More about Time for Awakening

A remarkable shift alters the course of a midwestern mother’s life as she heeds an inner call through the wisdom of Buddhist meditation instructions. Woven intricately with insights cultivated during her recovery journey, this empowering and radically honest blend of memoir and guiding narrative charts her spiritual evolution into abiding awakening.

With faith and resilience, Constance learns to shape her own unique meditative expression, finding balance while navigating the complexities of parenting two teenage sons, the intricacies of close relationships, managing financial constraints, and building a home.

Whether cushion-bound or amidst daily chores, Constance’s exploration yields profound openings. Through vivid illustration, we are transported into the heart of her practice, feeling the rhythm of her thoughts, serenity of stillness, and revelations born in silence. Beyond a personal tale, it is a guiding light for those considering extended retreat practice.

Driven by a fire for deeper truths, Constance’s inner call transports her to a strict Southeast Asian monastery. Within the realm of devotion and tranquility, we are thrust into another world of heightened practice, crystallizing insights to carry back home.

Time for Awakening is a story that will inspire spiritual seekers and those simply curious about human meaning and connection, inviting all to embrace their unique path of awakening.

Praise for Time for Awakening

“Constance Casey is a genuine and accomplished spiritual adept who shows us what is possible in opening to freedom. Propelled by remarkable dedication and compelling honesty, this Midwest mother and carpenter takes us on a profound meditative journey into the depths of insight and awakening.”

—JACK KORNFIELD, co-founding teacher, Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Insight Meditation Society; author of A Path With Heart

“Part memoir, part guide to self-knowing, Time for Awakening is a spiritual coming-of-age story that serves to inspire and accompany those drawn to the path of liberation. Through curiosity and vulnerability, Constance shares her transformative experiences and embodied wisdom, inviting us into a deeper understanding of the human journey.”

—SHARON SALZBERG,
co-founding teacher, Insight Meditation Society; author of Real Life and Real Happiness

“Constance Casey offers readers a shimmering gift. This is not a memoir of a spontaneous and disembodied mystical awakening, but of knowledge of Stillness arrived at through an intense and extended quest. Her openness and detail in regard to the material and financial aspects of her homelife in conjunction with her life of meditation, learning, traveling, and healing are refreshing in a spiritual memoir. Ultimately the overall impression of the book is one of fullness, fullness of the vibration of life, and its infinite universality. This book reminds us, with kindness and camaraderie, to be humble and persistent as we seek skillfulness in our inner and outer pilgrimages to practice embodying the gifts of compassion, love, and peace.”

—SUN YUNG SHIN, author of The Wet Hex and Where We Come From

“A captivating and intimate exploration of how authentic awakening unfolds…this book is chock full of spiritual wisdom.”

—TARA BRACH,
founding teacher, Insight Meditation Community of Washington; author of Radical Acceptance and Trusting the Gold

“Constance Casey’s Time For Awakening is unlike any other memoir I’ve ever read! Steeped in 12-Step programs, Anne Wilson Schaef’s Living in Process, and decades of intensive Buddhist meditation practice, this courageous woman has forged a unique understanding of the strengths and limitations of each approach to spiritual growth. The unusual synthesis of these healing paths opens Casey to deep wisdom and high levels of consciousness. She remains grounded, however, in caring for her family, renovating their Minnesota house from basement to attic, running her tech business, and later serving as a hospital chaplain.

Anyone interested in meditation and how a young mother followed the big questions in life to move beyond thinking, beyond self, beyond suffering, and into enlightenment will love Constance Casey’s extraordinary odyssey.”

—NANCY MANAHAN, co-author of Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: A Journey with Cancer and Beyond

“Time for Awakening takes the reader on quite a spiritual journey from Midwest Al-Anon meetings to a strict Buddhist monastery in Malaysia and back home to Minnesota. Constance Casey, a Midwest mother of modest means, is willing to undergo extreme hardship and challenges in pursuit of deep spiritual awakening and, gratefully, finds what she is looking for. The Buddha exhorted his followers: ‘Ehipassiko, come and see for yourself.’ Constance Casey does just that. With sincerity and dedication to discovering liberation for herself, Constance Casey shows us that deep transformation is possible. We not only follow her process but are inspired to undergo our own journey of awakening.”

