Complementary-Therapy Books

I am very happy with this book. It has two pages on each oil describing the aroma, a description of the plant, the history and myths, chemical constituents, uses, precautions, and other oils it blends well with. At the back is a glossary, a blend chart, which catagorizes the types of oils, and a skin type chart. I have found it easy to use, and helpful in my home creations.

This is one of my favorite and most referenced handbooks for essential oils. It is designed for one who knows at least a little about aromatherapy, and plans to be working with the oils. Warning: the drawings on some of the pages may be offensive to some, depicting a witch with an herb popularly used by witches at one time, and people not fully dressed on others. I value the book for it's wealth of information, and ignore some of the illustrations.

Two pages are devoted to each of the essential oils, which are in alphabetical order. Near the title of each oil there is a chart listing the plant/part (plant as in "tree", and part as in "leaves" or "fruit"), Latin name, family, note (top, middle or base), planet, and means of extraction. There are several categories that describe each oil. Aroma describes the kind of fragrance; "features" tell about physical characteristics of the plant, and where it is grown, and such. A section called "History and Myth" tells about how the oil was used historically, and any myths associated with it. The chemical constituents, oil properties, and any precautions are listed. Three sections are devoted to telling how each oil may effect the mind (as in being a sedative), body (as in helping to regulate women's cycles), and skin (as in reactions to say, oily or sensitive skin). The last heading on each page is "blends" which lists other essential oils which blend well with the one under discussion.

There are several helpful resources in the back of the book. A glossary gives a short definition of oil properties, and lists the oils with each property. A blending chart is included, categorizing the oils by what they are (trees, flowers, spices, etc.) and telling what commonly works well together. Another chart lists the oils under which skin types for which they would be most helpful.

This book is definately a must for anyone studying or wants to know more about essential oils. I used this book as a bible during my Diploma of Aromatherapy course, and I still find it a valuable tool for this modality, as it covers everything from where the plant originates from, its chemical properities, effects on the mind, body, skin, blending. I highly recommend this book for any aromatherapy enthusiast. A must on the bookshelf.

This book is great! It covers most of the oils any one would use and some you may never have heard of. I really like that it includes the note( top middle base) for each oil as well. This is a must have book that you will use often.

This book is a must have! It is a whimsical read jam packed with herbal know how. Shatoiya has a wonderful outlook on life and herbalism. She effortlessly blends humour, fabulous recipes, and knowledge into one little book. I just made the chocolate cake, and it is KILLER! I have tried a few of the lotion and salve recipes and was delighted that they not only turned out, but they were so easy to make. Thank you for this wonderful treasure! It is a keeper for my own natural healing library and will be an awesome gift for many of my friends this year!

This is the best definitive book on herbs yet. Both novice and expert will find a wealth of information about the use of herbs. Having been a bookseller for many years, I have had the opportunity to view quite a few books on the subject of alternative healing and never have I found a more concise and useful book than Earth Mother Herbal. It is a good read too...full of wonderful wit, wisdom and stories.

Easy to follow, this book is a good place to start learning about growing and using herbs. In addition to clear explanations on making tinctures, poultices, teas, baths, etc. there are recipes and suggestions for seasonal celebrations. The fact that it covers not only medicinal uses but also culinary and gift making makes it a valuable beginners book on the diverse uses of herbs.

As a green witch, I liked the chance to learn about herbs commonly used in magick from a different perspective. It gave me ideas on how to use these gifts from the Earth in a way that still represents my beliefs yet allows me to share it them with others in different forms other than incense or potions.

Really a great reference. Has 40 herbs discussed - each entry gives facts and folklore, how to grow the herb and harvest it, how to use it, and a recipe or two. Then there is a section on making herbal remedies, soaps, bath salts. I also really like the section for the kitchen which has recipes for different herbal blends to use as seasonings. Beautiful writing as well throughout.

The EnerQi Connection: Demystifying Acupuncture
The title is really what it is all about! This book explains the principles and mechanisms of acupuncture in an enlightening and relevant manner. This book provides insight for achieving personal balance and inner strength. I highly recommend it to people both new to acupuncture and long time patients!

A wonderful book that takes the mystery out of acupuncture and explains things in a easy, thoughtful way.

It was a pleasure to read a simplified description of acupuncture, as well as learn of the vast training received by Sheri Laine. I have been in the healing arts for many years, and I have studied much of Chinese Medicine. THE ENERQI CONNECTION simplifies the complexities of acupuncture, especially the chapter on Five Element Theory, drawing in the attention and understanding of those not familiar with the art. Thank you, Sheri!

