to where we might be personally, but because it speaks to the collective experience we’re living through.
Pema Chodron’s wisdom is a beacon in times like these, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggles. It offers comfort for the hard moments without spiritually bypassing the difficulties, and it encourages us to meet the chaos with compassion, courage, and a deep understanding of our shared humanity.
This book is rich with depth, and I want us to move at a pace that allows us to truly integrate and process its wisdom. In a slow reading journey, we take our time with a book—no rushing through. For When Things Fall Apart, we’ll read one chapter each week for 22 weeks. This will give us space to truly reflect, process, and connect with the material. It will be a beautiful communal experience of reading, growing, and finding solace in Chodron’s “heart advice for difficult times”.
What’s Happening
Here’s how our community slow reading journey will work: Every Sunday, I’ll share a reflection essay on the chapter in this newsletter, along with questions to spark your reflection. Then, I’ll invite you to join the conversation in the comments. If you’re already subscribed to Mystics Reading Society, you don’t need to do anything new to join us. The first letter will arrive in your inbox on Sunday June 29.
You’re invited to participate with us whether you read When Things Fall Apart along with me or just follow along with my essays. The beauty of this process is that there’s no “right” way to join in. You can go at your own pace or keep up with me, this is your space to reflect, connect, and grow.
If you haven’t already, go ahead and grab your copy of When Things Fall Apart. Make yourself a cup of tea (or cacao), get cozy, and prepare for a transformative journey of self-discovery, healing, and connection. I’m beyond excited to begin this journey with you!
—Emma
P.S. Let me know if you’ll be reading with us!
P.P.S. Below, you’ll find more details about Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart, and Shambhala Buddhism. This is your starting point to get grounded in the philosophy that shapes the book’s teachings.
About Pema Chodron
Pema Chodron is an American Buddhist nun and teacher who has become internationally known for her accessible teachings on mindfulness, compassion, and dealing with life’s difficulties. In When Things Fall Apart, she shares timeless wisdom for facing fear, uncertainty, and loss, showing us how to befriend ourselves and embrace life’s messiness as an opportunity for growth.
Her teachings invite us to meet our fears with open hearts and see challenges as paths to deeper wisdom. You don’t need any prior knowledge of Buddhism to benefit from her work—just an open heart and a willingness to learn.
About When Things Fall Apart
When Things Fall Apart is a collection of teachings Pema Chodron gave between 1987 and 1994. It’s a powerful compilation of her talks, offering insightful advice on facing life’s difficulties with mindfulness and compassion. In this book, she teaches us how to be present with our fears, anxieties, and uncertainties, and how to transform those moments into opportunities for growth.
The structure of the book is simple yet powerful—22 short chapters, each focused on a different aspect of the human experience, like fear, anger, loss, and surrender. These chapters are perfect for our slow reading journey: bite-sized, easy to absorb, but packed with profound wisdom.
About Shambhala Buddhism
This book is grounded in the teachings of Shambhala Buddhism, a tradition that blends Tibetan Buddhist practices with a Western approach to mindfulness and compassion. Shambhala teachings emphasize the inherent goodness in all beings, the power of compassion, and the importance of embracing life as it is—challenges, uncertainties, and all.
No prior knowledge of Buddhism or Shambhala teachings is required to read When Things Fall Apart. Pema Chodron’s writing is incredibly accessible, offering practical wisdom that anyone can apply to their life, no matter where you’re coming from spiritually.
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Hi, I’m Emma! I’m a reader and writer living in the mossy woods of the Pacific Northwest. I created Mystics Reading Society as a welcoming space where books, personal growth, and magic intertwine. Here, we explore transformative reads while creating a supportive community for those walking their own mystical, sovereign path.
If you also love to read cozy books, don’t miss my other bookish newsletter: Sleuth, Hero, Alien—for fans of cozy mysteries, charming sci-fi, and cozy fantasy.
Start with this post: My Minimalist Teapot Collection ☕🔍📚
Disclaimer: This blog is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring a life coach, a therapist, or of seeking medical attention. No information on this blog creates a coach-client relationship between us. You are fully responsible for the decisions and actions you take in regard to your life and affairs