5 Star Review
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Editorial Book Review:
By Ruth Claire Jones
R.G. Shore's "The Ocean Inside Me: A Spiritual Memoir on Healing Racial Trauma" is a shining example of resilience and enlightenment among spiritual memoirs. The book follows Shore's incredible path of healing from racial trauma while confined in an almost exclusively white institution. Shore brings readers into the depths of his own voyage, revealing a story of reflection, meditation, and change while demonstrating the transformative power of spirituality in the face of hardship.
The book's bold opening question sets the tone for a raw yet insightful narrative. Shore's ability to negotiate the tumultuous seas of white supremacists and neo-Nazis inside the prison system reveals a story of fragility and resilience. Shore not only survives but thrives as a result of his meditation and contemplation, discovering a profound connection with himself and his surroundings.
Meditation as a healing tool is important to Shore's transformative path. The author expertly describes his journey within his own body, befriending his shadow, and overcoming the wounds carried by his younger self. The narrative's rich depictions of underwater meditations serve as a metaphor for the depths to which Shore delves to uncover the source of his pain.
The use of a jail radio as a conduit to overcome the physical limits of captivity adds a fresh and intriguing dimension to the story. The static white noise serves as a metaphor for change, as Shore transforms the harsh environment of concrete and injustice into one in which he interacts with nature and finds consolation in the soothing embrace of water.
Shore's path is particularly moving since he reconciles with the source of his deepest pain - his brown body. The story follows his journey from self-loathing to self-love, demonstrating the powerful impact of spiritual development on one's sense of identity and value. The author's transformation into a meditation master amid the confines of a prison is nothing short of remarkable.
Shore's future study of law, in which he speaks for those who once persecuted him, demonstrates the transformational power of spiritual growth and the potential of redemption even in the most unlikely locations. The tale expertly weaves together themes of racial reconciliation, spirituality, and legal advocacy, resulting in a rich tapestry of personal and social development.
Kirkus Reviews praises "The Ocean Inside Me," calling it "an insightful, mystic exploration of spiritual and racial healing." Other readers mirror this view, praising the memoir for its rawness, vulnerability, and simplicity, all of which originate from true life experience.
Finally, R.G. Shore's debut memoir is a fascinating testimonial to the power of overcoming misfortune to develop and transform oneself. "The Ocean Inside Me" not only tells the compelling story of one man's journey, but it also provides practical and guided methods for readers to go on their own healing path. Shore's Northwest Wisdom continues to give skills and practices for spiritual healing, leaving an everlasting legacy as a guide for people exploring the depths of their own internal waters.
About the Author
R.G. Shore
R.G. began his journey with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies, but his spiritual journey has led him much farther. Through many hardships, and firsthand experience with the marginalized, R.G. has really begun to shape and cultivate his spirituality through lived experience.
R.G. was incarcerated for nearly 3 years. It was through his incarceration that he began to sit with his trauma. Being surrounded by very racist and dangerous people led R.G. inward. It was in prison that he began to master his own techniques for going into the body and sitting with the trauma within himself.
R.G. has a Masters in Education, and is a certified Reiki Master, and a certified spiritual director through SDI, and the Urban Spiritual Center in Portland, Oregon.
He specializes in embodied Spiritual Counseling, Healing energy, visualization meditative techniques, and Reiki Healing, and helps many people with grounding themselves.
He has a passion for working with marginalized communities, including people of color, people who have been incarcerated, or people dealing with religious trauma.