Complementary-Therapy Books

I don't have much to say --- in fact I'm speechless. I'm just so delighted to have finally found a book specifically for women on the topic of energy healing and medicine. There are other books that touch upon these topics, but this is one of the very best. I'll be recommending it to my women clients. Thanks for writing this one, Donna. Pamela D. Blair, author The Next Fifty Years: A Guide for Women at Mid-Life and Beyond

Donna Eden is one of the foremost experts in Energy Medicine. Now she and her partner David Feinstein have collaborated on a fantastic new book: ENERGY MEDICINE FOR WOMEN. This book is an encyclopedia of simple energy exercises you can easily learn, and use in only a few minutes a day. You can learn how to be a vibrant, capable woman who knows how to work skillfully with the rhythms of your very own body.

AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!!!

Unfortunately, Traditional Western Medicine has tended to ignore how much our hormones influence our Body, Mind & Spirit. I think the researchers decided that hormones were somehow just "too complicated." As a Psychologist, I work with a lot of clients who would prefer to find natural ways to support their mental and physical health, without taking drugs. Many of my clients would prefer NOT to go on antidepressants all month long, with their many side effects, just because they sometimes get depressed with PMS or Menopausal symptoms. Now Donna offers skillful ways to keep our bodies in balance, naturally. HOORAY!

This is a book you won't want to be without, whether you are wanting help with PMS, Pregnancy, Menopause, or just general health & vitality. This book is truly a treasure map, helping us to once again appreciate our amazing, miraculous women's bodies.

Thank-you Donna & David!

-Dr. Suzanne ib Lerner
www.MakeYourLifeShine.com

Thank goodness for this book!It provides tools that every woman can use to maintain her own health - very empowering. And it's all so uncomplicated - fantastic

I recommend this book to women of all ages. An easy, gentle, quick self-help method to feeling better and handling stress.
Thank you Donna Eden!

I can only echo the other reviewers - this book is a gem. I even like it a little better than her earlier work, Energy Medicine, because it is more concise. Eden also cites books written recently with scientific backup for what subtle energies are and how they function. That helps me because although I know this stuff works, I also have the heart of a skeptic. As someone who is very dissatisfied with the way medicine is practiced here in the U.S. and who has come away from doctor's appointments feeling like something is missing, I believe this type of energy medicine is the wave of the future and is an extremely useful addition to, but not a substitute for, conventional medicine. It's too bad that so few conventionally trained doctors have jumped on the bandwagon.

For the term "technology" I understand the theoretical knowledge applied to the practical world in order to produce a useful tool. In this case, this book is to be considered a technological one. Great.

if your a student of hypnotherapy, nlp or wanting to know more, this book is a must. it explains things well and in simple language.

This manual is truly a Master work... the book touches on everything from early history of hypnosis, NLP language patterns, metaphor, inductions, etc. The book is written in language very easy to read and understand. The ideas are brought forward very clearly, and one gets a sense of the personality and substance of the authors themselves. There are many books out there about Erickson, his work and techniques... This one should be at the top of any list and a must have for the library of every practitioner of the art.

I paid £39.99 for this book, I'm a total novice having been studying NLP and hypnosis over 14hrs a day for the last two months (yeah I redirected a compulsive behaviour ;) ).

I've read a lot of excellent hypnosis books by now, and this one is certainly a must. Thorough coverage of language patterns was the key thing when I first looked through it, plus in that chapter an interesting discussion on "torpedo" therapy.

Various NLP tools are documented yet this is not an NLP focussed book, so excellent for those that aren't necessarily taken with the NLP approach to this work in general.

Also there are a variety of scripts and techniques from traditional to more flexible types al a Ericksonian.

There's many more things covered in this book that I've left out-lazy reviewer I guess :-). Ideomotor responses and hypnosis without trance to mention but two. A serious student of hypnosis wouldn't want to be without this one.

Ericksonian Approaches is a hands-on manual that includes an overview of the field of hypnosis from its history, myths, and misconcpetions to Erickson's contributions.

You will discover the NLP techniques and interventions that emerged from Erickson's mastery.

You will learn hypnotic language patterns and a variety of induction processes. The book concludes with a whole spectrum of utilization methodologies designed to alleviate various mental and physical traumas and discomforts.

If you're interested in using alternative healing this book is a must. Excellent descriptions of the signs on a person's face, backed up with facial picture examples, that indicate which Cell Salt is needed. And another very positive reason for using Cell Salts is that the changes in our faces that come with age, such as wrinkles, will disappear when our body is well!
Norma in California

I bought this to help diagnos potential problems. I am thrilled to know that "wrinkles" are from a cell salt deficiency and there is a solution for that too!