—JAMES BARAZ, co-founding teacher, Spirit Rock Meditation Center; co-author of Awakening Joy: 10 Steps to Happiness

“In Time for Awakening, the unique, distinct voice of one woman’s realization story weaves seamlessly with the unmistakable voice of Awakened Mind. In the words and between the words, through the story and through the silence under the telling, Constance Casey transmits a knowing that offers encouragement to the reader’s human experience and recognition for what’s always, already awake in us all. This book is a catalyst and companion for anyone on any stage of the awakening journey.”

—BROOKE TEISUI MCNAMARA, Zen teacher at Dragon Lake Zen, and author of Bury the Seed and Feed Your Vow

“Time for Awakening is a classic story of struggle and transformation. Rooted in the Buddhist model of enlightenment with an underlying thread of 12 Step recovery, it tells a timeless tale with modern resonance.”

—KEVIN GRIFFIN, author of One Breath at a Time and Living Kindness

“Constance Casey provides us with a remarkable spiritual travelog of her travels along the path to deeper and deeper understanding. Her dedication to moving towards awakening shines as an inspiration for all of us in her spiritual memoir.”

—LEIGH BRASINGTON, author of Right Concentration and Dependent Origination & Emptiness

Extras from Time for Awakening

Your precious dollars are important to me. So, I’d like to share how I priced my work. I think we all need to reflect on the value we assign to writers’ work. I recently invested $50 in a one-year subscription to support another writer. And, there are many writers who require support, including myself.

Bringing this book forward was a huge challenge! I spent several years writing, editing, starving, and freezing with little to no income. I also paid for editing; and ended up primarily with the help of my sons who were driven to serve the underlying intent of the project. We’re a low-income household. The sale of each book contributes directly to our basic needs. I’d be enormously surprised if my expenses are ever recovered from creating this work.

I like that the book is available for print-on-demand to save our earth’s resources. By self-publishing with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, I’ve engaged with a platform that can distribute my work. However, inflation relentlessly impacts the cost of living, including the expenses associated with publishing. The cost of paper and distribution has surged, compelling even the largest publishers to adjust their pricing strategies. It’s not uncommon now to see prices for books in print increase, a clear indicator of the challenging economic landscape.

Contrast our situation with that of most authors who have higher incomes and publicity agents—luxuries well beyond my reach. Every expense, including maintaining my website, stretches my capacities to its limit. If the price is a hardship for you, contact me, and I will send you a copy for a donation that covers the cost of the book and postage. However, I can only do this in the continental U.S.A.

Ideally, the price would vary based on the buyer’s financial capacity. However, striving for a middle ground, I’ve set a price that feels fair while acknowledging the reality of our efforts and needs. As the book finds its way into the world, a secondhand market will emerge, offering more accessible options for readers.

Venturing into the digital realm presents its own set of challenges, especially given my lack of experience in this area. Should I ever manage to learn these complexities and release an e-book version, it will be offered at a much lower cost. As for an audio edition, the path to making that a reality seems even more daunting, adding another layer of complexity to my journey as an author.

I’ve come to terms with how few may resonate with my awakening story, because it is an offering for sincere practitioners. If someone gets a tiny glimpse of the golden transmission being presented, they may take it on retreat and return to it many times. It’s more than just a story, it is a guide.

Given the profound insights and reflections housed within its 348 pages, which have been meticulously formatted—complete with diacritics, drawings, diagrams, pictures, and a glossary to help clarify any terms—the book’s value is well-justified.

The price is a testament to the value of all who have contributed to its creation. Books are important to spend time with and digest. And, writers need to be valued for the tremendous amount of time and effort being put in.

May Time for Awakening: A Memoir make a difference in your life.

Thank you for your generosity.