The Inner Work: An Invitation to True Freedom and Lasting Happiness

Buy this book. I waited six weeks to write a review to be sure to get through all of The Inner Work. Especially the first chapters because they explain so much & set the groundwork for the heavy lifting. But…that heavy lifting has taken a weight away that I have carried since childhood. For real. I wrote narratives for future reference on each of The Wounds of Consciousness (all 8 of them!) plus the Themes of Healing. Mat and Ash have formatted The Inner Work to be very concise. There is so much kindness & so much encouragement in this book. There are diagrams that show The Themes of Consciousness Spectrum & clearly show the categories (and the way to work up through the trauma spectrum and into the healing spectrum and that made it seem less overwhelming and intimidating. You can do this and it shows you how. It’s not even scary to dig into old buried wounds even though it hurts.) That spectrum color copy I printed is much folded and worn. Every time I did work it got propped up to show that yes, progress was being made and there was a goal that was reachable. Loss, trauma and hurt creates chaos in our minds. Deep wounds create weird reactions and flareups. As a childhood victim of some really bad crap The Inner Work gave me the power/tools to heal finally. This book also is the first to have it all in one—first, the kindness to say (my words) ‘you are heard, you are accepted, you have the right to release emotions and heal, don't be ashamed and just be’. Second, it has the tools for an easy 3-4 step process to get through each category. Like Rejection, Judgement, Overwhelm, Loss ect. That is especially helpful because so many of us do not know where to start. Or we start and get lost in too much information. This teaches us to start at the beginning, prepare for some very hard spots in between, but know that there is a manageable end in sight at all times. If it goes sideways, it’s simple to go back in this book and go over areas. Every page in my copy has lots of highlighted parts. I got special pastel markers to highlight stuff in the Healing Section, it was fun. lol Obviously some of the teaching won’t pertain to each of us. Buy this book. My counselor loves it too. If working through it gets too heavy, just look at the Spectrum diagram of Consciousness and focus on the Healing part for a little bit, the keyword is RELIEF. That shows that easier times are coming along soon. I have never been so settled and at peace. This is practical step by step work stuff. The Inner Work brings calmness and peace and if a situation flares up, there are the narratives to read again (if you choose to do that). It’s very hard work for a period of time, but think about it, carrying trauma is harder work and is exhausting. The past is finally in the past. Next step: Mat and Ash's other book about Relationships. I can't wait.

I purchased this book once before and was sent a random book.. I was bummed but decided to try it again and I cannot express how extraordinary this book is. From the moment I picked it up and started reading, I was 50 pages in and could not put it down. I’m a “highlighter” when I read books.. and every page has something standing out. Not only does this book not focus on religion as a whole, but gives different perspectives from the creators stand point. I LOVE this book. When I first saw it online, didn’t know anything about the book but for some reason it just kept sticking out to me and so glad I decided to repurchase this book again for the second time! This book resonates with so many situations and obstacles and will hit home for everybody in some way, shape or form. I’ve found it to be helpful for me personal in my experience here on Earth trying to navigate our existence and society, etc.. I truly feel like anyone could benefit from this book rather they feel they want too or not.

✨🧘🏻‍♀️✨I hardly ever post reviews on Amazon. Like, hardly ever. But when I do, you better believe it’s because something has shaken me to my core—and this book? Oh, this book did that and so much more. If you’re ready to do the work—like, really do the work—this is the only book you need. I’m a deep believer in self-help, personal growth, and all that jazz, but let me tell you something: The Inner Work is in a league of its own. It’s not just a book; it’s a life-changer. Here’s the deal: If you want ultimate happiness, ultimate self-forgiveness, and ultimate freedom from all the crap you’ve been carrying around (you know, the stuff that makes you feel like you’re not enough), this is your must-read. And I don’t say “must” lightly. I mean it like Parks and Rec’s Donna Meagle means “must” when she says, “It’s a must, must, must.” It’s non-negotiable. I’ve never in my life felt this happy, this in love with myself, or this forgiving of everyone and everything around me. This book helped me see that we’re all united, we’re all connected, and we’re not our thoughts, our beliefs, or the stories we’ve been told. We’re so much more than that. There’s a divine light within each of us, just waiting to be discovered—and this book is the map to finding it. Now, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: The work isn’t easy. It’s hard. Like, really hard. The emotions are strong, the old narratives are stubborn, and there were moments when I wanted to throw the book into my bookshelf of lovely books (but I didn’t, because I love myself too much now). But if you’re ready to let go of the past, step into your truth, and feel genuinely happy just because you’re happy with yourself, then this is the book for you. Final warning: This book will mess you up (in the best way possible). It’ll challenge you, it’ll transform you, and it’ll leave you wondering why you didn’t pick it up sooner. But hey, better late than never, right? Do yourself a favor: Buy this book. Read it. Do the work. And then come back here and thank me later. You’re welcome.

What an amazing and helpful book. It really opens you up to the wounds we carry within and how to better deal with them. I love that we all as humans shift between the 3D, 4D and 5D levels of consciousness....and always striving to live ans love in the 5D consciousness. It's a journey for sure, and Mat and Ash really created something amazing in writing this book. Not only do you get such a helpful and insightful book to read, but you also get e-mailed great mediations, and somatic healing yoga sessions, as well as episodes from their Inner Work Podcast. I really love how they curated a full on healing journey....or better yet your own personal hero's journey and give you tools to use to help you break through to higher levels of consciousness. A great reason for anyone who wants ro dive deep into their Inner Work.

recommended

The best self-help book I ever read. I recommend this book to everyone. This is the recipe to a better world.

Having gone through the book, I would say that the content is worth the price, I don't regret the buy, am learning a lot from it and am content with the purchase. However, there are a few typos and two of the pages just detached so I'm taking a star off for that. Update: another page detached after a few more weeks. I've not had the book for that long and I'm not doing anything special it, the pages just detach. I can understand one page but three now at the moment just shows the bad quality of the publishing.

Great book.