This book is very helpful book in observing imbalances in the body before the onset of a serious disease. It could also be helpful in realizing chronic imbalances that were left untreated for a long period of time.

I would highly recommend this book for everyone -- especially parents.

I found this book very interesting and helpful in understanding and working with cell salts. I recomended it for anyone working in the healing field, but it might be too comprehensive for a lay person.

Facial Diagnosis Of Cell Salts Deficiencies: A User's Guide.

This is a wonderful book, (I guess this is what I think). What I mean is now when I look at anyone's face or I, myself in the mirror, I can see just how deficient all of us are. Hmmm, did I need to know this?
Well, actually the answer is yes, and so should everyone else know this information. The pictures are the most revealing and the written guide is easy to follow.
I recommend this book to all who care about themselves, family and friends.

Author Kuby does an incredible research job, and writes with such clarity--this book will revolutionize the way people look at the medical industry, and prompt them to take more responsibility for their own health. It is very good to see these ideas put into print in a way that anyone can understand and benefit from.

A beautifully written and deeply profound book on healing. Even if you have explored alternative medicine and/or spiritual literature for years this book will likely trigger a very deep reflection on your core beliefs about healing. My highest recommendation!

This is truly a fascinating, life changing book. If you are willing to change your beliefs, this book will alter forever the way you view health and your innate capacity to heal yourself. Faith in the procedure,from shamanism to high-tech treatments, brings about healing. Bye bye dogmas and rivalries for the best methods of treating disease. Your health is in your mind.This is revolutionary.

I was skeptical at first, but Lolette Kuby is a powerful writer, so once I started reading this book I had to continue to the end. I read it for the enjoyment of reading, but have to admit that Kuby's arguments are compelling enough to have significantly changed my views of health, healing, and life.

I'm not a total convert. For example, as a type-1 diabetic, I'll continue to take insulin. Perhaps if I had grown up with Kuby's insights I could have avoided this medical condition in the first place, but now I don't feel that I have the power to deal with it without the help of conventional doctors. Yet I have found that positive mental attitudes toward other conditions--arthritis, anemia, and minor issues such as athlete's foot--have helped far more than any expensive prescription medication.

I tell my friends to read this book for enjoyment. This author will keep you turning the pages. At the very least, you'll have a good read. But it's also possible that you'll have a major life-changing experience.

I read this book with a bit of skepticism about the topic but it didn't take me long to be convinced that you definitely have the power to heal yourself.

Dr. Kuby cured herself of breast cancer and lived with the lump for 8 years with absolutely no pain or problems.

Her book is an encouraging and well-written account of the power we all possess to heal ourselves.

It is one of the best books on the market for those interested in medicine and health.

I have yet to find a book to compare it to with regard to dispelling the myth of Doctor as G-D. The most enduring quote from the book, regarding the Hippocratic Oath, was "First, do no harm" which encapsulates the ideology behind this most wonderful book.

Have you ever read a book that felt like you were having a conversation with a good friend? Jeff Kane's new book, The Healing Companion makes me feel comforted, entertained, encouraged and enlightened; just as if I'd spent time talking with a good friend.

The book could be considered as a guide toward offering sick loved ones our healing presence. This guidance is valid for anyone relating to someone who is sick and is just as helpful to doctors, nurses and counselors as it is to family members and anyone who has a loved one who is sick.

A quote from page three says "This book will guide you toward offering sick loved ones your healing presence. By learning to ask them exactly how they're suffering and help them express their feelings thoroughly, you'll encourage an atmosphere of honesty. You'll move toward a perspective in which whatever happens physically, the emotional turmoil surrounding it will settle. All involved will benefit from increasing serenity."

I found especially helpful Jeff's discussion of how sick people suffer. He talks about really listening to their suffering and hearing their fears, anxieties, confusion, depression and rages. He says "I learned that people get emotional when they're sick and that fear and anger and despair aren't abnormal; they're a natural feature of sickness. In fact, I'd worry about the mental health of sick people who weren't affected by their consequent feelings. Hearing many hundreds of stories, I gradually learned that people don't generally suffer from their disease as much as from their emotions, the reactions their disease ignites in them." (page seven)

The rest of the chapters in the book are just as juicy and relevant as the above examples. In "Speaking With TLC", Jeff encourages speaking (only after much listening) with truth, leanness and compassion. He gives examples and practical questions to ask ourselves to pass the "TLC" test.

