FALLING INTO THE ARMS OF GOD, Timeless Mystical Writings Interpreted for Modern Readers
P.R. Contact Kim Corbin

Megan Don has clearly allowed the spiritual vision of Teresa of Avila to inhabit her life. In Falling into the Arms of God she uses the poignant vision of Teresa to craft a series of metaphoric guideposts for the honest seeker. It is, if one can imagine such a thing, a book of practical mysticism, and will be a gift to readers seeking a blending of timeless spiritual principles and modern psychological understanding.”
— Kent Nerburn, author , Neither Wolf nor Dog

“Whatever about today’s polluted cultural atmosphere, this book provides a breath of fresh air. Through her familiarity with the writings of the great Teresa and her keen psychological perceptions, Megan Don gently guides us to the centre of our being and prayerfully invites her readers to breathe more deeply there. Clarity of expression nicely serves the luminous vision of this beautiful book.”
— Anthony Kelly, Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology, Australian Catholic University

“Megan Don has shared her own contemplation with a journey into Teresa of Avila, the great Carmelite mystic. To all who search for the limitless love of God in a deep relationship of prayer and hope, I commend these meditations as providing a valuable spiritual nourishment and encouragement.”
— Denis J. Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia

“Falling into the Arms of God is guaranteed to deepen the spiritual experience and enrich the daily life of any spiritual seeker. It is especially helpful for those who like Teresa of Avila, have active, full lives in the world and desire above all else to express the Will of God.”
— Reverend Mary Omwake, Unity minister, Maui, Hawaii

"Behold a rare, insightful, and inspiring book filled with spiritual treasures. Thank you, Megan Don, for connecting us with this divine being who reflects the love of heaven. May everyone who reads this wonderful volume be blessed and uplifted."
— Alan Cohen, author of I Had It All the Time

“A rare book, destined to become a spiritual classic as St. Teresa’s impassioned soul resonates through its pages to enliven the reader’s soul.”
— Dr. Leonard Laskow, MD, author of Healing with Love

“An absorbing and enormously helpful introduction to the spiritual insights of St. Teresa Avila. Megan Don's gentle and insightful reflections on the well-chosen excerpts from St. Teresa's works bring the reader and seeker more deeply into the quiet power and peace of real spiritual growth and intimacy with God.”

— Amy Welborn, author of The Words We Pray: Discovering the Richness of Traditional Catholic Prayer

“Megan Don has made this sixteenth century mystic come alive for the twenty first century. She makes Teresa of Avila fully accessible to our modern understanding, and she rightly perceives that our hunger today is to experience the divine, not only to 'believe' in it. This book shows us how we can begin that journey.”

— David Tacey, PhD, author of The Spirituality Revolution

Saint Teresa of Avila was a woman ahead of her time. Born into Spanish nobility in 1515, she entered the Carmelite Monastery at age 20, and she eventually reformed the way the monastery and order operated. She was drawn to worldly things, but continued her meditations and communion with God, and it was her inspiring, direct connection to God combined with her practical work in the secular world that has made her revered and beloved to women and men of many religious backgrounds.

While other books mainly translate the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, Falling into the Arms of God makes the topic of her life and work accessible to a contemporary audience. An intellectual as well as a mystic, Teresa of Avila is a beloved figure in Christianity, particularly among women, and often even among non-Christians.

St. Teresa had the unique ability to blend a rich mystical inner life with the practical skills required for everyday living and creating. Despite her status in the spiritual community, like many seekers, she often struggled with self-doubt, fear, and lack of validation by others. Through sheer perseverance, she became a living example of what it means to simultaneously be one with God, self, and the outer world.

Falling into the Arms of God begins with a brief introduction to St. Teresa’s life, including biographical information drawn from Megan Don’s studies and travels to the monastery in Spain. The body of the book contains meditations divided into “seven dwellings,” as described in St. Teresa’s mystical writings. St. Teresa described the soul as a clear crystal castle with many rooms, or dwellings, to be entered as one seeks the inner mansion, the dwelling place of God.

These seven dwellings are:
• Awakening • Return • Self-Knowledge • Interior Recollection • Surrender • Betrothal

Each passage is accompanied by an explanation of what lessons it may hold for today’s reader, and a suggestion for guided meditation.

About the Author
Megan Don has been aligned with the Carmelite Monastery in Melbourne, Australia, for many years, and it is through this relationship that she first began studying Teresa of Avila. Following her studies there, Megan traveled throughout India and the Middle East, researching other mystical traditions, including Hindu Bhakti and Islamic Sufi traditions, incorporating these ideas into her work in Western psychoanalytic studies and sound healing research with Aboriginal people in Australia and her native New Zealand. Each year, she leads workshops at Esalen Institute in Northern California on St. Teresa of Avila. She also conducts workshops and spiritual retreats at Episcopalian and Unity Churches on the topic. She currently lives on Maui in Hawaii

FALLING INTO THE ARMS OF GOD: By Megan Don
Publication Date: April 26, 2005 • Price: $20.00 • Hardcover • 256 Pages
ISBN: 1-57731-484-0