Bruce Tift is a licensed marriage and family therapist who uses a combination of Western and Buddhist approaches. A student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, he taught at Naropa for 25 years.
In the West, we have bought into the idea that we are not supposed to be anxious. Tift believes that this dark cloud is a legitimate part of our lives where so much emphasis is put upon performance, appearance, and success. How do we respond to this experience? Many try not to feel it, define it as wrong, or try to dispel it by any means they can.
The much wiser approach both in psychology and in Buddhism is to accept it as a part of our lives. As Tift puts it, "A life without anxiety is not an option." The author suggests we talk with our anxiety, discover what triggered it, and then determine what to do next. Tift calls this "committing to our anxiety." One of the major points here is to give yourself permission to feel the anxiety (or other emotions such as fear, disappointment, or regret). Tift shares an embodiment practice to use in the context of anxiety.
The book closes with some final thoughts on relationships and challenges that emerge along the path, such as acceptance and improvement, not knowing and living with confidence, authenticity and a good state of mind no matter what the circumstances. Those who seek to live these ideals will savor the manna of freedom.