My two favorite chapters are "Welcoming Mystery" and "Healing Yourself". The first deals with the existential questions that illness can stir and the second with "continual" self care. What profound encouragement both offer for living in this world.

I truly enjoyed reading this book (and have read several sections more than once). The wonderful stories of courage and healing inspired me to be a better listener, a better friend and even a better person. Thank you Jeff.

Caregivers who live with a severely ill family member or friend receive a guide on how they can handle life-threatening and life-changing illness. From how to help others heal using one's presence and support to understanding differences between healing and curing, this is packed with advice from the author's own work with cancer support groups, and provides a solid foundation for understanding and growth.

I picked this book up off the shelf because I have been grappling with my husband's recent diagnosis. As his caregiver, I have often felt frantic trying to organize his medications, supplements, and doctors' appointments while searching the internet for some sort of "cure." Jeff Kane very gently brought me back to earth...and to my husband's immediate need for my compassion and calmness. Since reading this wonderful book and putting Dr. Kane's suggestions to use, I have seen a change in my husband's demeanor; a rise in his hopefulness and an abatement of his pain. All I have done is become a more patient, loving and affirming wife. I let him talk about his illness, when and if he wants to. I listen, without judgement or solutions. And I pray for a healing of his body and spirit. Thank you, Dr. Kane, for sharing your wisdom with caregivers- professional and amateur. We can all learn from this book.

Anyone confronted with the serious sickness of a family member of friend will find this sensitive but unsentimental book invaluable. Jeff Kane not only shows how the emotional support and participation of one's friends and family help the sick person in his or her illness (that is, the social and spiritual disclocation and emotional and psychological suffering caused by the disease), but also gives very concrete, practical suggestions on listening, responding, respecting, and feeling and showing compassion. Dr. Kane's insights about the experience of suffering, the devastation it causes and the opportunities it offers both the sick person and the care-giver for self-knowledge and personal transfromation make this a book to be read and reread time and again.

I LOVE this book. I'm a hospice nurse, and fairly comfortable talking with people who are facing their own death, but this is by far the best thing I've read on the topic. Besides being a wonderful, accessible writer, Jeff Kane is funny, wise, and practical. He's obviously done his own spiritual work, and his book shows that. I looked forward to every chapter, each of which seemed to answer a question I'd barely known to ask, and to answer it in a way that has helped me immensely in my practice, as well as in dealing with people in my own life who are dealing with things we wish weren't happening. Get it. Read it. Read it again. I'm on my second copy.

This book is truly an educational tool is written in such a practical and professional manner that you will know you will benefit from its knowledge even if you decide to keep one tiny bit of insight; be patient do as is so pack with info one may get overwhelmed this is grounbreaking info and in general most are new to it and it takes some time to digest. i had an emotional experience in one of the chapters i am sure it will be different for others since we all have different needs and healing want. i highly recommend this book.

Barbara Martin's other book, "Change Your Aura, Change Your Life" is a favorite of mine. In that book, Martin clearly explained the aura and gave a variety of meditations to help draw positive energy to cleanse your aura as well as help you to attract positive spiritual energy.

Here, she expands on her work with a followup book focused on health issues. Martin provides her theory on what causes illness and what we can do to attract healing energy. Pictures of 'sick' auras are featured in the book, giving the reader insight into what Martin is able to see. This is fascinating to me - although I have never been one who sees auras clearly, I certainly am sensitive to what people's energies feel like. Most of us have had an experience at one time or another where someone or something just didn't "feel right". It's the energy field or aura.

There are specific meditations for a variety of health conditions: diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, cancer and more. The book lays out the routine for preparing for the meditation as well as closing the chakras afterwards. I especially like the exercises to "soothe and strengthen the body" - this is helpful to those of us who are relatively healthy and want to remain that way. None of this is difficult to do - it just requires a little discipline.

Whether you are a meditator or not, this is an easy to use book and I highly recommend it. No matter what your current health condition, this book may give you a tool to aid in healing or prevent future issues.

"The Healing Power of Your Aura: How to Use Spiritual Energy for Physical Health and Well-Being" is a masterful resource and tool to explain the art of self healing through auric visualization with specific meditation exercises. Theory and practice are outlined simply but completely, with over 16 pages of colored illustrations to aid the reader in visualizations and meditation. Perhaps one of the most significant factors evident in "The Healing Power of Your Aura" is the need for each individual's assumption of self responsibility for physical, emotional and astral health. The how to sets of meditations are specifically categorized by the area or disease of concern. Highly recommended as an addition to personal or community library Self-Help and Metaphysical Studies collections, "The Healing Power of Your Aura" is a most viable and valuable tool to assist all who seek to take full responsibility for their own lives and well-being.

