Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love

Buddhist instructor Sofer’s (Say What You Mean) online meditations have helped thousands of listeners discover a sense of resiliency during times of crisis. His new book offers a starting point for readers to discover strength through meditation while also highlighting the theoretical underpinnings of Sofer’s approach to meditation. Like Tara Brach and Kristen Neff, he bases his work on the idea that humans were made for love and connection, and he helps provide supportive structures that reintroduce loving kindness to those who may have strayed from an innate sense of belonging. The book is divided into 26 chapters, with the goal that readers use it as a yearlong course in self-discovery and transformation. Sofer acknowledges that many of the practices in the book are difficult or recursive, but their result is to create a safe space for readers to explore who they are, how they connect, and what they can find in stillness. The book offers reflective practices, ways to go deeper, action steps, and advice for navigating challenges, in ways sure to help people create new neural pathways as they reconnect body and mind through breath.