A Therapeutic Slow Read

I’ve been participating in Slow Reads since last year and there’s something magical about slowly moving through a piece of literature with a group of people. I was introduced to the world of slow reads last year on Substack. I’ve participated in Possession by A.S. Byatt, the Wolf Hall series by Hilary Mantel, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.  

I have enjoyed the experience so much that I began plotting my own Slow Read. A therapeutic slow read. Could I bring it to the psychotherapy world and pick a book and follow suit? After deliberating far too long, I’m starting my own. This summer we’ll read Radical Acceptance: Awakening the love that heals fear and shame by Tara Brach (2003).

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Here’s how it will work:

Each week we’ll read a brief section, reading at a slower pace than usual. For Radical Acceptance, it will be a chapter per week.

At the end of each week, there will be a recap post, shared in the Fully Alive Fridays newsletter and here in this space. The recap will feature a synopsis from the chapter plus additional insights and helpful takeaways.

It’s a pretty simple format. Nothing too complicated.

Suggestions of Note:

You don’t have read at the pace of the schedule. If you fall behind on the reading (it is summer after all), you can pick up where you left off.

I do encourage you to not race ahead in the reading. I know it can be tempting to rush ahead, but the purpose of the slow read is to read at a pace where the material has time to marinate in our thoughts and souls.

Here’s the reading schedule:

Important Note: I am using the 2003 copy. I do believe this book was republished as Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the heart of a Buddha (not my favorite cover art or title. I much prefer the original). You can still find used copies of the original on thriftbooks. If you can’t find the 2003 edition, just know that some of the recaps and takeaways might slightly different.

Week 1: 6/19 - Prologue & Chapter One: The trance of unworthiness

Week 2: 6/26 - Chapter Two: Awakening from the trance

Week 3: 7/3 - Chapter Three: The Sacred pause

Week 4: 7/10 - BREAK

Week 5: 7/17 - Chapter Four: Unconditional Friendliness

Week 6: 7/24 - Chapter Five: Coming home to our body

Week 7: 7/31 - Chapter Six: Radical acceptance of desire

Week 8: 8/7 -   Chapter Seven: Opening our heart in the face of fear

Week 9: 8/14 -  Chapter Eight: Awakening compassion for ourselves

Week 10: 8/21 - Chapter Nine: Widening the circles of compassion

Week 11: 8/28  - Chapter Ten: Recognizing our basic goodness

Week 12: 9/4 - Chapter Eleven: Awakening together

Week 13: 9/11 - Chapter Twelve: Realizing our true nature

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I have included a free bookmark! Click here for the download. Tip: If you print it double sided, you can just trim and fold in half.

We start next week and I’d love to have you join! Since this is our first slow read, we can see how it works out, what we notice, what works and what we’d like to do differently with the next book.

This slow read is open to everyone, so if you know someone who would be interested, feel free to share the information. They can sign up for the Slow Read on the website at the pop up for the Friday newsletter.

In the meantime, feel free to send an email to drchristinesparacino@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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