Martin uses a healing technique that includes prayer, meditation, and envisioning certain healing colors such as the blue white fire of eternal life, the orange red flame of purification, and the pure white light with the spirit substance. She claims to have had some success with healing people this way as long as the illness is not due to a karmic debt that must be paid. She was raised as a Greek Orthodox, but was a clairvoyant from an early age with the ability to see people's auras. She didn't always like what she saw, such as the black of hatred, the dull green of envy, the dull red of anger, the grey of illness, the mustard yellow of lethargy, and the cocoa brown of stubbornness and cruelty. All these colors and emotions cause illness and must be released from the aura by envisioning the good colors such as the golden light of wisdom, the silver ray of intelligence, the red ray of vitality, the orange of motivation, the lemon yellow of concentration, purple of peace, the rose pink of love, and the emerald green of harmony. A meditator should imagine these rays of color coming down from the higher self point above the head down to the spiritual centers in the head, throat, heart, and belly, to the mental body that surrounds the body, to the astral body, down to the specific body parts that the meditator wants to focus on.

I never liked meditating that much, but my pain has inspired me to do it daily and at least I have a mental task to do while meditating so I won't get bored. I think that the meditation may have helped relieve my pain and has given me a boost of energy sometimes. Sometimes I do the meditation with the tumbled stones in the The Crystal Healing Kit by Judy Hall. The prayer is simply asking out loud for the rays to come down to each part so your mind won't wander. I have yet to memorize the prayers; I just simplify them into a single sentence.

The philosophy behind the healing technique is that disease starts in the spiritual parts of one's being before it reaches the physical part. It is important to get the spiritual parts cleared out before disease reaches the physical parts because it is harder to remove disease once it has reached the physical. The spiritual part protects the physical by taking on disease before it reaches the physical, although if nothing is done, it will eventually reach the physical. One must watch what thoughts and emotions you are having and make sure that they are not negative and destructive to your being. I suppose with the daily news coming out with the latest outrage against truth, peace, justice, common sense, and civilization and the continual bitter disagreements about what those terms mean, it is hard not to think and feel negatively, but this healing technique helps you deal with the feeling that the world is falling apart underneath your feet.

This book has some beautiful illustrations of what the author talks about, some of which are in color. It has quick start guide to help you start immediately using the meditation techniques to attempt to heal yourself. It lists certain conditions and what may be the spiritual root that is causing the disease such as STD's being caused by paying too much attention to the sexual part of yourself or fibromyalgia being linked to destructive thinking. It has other meditation techniques at the end of the book such as the one in which you meditate next to a tree, using the energies of the auras of the earth and the tree. I like to use that one when I go for a walk in nature. It is a good book for those interested in this form of alternative healing which examines the spiritual nature of disease first, rather than the usual way of looking at only the physical.

I highly recommend "The Healing Power of Your Aura" by Barbara Y.Martin, especially for people who are sincere on finding the path back to good health.
I was part of an epidemic in Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, NV. on a skiing trip in 1984 when I was 30. To go from a high energy surfer/ skiier/ female who did 2 hours of aerobics 5 x a week to spending most of 20 years in bed was well, very hard. A very good lesson though. Guess the lead in the Stained Glass windows I built for 15 years in business wasn't good for me? Duh? Well, did I listen? Obviously not. But I kept my head up and struggled horribly, found a great man who I married but was still ill with the forever over diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Immune Disorder.
As a child I was blessed with being able to see spirits. (until I asked not to see because it's hard when your sick) So I always understood that we are not just our body, that there's much more to our true reality. I started to meditate daily and somewhere during that the white light turned into beautiful rays of sparkling colors of light. Then I picked up Barbara's book and it rang so true to me. She explains what the colors mean, and now I know how to use them for healing my aura and body. I always thought I was a healer, but couldn't heal myself. Now I can. Best book ever. Take your time and don't be impatient or you'll lose the lesson. It's truely amazing. And for those who are really very sick, stop talking and thinking about it and ask your family/supporters to do the same. We don't realize how much power we give to our illness. My first time talking the illness in 2 years but worth it if it helps you. This book surely will!

