The Slap That Redirected a Calling: Rosanne Annoni's Path

Rosanne Annoni - psychotherapist of 35 years, ordained Diamond Approach teacher, and author of the newly released memoir Unfolding the Heart: One Woman's Quest for True Nature, traces the remarkable arc of her spiritual journey: from a childhood vision of becoming a Catholic nun (and her mother's unforgettable reaction) to years of searching through metaphysics and Vipassana meditation, to finding her spiritual home in the Diamond Approach and the teachings of Hameed Ali (A.H. Almaas).

Rosanne shares the story of how a book her student gave her, A Cave in the Snow, inspired her to spend a month of silent retreat at Gampo Abbey for her 60th birthday - where she unexpectedly found herself staying in Pema Chödrön's own cabin. She also reflects on the surprising echoes between her Catholic upbringing and Buddhist practice, from incense and chanting to prayer as a form of meditation, and how the two traditions ultimately reconciled in her heart - including a deeply moving moment of forgiveness with her mother near the end of her life.