I was considering the possibility of visiting an acupuncturist when I discovered this new book. Dr. Laine's writing is accessible and helps clarify the process of acupuncture for even a total novice! I was very happy to have such a readable "guide" lead me through the process. After reading it, I no longer felt intimidated by eastern medicine. I was also pleased to discover the helpful nutritional advice from Dr. Laine. Anyone considering acupuncture should pick up this book first.

I have been trained in and have used Thought Field Therapy for many years. Before this ETFT book, I barely understood the background and theory. This book is clearly THE book on the subject. It is dense with information as well as practical methodology. It is to TFT what Francine Shapiro's book is to EMDR. I have read ETFT and continually refer to it to sharpen my practice. THIS IS A "MUST OWN" Text for anyone who wants to deepen the effectiveness of their psychotherapy practice.

Thought Field Therapy (TFT) was developed by Roger Callahan in the 1970's. This involves touching or tapping on prescribed series (algorithms) of acupuncture points that are specific for particular problems.

Prior to starting a series of these interventions, a person assesses her level of distress on a scale of "0" (not at all" to "10" (the worst I could feel at this moment as I focus on this issue). While tapping, a person will focus mentally on an affirmation. This process is repeated until the distress level is zero.

In a brief period, many people can eliminate their symptoms and transform their lives. Being trained in psychology, medicine, psychiatry and research, I was highly skeptical when I first heard of this therapy. I expected that if symptoms were rapidly eliminated, people would have them recur or would develop other symptoms - in the service of unconscious conflicts and needs. Having been an observer and active participant in these Meridian Based Therapies (MBTs) for five years, my opinions have drastically changed. I've seen hundreds of people cured of problems - major and minor - with these brief interventions.

These authors bring us an excellent summary of their variation on this system of treatment, which they call Evolving Thought Field Therapy (EvTFT). They summarize succinctly the history of TFT and explain the ways in which they have taken this further. Diepold, in particular, has pioneered new approaches that involve breathing to augment the therapeutic effects of treatment. In addition, muscle testing derived from Kinesiology is used to identify issues and attitudes that may impede or facilitate therapy.

This book is a helpful contribution to the field. It is clearly written and well organized, with illustrations to identify acupressure points and muscle testing methods, ample case examples, an excellent index, and generous references for further perusal.

The authors bring nearly 100 years's worth of clinical experience to their collaboration in this unification of many aspects of thought field therapy and body/mind/energy work. It's the first book that provides a cohesive explanation of *how* energy psychotherapy seems to work. By drawing in examples from many different ways of thinking about energy fields in human experience, the authors show how EvTFT just seems to "make sense" on many levels--intuitive, historical, spiritual and yes, even clincal.

I have had the privilege of working with the author in the entire decade-plus that he's been actively learning and integrating TFT into his practice. It has been a life-transforming experience from day one.

It is my hope that the skills taught in this book will find a wide audience among therapists in many disciplines and encourage the use of EvTFT in daily practice. EvTFT can be like magic in its effectiveness in lifting away painful, lifelong blocks in clients' lives.

Diepold, Britt, and Bender have produced a remarkable addition to the emerging literature of energy psychology. In the first part of the book they introduce the reader to the importance of understanding paradigms as they apply to psychology, and how they must inevitably shift as knowledge accumulates. They then give a solid review of the basics of the meridian system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the procedures of manual muscle testing to assess what is happening energetically in the body. They go on to describe the Touch and Breathe method of balancing meridians (which I have used with great success for several years)--an approach with which every practitioner of energy psychology will want to be familiar. They then present the most detailed explication of system disruption and treatment blocks that is available in the literature. They challenge the reader to understand and experiment with two additional forms of therapy localization (diagnosis)--contact-directed diagnosis using the therapist's own body, and thought-directed diagnosis. New ground is broken with the treatment approach for positive emotions which lead clients to be trapped in destructive compulsions, including addictive behaviors. This is really a break-through for a number of clinical conditions. Their section on supplemental and and modified protocols is well-presented, especially the section on the tratment of dissociative disorders. By no means a cookbook, the authors stress and explain how Evolving Thought Field Therapy is integrated into the overall practice of psychotherapy, and 25 terrific case examples are presented which effectively elucidate their position. The final chapter, Epilogue, and Afterward (by William Tiller, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Stanford University) present challenging and thought-provoking theories as it becomes apparent that the authors are thinking deeply and profoundly about the underpinnings of this most powerful and effective therapy tool.