I'm having a problem. I'm in a dilemma and I'd like to know what you think. I hope you'll let me know. Here's the problem. I kinda take it for granted that we have free will. It seems like some kind of defining characteristic of the human soul. Although we may breathe the same air, and although the same Spirit runs through us, it's our free will that defines our individuality. The Biblical tradition seems to point to our free will. The concept of sin sure requires it. In the Edgar Cayce readings there is the idea there is nothing more powerful than our individual will. On TV it says, "The power of one!" There you have it.
On the other hand, I've been reading a book on prayer and healing. It's the almost classic and often referred to book by Larry Dossey, M.D., Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, (HarperCollins). He writes about how over one hundred experiments, exhibiting good scientific methodology, indicate that "prayer brings about significant changes in a variety of living beings." This includes fungus, bacteria, animals and humans. Moreover, the healing effects did not depend upon whether the person praying was in the presence of the organism being prayed for or at a great distance. Healing occurred whether the healing object was in a lead-lined room or a cage shielded from electromagnetic energy. It didn't seem to matter if the person (if it was a person and not a medical sample) knew about the prayer or believed in prayer.
"The fact that prayer works (at least some of the time) says something important about our nature, and how we may be connected to the Absolute," he says. It also shows that we are connected to each other. It shows that our thoughts matter. Dossey is smart and brave enough to discuss the flip side of this revelation. Call it "toxic prayer," where our negative thoughts have a negative effect on others. I'm not talking just about curses or swearing (as in asking the Absolute to squash you or condemn you to an eternity in the fires), but even those so-called "harmless" black thoughts we have about people from time to time. If we can be helped by prayers, we can be harmed by the mental negativity of others, even when we do not know they are being negative toward us, even when we are safely in our own homes, even when we are minding our own business. Sounds to me like an invasion of free will, a bruise to my autonomy, an assault on my integrity.
Now I have often heard that we are not supposed to pray for people without their permission. If Dossey is right, it is possible to pray for people without their knowledge and they still get well. We can hope that they wanted to heal! Seems like we shouldn't say to someone, "Good morning," but rather, "Good morning, by your leave, unless you have other plans!"
But I'm not joking, I'm serious and seriously confused here. I have read of experiments begun in Russia and duplicated here, where one person can mentally affect the physical functioning of another person, making that person tired, sleepy, even putting the person to sleep. It is possible to telepathically affect a person's heart rate. I guess that means that it is possible to stop a person's heart, especially if some writings on Voodoo are to be believed.
Now if it is true that we can mentally, telepathically, energetically--however you want to envision it--affect another person, even when they are in the privacy and safety of their lead lined home, then what does that mean about free will. Do we have free will if someone else can, from a distance, without our knowledge or consent, make us do their bidding, think the thoughts they want us to think, make the moves they want us to make? It is even possible to hypnotize a person at a distance, telepathically. The Russians called it "mental suggestion." Now we've all heard the soothing reminder, "you can't hypnotize a person to do something against their will." So does that mean you can't telepathically induce a person to think, feel, or do something against their will? If the telepathic influence was effective, then at some level the affected person was willing to allow it to happen? Is that how we get out of the quandry? Or is there really a hole in the protective shield of our free will?
I've met many people who complain that someone is sending them bad energy, invading their thoughts. Do we take the complaint seriously? Is the person "psychotic"? Since mental influence exists, maybe the person is right. If so, then is the real problem is that the person is willing to have it happen? The person objects to the invasion but feels helpless to stop it. Where's the free will, the willingness? Maybe not all of our free will is available for our freedom of choice. Maybe some of it is hidden in the dark depths of the soul. What do you think? Let me know. www.henryreed.com/publications/bookreviews

Dr. Dossey explains in HEALING WORDS how prayer-based healing works. It has been scientifically proven in hundreds of experiments to be a balanced part of health care that can significantly decrease health problems and significantly improve our quality and quantity of life. Dossey shares some of his own real-life stories of caring for patients... including an American Indian shaman, who requested Dr. Dossey's medical help for his aching neck! This book contains a wealth of information about prayer experiments written in Dossey's characteristically down-to-Earth style. I love the way Dossey raises questions about whether some prayer experiments are ethical, and why some scientists continue to resist the mounting body of evidence that so clearly shows how prayer has a powerful effect on healing.

This book reaffirmed my belief in prayer, and helped me to better understand its healing powers.

It's probably tempting to dismiss this book as "New Age" claptrap. That would be a mistake.

