This is a beautiful little book filled with soothing watercolor paintings and gentle instruction to encourage kindness and compassion for self and others. Through sharing personal experiences, Buddhist and other teaching stories, psychological insight, and questions for reflection, Tara Brach gently helps the reader discover how to live with more peace, love, and contentment.

I’ve read many books on mindfulness, meditation, and happiness, so many of these teachings were familiar to me. However, I loved the presentation here. Tara offers her wisdom with such graciousness, humor, and vulnerability. It’s easy to relate when she shares about preparing for a talk on presence while distractedly rubbing shaving cream into her hair.

The paintings by Vicky Alvarez were the perfect accompaniment for the text. They encourage a meditative state.

This book would make a lovely gift for anyone interested in spiritual growth or seeking a contemplative respite from distraction and stress.

Thanks to Sounds True for providing me with an unproofed ARC through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

“Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness” Tara Brach’s newest publication, is an illustrated gift book interspersed with dozens of dreamlike, watercolors from artist Vicky Alvarez. Trust, love, and freedom are three sections that divide the book in efforts to explore the Buddha’s teachings, and explore Brach’s theme: what is enough? How are we enough? How can we get to the gold of our authentic selves without becoming distracted, dismayed, and distraught with the noise and bustle of the outside world, even our inner thoughts?
Dozens of mini-chapters are presented bite-size: several paragraphs on a related topic, a reflection, and artwork. Brach utilizes examples from her own life, students, and stories of the Buddha.
One reflection example suggests offering a message of “this belongs” to feelings of pain that you might be experiencing, for example.
Potential readers: Experienced meditators, beginners, those looking to explore mediation, grief, their “enoughness” and perhaps their “why;” Tara Brach, Sharon Salzberg, Ruth King, Norman Fischer fans.

Over 10 years ago when I read Tara Branch’s book, Radical Acceptance, it changed my life. It changed how I saw myself, and how I saw my life. And I have never been the same! I am delighted to be one of the first to read and review her newest book. This is a treasure, a beautiful treasure of a book that I will keep by my bedside and/or in my purse to take out and read a little bit of the richness at a time . . . Savoring the serene watercolor images that accompany the stories and the wisdom that she shares with us here.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tara Brach is a spiritual teacher and psychologist, and her many books, retreats, and recordings have helped many thousands learn to meditate and get in touch with their deepest self. This is definitely a read-slowly-and-treasure book with plenty of wisdom and gorgeous illustrations. Brach's focus of teaching in this book is:
• Opening to the Truth of the present moment
• Turning toward Love in any situation
• Resting in the Freedom of our natural, radiant awareness
The author's belief is that our innate goodness can never be eliminated, and she offers guidance in learning to contact that goodness. Tara Brach's work is always aimed at helping people find peace and become centered, and this book is another gem.

Tara Brach’s “Trusting the Gold” is a gem of a book that has reminded me of my belovedness and has provided the insights and tools to compassionately love myself, and in turn, love others, more effectively. I will be chewing on these insights for some time to come.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I was not expecting beautiful illustrations to go with an adult self-help novel, and it was a nice surprise. The layout of the text had me a little confused. Some parts are in first person, then there are reflection questions, and some sections seem like poetry. It is not a reference book, novel, or organized by chapters where you can pick and choose where to get help. This was an uplifting read, and I appreciate that it is clean and positive. While the book mentions Zen master, Dalai Lama, etc, I did not feel this was a preachy book, so I can recommend it for multi-cultural studies.