Falling, I Breathe In, Rising, I Breathe Out

How to Reset and Restart on the Path to Awakening

By Bodhishunya

Have you ever felt like you’ve failed as a practitioner?

You missed a sit. You broke a precept. You got angry. You drifted from your path. And somewhere inside, a voice whispered: “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

This is the book for that moment.

In Falling, I Breathe In, Rising, I Breathe Out, contemplative writer and long-time meditation practitioner Bodhishunya offers a heartfelt companion for those who have stumbled on the path—and are ready to return.

Drawing on thousands of hours of lived meditation practice and grounded Buddhist insight, this honest and compassionate book reminds us:

The path isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

We fall. We breathe. We rise. And we begin again.

Through gentle chapters, reflective gathas, and a practical toolbox for real-life spiritual resilience, this book offers guidance for:

Returning after a fall—with softness, not shame

Reconnecting with the breath in moments of inner chaos

Working with the inner critic and cultivating self-forgiveness

Walking with the precepts—even when you break them

Trusting that you are still changing, even when it feels like you’re not

Whether you are new to meditation or years into your journey, this book will meet you where you are—with kindness, clarity, and the quiet encouragement to simply begin again.

You haven’t failed. You haven’t fallen off the path.

This—right here, right now—is still part of the way.

Falling, breathe in. Rising, breathe out. This is enough.