In fact Dossey is highly critical of the "New Age" movement. And despite some overblown cover blurbs, he doesn't claim to have "proven" anything about the power of prayer in healing; he's making suggestions and exploring possibilities, not laying down law.

Nor, for the most part, is his speculation wild or unfounded. His suggestions are founded on two things: empirical research that seems to show prayer is effective in promoting the biological growth of certain forms of life under controlled laboratory conditions, and the theological/philosophical view that reality is ultimately a single, universal, "nonlocal" Absolute Mind.

However controversial these foundations might be, he presents his suggestions with proper caution. And he is especially careful to avoid falling into the New Age blame-the-patient trap; he is well aware that prayer doesn't always achieve the results we might like and that this isn't because somebody has done something to "choose" or "deserve" ill health.

On the contrary, he has a healthy sense that prayer is really (though this language isn't quite his) for the purpose of adjusting us to the Divine Will rather than vice-versa. (Anthony de Mello tells a story somewhere about a man who said, "In your country it is regarded as a miracle when God does the will of a human being. In my country it is regarded as a miracle when a human being does the will of God.") On his view, the "power" of prayer is shown as much in our acceptance of our health limitations as in their elimination.

There are a couple of places where Dossey threatens to wander off the deep end (e.g. his suggestion that prayer can change the past), and there's a little bit of language (e.g. "Era I, Era II, and Era III") that recalls bad 1970s self-help books. But I really have only one bone to pick with Dossey: he tends at times to overstate the difference between his views and those of traditional, "classical" theism.

There is a tendency among those (of whom I am one, which is in part how I know this) who left their childhood religions in their early teens to assume, more or less unconsciously, that our understanding of such religion was complete at that time and none of its adherents understood any of the cool things we went on to discover for ourselves. It's hard to shake one's implicit belief that those hidebound "fundamentalists" couldn't _possibly_ have known any of this nifty "spirituality" stuff; "dogmatic" religion is, of course, the arch-enemy of "true" spirituality -- isn't it?

Dossey has a very mild tendency in this direction. In consequence I suspect he will occasionally leave more traditional religious believers with the sense that they are being misunderstood, patronized, or both.

But it doesn't happen very often, and it hardly happens at all in this book. On the whole, Dossey's approach tends to confirm rather than undermine the great theistic religions' view of prayer.

While conducting research on the power of prayer and healing, I was encouraged to get this book and I am so glad I did! I could not but this book down once I began to read it. This is a must read if you are interested in the subject. It is well written and it is based on true experiences in Dr. Dossey's practice.

Last year I used this book as a resource for a special high school art unit that I developed entitled "Sacred Circles." In addition to learning about circular artwork in various cultures and world religions, students used Judith's beautiful illustrations and step by step guides to create mandalas of their own. (...) This is a book that I still have available in my classroom and students continue to refer to it (independently!) to advance their drawing techniques. SO glad I bought this!

The beauty of the mandalas pictured in the book intimidated me because it had been so many years since I'd created any art. I didn't think I could do it. But I did it and I'm extremely grateful to Judith Cornell for writing this book. Working on the exercises at home, alone, is not the same experience as it would be in a group. The group can offer a creative support level that helps each individual surpass previous achievements. However, I'm so happy with the mandalas I created as a result of these exercises that I've put each one up on the wall. And, even more important, I've continued to draw. No more creative blocks for me!

I liked this book. The illustrations are fantastic. It includes good explanations of the spiritual work that can be involved during the process of drawing mandalas. It focuses primarily on the role and image of light. Everything is done on black paper. The guides for making your own mandalas are good. The instructions for shading and the use of color are very helpful. It helped me understand that not all mandalas rely on a geometric form. If you decide to use colors, do what the book suggests and spend the extra money to get the pencils listed. It's a spectacular difference in the end product.

This is a great book on many levels.
The other reviewers have done such a good job that I'll just leave it at that.
I will buy copies for friends. A perfect gift.

Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, by Judith Cornell, is absolutely the most incredibly beautiful book I've ever held in my hands. Holding and looking at it, even before reading, is like a sacred experience. Is it the beauty of the lay-out and illustrations? The very real spiritual impact of the mandalas presented, both historical and contemporary? A moment of healing even in the first moment's gasp of awe while browsing its pages? One even begins to caress its binding. One of my favorite activities now is to present it to friends and watch their faces--their eyes pop open, their jaws drop in amazement--and hear the quick intake of breath as its color begins to radiate into their awareness. Beyond the first impression, reading took me to awesome depths and insights regarding ultimate reality, syntheses I'd previously long puzzled. Don't miss this dazzling yet holy experience. Look, read, and practice the simple yet brilliant art-as-at-one-ment exercises for the depth of your life.

a comprehensive, mind-blowing book written by a brilliant researcher and talented writer.

Ott is one of those minds that turns over every rock, looks around every corner and behind every door to uncover for you, the reader, each sumptuous detail of his subject.

Get your hands on every book this man has written.

This work by Hofman/Ott has so impressed me that I have shared it with many colleagues in the Holistic Health Field. Regardless of your political views on the medicinal or recreational use of illicit substances in the United States, reading this work will most definitely enhance your opinion! The political history of restriction and regulation of naturally occuring plants and the substances they hold was absolutely riveting. I found this work by studying the life of Dr Hoxsey, a controversial Naturopath who used salves and tinctures to treat cancer in the 20's and 30's. Building on political history, the authors discuss the shamanistic uses of many of these plants and how early man viewed the sacredness of their effects. How the loss of the sense of "sacredness" in our society affected the "psychodelic" sixties. An absolutely incredible work that I often refer back to in order to understand how it has changed my view on the uses of such plants, government's desire to control them and the space left for society at large.

I had to rate this book 4 stars because of its esoteric nature. If you have a background and interest in chemistry, physics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc., this book definitely warrants 5 stars; but be forewarned, it is so esoteric in terms of the detailed chemistry of the subject compounds that the anthropologico-philosophical aspects risk becoming muddled. It is a bit dry due to the sheer focus on chemistry, but, should a non-chemical or biological sciences reader care to wade through the technical jargon, this book contains many sociology and anthropology oriented gems of note; especially in the proemium. Beyond the book's chemical analysis of entheogens, the socio-anthropological content is rewarding on its own merit, but is structured in such a scientific and choppy fashion that the philosophical statements easily get obscured in the technicality of the chemical presentation. On the other hand, the author, Jonathan Ott, is the founder of a chemical manufacturing firm that produces neurotoxins for biomedical research, so if you do in fact like viewing reality through chemical eyes, this book is indeed a great book, filled with chemistry, legal logic, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, etc.

In any case, here are some of the striking comments this book makes:

i) Entheogens, drugs, plants, etc., that mediate deeper social meanings and are used in many religious ceremonies, are socio~pharmacological agents that go far back into the history of medicine and anthropology, but which western bio-medicine generally under-emphasizes. For example, an American physician is unlikely to prescribe THC as a therapeutic agent, regardless of whether it is an effective treatment for symptoms of illness, nor will she utilize social aspects of healing, or generally healing itself, due to western cultural taboos. The gaps created in the social fabric due to entheogen use in many ceremonial settings are normal and constructive behaviors, and are found universally in human cultures diachronically. Age-old entheogen use among humans is often ignored by modern western medical practice, despite its efficacy in healing and socialization.

ii) Philosophically, entheogens are characterized by the author in a quote by the great biblical scholar and pantheist Spinoza, in that, "[entheogens] incite the desires and passions of men ... [they] incite men's thoughts the more toward those very objects ... [that are] forbidden." This implication by Spinoza is an example of the link between the feelings and social settings engendered by entheogens, and what we call holiness. It is also at the same time a critique of myopic drug laws and medical practices. Holidays from reality, whether by drugs, religion, or travel adventures, fit in with our innate thirst for novelty, regardless of whether Protestant or Muslem asceticism approves of them or not; nature demands these divine and necessary holidays. Whole religions are founded on such dynamics. For example, the ego dissolution caused by mescaline is similar to that sought in buddhism, or in the sacrifice of self found in the ideal of Jesus's sacrifice. Are such human events safe? arguably no, but highly useful and quite natural in any event.

iii) Legally, Ott elucidates the simple maxim that 'tobacco addiction is 'no different from heroine or cocaine' "; an ethical pill likely too hard to swallow for high level law makers or the average subjects of law: but irrefutably true in terms of raw biochemistry. Ott justifiably critiques the irrational and ineffective politics of the "war on drugs;" a politics as absurd and misleading as the current "war on terrorism."

iv) Pharmacologically, Ott underscores again and again, through chemical empiricism, that drugs merely mimick what already occurs naturally and by necessity in human physiology. As he states, "we're all on drugs, all of the time." Those not getting this simple fact are sorely unaware of, not only the essential mechanisms of organic emotion and their relations to psychopharmacology, but the wellsprings of their own existence as well.

The documentation and indexing of this book is extensive and could be a reference source for psychopharmacology for some time to come, although current ethical, legal, and cultural attitudes will likely assure that this valuable source material remains buried.

To recap, if you're not really into hard chemistry this book may bore you and be confusing and possibly meaningless. If, on the other hand, you have a background in chemistry and science, and are not fear-whipped by puritanical guilt, this book is a fairly insightful chronicle of the history, mechanisms, and sociology of our innate physiology in terms of religion, emotion, and the biochemistry of human/environmental interaction. Ott delivers this significant information in ways that have been present time and time again in many cultures across time, and buried as many times hence. The book is arguably a chemical manual of the origins and function of human spirituality; two phenomena seemingly at odds with one another: body and soul.

This work by Hofman/Ott has so impressed me that I have shared it with many colleagues in the Holistic Health Field. Regardless of your political views on the medicinal or recreational use of illicit substances in the United States, reading this work will most definitely enhance your opinion!

The political history of restriction and regulation of naturally occuring plants and the substances they hold was absolutely riveting. I found this work by studying the life of Dr Hoxsey, a controversial Naturopath who used salves and tinctures to treat cancer in the 20's and 30's.

Building on political history, the authors discuss the shamanistic uses of many of these plants and how early man viewed the sacredness of their effects. How the loss of the sense of "sacredness" in our society affected the "psychodelic" sixties.

An absolutely incredible work that I often refer back to in order to understand how it has changed my view on the uses of such plants, government's desire to control them and the space left for society at large.

Besides being really thick and imposing, this tome is really heavy. Really, really heavy. Jonathan Ott takes the time to document every reference ever published (seemingly, at least) while creating a surprisingly entertaining read.

This book is the Bible. I have never read a text more accurate, more useful, and more informative. If you can find this book, buy it. Protect it. Cherish it. Buy it presents. Take it on trips to the zoo- in fact, take it everywhere you go.

I do, and it has changed my life.

Ways to Better Breathing is the best book about breathing containing experiments. This is a simple book that helps people to regulate their breathing and achieve a relaxing moment. Speads teaches how to use breathing experiments for various purposes such as in stressful situation, to overcome fear and grief, to relax and so on.

It looks like the reader is having a private class with Speads when it comes to learning breathing experiments.

I would recommend everyone to do all the breathing experiments at least in the morning right after waking up and preferably on an empty stomach. These breathing exercises result in a phenomenon effect on your mind and body. As a result, it will invigorate and refresh your energy even after having a sleepless night.

I find the thought of doing breathing exercises based on readings from a book a bit daunting. I am the type that would much rather prefer a class or one on one instruction on how to properly do a breathing exercise. But... you don't need that with this book. It's so clearly written that you feel like the author is right there giving you instructions. Granted from time to time I would have to stop what I was doing and read it again but I always looked at the first couple of tries as a practice session and then I would do the full blown exercise once I thought I understood what it was I was to do. It's clear, concise and to the point....

This is the most complete, down to earth guide to working with your breathing. Carola Speads is a profound and generous teacher and both of those qualities come through in "Ways to Better Breathing". Read this book and, more importantly, do this book. It will be a friend to you for life. A true classic.

This excellent book provides you with the essence of how to gain skill and confidence in better breathing. Since breathing is a part of all that we do, it is a key to mastering life for everybody no matter what their situation is, and the author does an excellent job of conveying this. Thus an olympic level athlete or a person recouperating from a serious injury will find guidance and improvement in learning these experiments.they are extremely effective, yet taught by Carola in a way that is gentle, and adapts to everyone's varied situations. Just as learning the alphabet gives us access to create and also read many words, learning these breathing experiments is a key that will open us up to a much fuller potential in all our life situations. Once these experiments are learned, they can be applied, even with just a few seconds of time to improve our breathing.Carola Speads is a master teacher, who lived for 98 years and taught this work for 83 years of her life. We are fortunate that she shared her brilliant ideas in a do it yourself format so that we can all benefit from her expertise. I recommend this book to all my friends, colleagues and patients, since it is so basic and effective to improving their lives, no matter what challenges they face or aspirations they are reaching for.

Relatively few works are likely to concretely impact the quality of our everyday life. According to my opinion, and based on the experiment which I made of the practical tools described in this book, this one is one of them.
Do not mislead you there, this work has nothing to do with the majority of the "doubtful" works devoted to breathing.
In short, this remarkable book is a great classic, you will understand quickly why. I sincerely wish you to discover it soon.