This is a book that will be appreciated the most by those practitioners who already have some experience with energy psychology and are hungry for refinements in technique, applicability to a greater range of clinical conditions, and deeper understandings of what is going on with this amazing technique.

I was really surprised at how much this book covers!!!
The food advice is invaluable- esp. in increasing Dad's fertility. I love how it also warned about the enviromental factors that lead to decreased fertility for both Mom/Dad-to-be. After reading this, I didn't let dh apply the pesticides/herbicides to our yard anymore.
The book isn't magic, but it sure can help.

Ascetically, it is very pleasing to touch and read, even though it is older now.

Recommend to anyone considering conceiving.

This book has a lot of good info. It has a lot of straight to the point facts and numbers. If you worry a lot like me this book will give you good info but don't take the statistics to heart. It does cover a lot of areas of concern and things you wonder about when you and your partner are considering having a baby. Things to do things to not to and how to prepare your body for pregnancy.

Very detailed and easy to read.

Bought the book and within a month my husband I found out we were pregnant!

Great Book!

Without anybody or anything to guide me I came across this book and went to see it in person before I bought it. Not only did the colorful pictures illustrate ideas and concepts nicely, but the layout of the book makes this an easy read. I couldn't put it down! I found myself amazed at all the things I learned about the female body. Oh, I can't forget the male body too, that's just as important. One side note, the book talks about possible complications during pregnancy and since I already have high blood pressure, I started to get a little anxiety reading the part about pre eclampsia, a condition you can have during pregnancy (high blood pressure). So when you read this part, just take it with a grain of salt. Otherwise, the book is great and gives you much knowledge on how to conceive, the best time, how to chart it out, etc. This book went beyond my expectations. I'm glad I read it now since I can take some of the advice and become healthy now for our unborn child. I would recommend it to anybody thinking about trying to have a baby.

I enjoyed this short book of 107 pages consisting of nine talks by the Master, and I felt drawn to go over these talks three times just to absorb them, inhale them like mountain air, and to understand why I felt this book warranted reading and rereading. Now I am ready to point out a few examples that answer just why this book is so enormously enchanting.

For one, in taking up these nine talks, you encounter bright, creative ideas the combination and interrelatedness of which can be found nowhere else except from the mouth of this unique, articulate speaker. Some of the ideas have to do with conscious art disappearing in the West around the time of the appearance of Gothic art; others have to do with the body being only an idea within the mind, and yet others have to do with relaxation as an important enterprise in spiritual research in conjunction with being who you are.

I simply loved the rejection of discipline, such as meditation, as a technique for awakening since any method or technique for awakening, says Jean Klein, simply works to condition the mind, and thus remains a technology having nothing to do with realization and discrimination but only with creating a vicious circle of force and inner resistance.

What remains attractive about these talks is that one senses an artist speaking consciously behind the words. The study of painting and the making or arranging of objects for a picture, for example, was posited for (as a metaphor and an analogy), and connected to, spiritual research toward awakening in Chapter 3, thus asserting the possibility of proceeding with spiritual research without a center or central focus, the Self being no object of awareness, according to Klein.

The author appears as comfortably inclined to mention Goethe, Rene Guenon, and sacred Indian music in these spiritual discussions as he is to speak of desire, ego, and nonduality.

There is an austere, graceful and poetic clarity to these talks that make them perpetually magnetic.

Things never keep their promises, the wise saying goes, but this book nonetheless delivers something tasteful and rare for the discriminating reader. If nothing else, this book is a direct path to inspiration and something new for one's life: acceptance of oneself and deep moments of peace and inner stillness.

I really encourage everyone to own a copy of this book. This book further explores the idea of always living in the present.

This is one of the best books, but you don't have to pay an outrageous sum for it. It is available at the Jean Klein foundation for only $8.95.

Klein's words carry the authenticity of a true master, not preaching but sharing a direct apprehension of the true nature of reality. Not always easy to follow on first reading, they are nevertheless a true reflection of the Direct Path teachings inspired by the sage Atmananda Krishna Menon, one of Klein's major influences. This book is one of the four recently republished by Non-Duality Press and it is very good indeed. As with all of his books, each chapter consists of a short talk on a particular aspect followed by questions and answers that are not always related. Topics specifically addressed are: Direct Path teaching including a comparison with Yoga and meditation, objects and attributes, presence and being in the present. If you only tend to read books by current satsang teachers, you should definitely try this for a change!


Dennis Waite, author of Back to the Truth: 5000 years of Advaita

Hi I use essential oils in my Reiki Healing practrice. I love this book its just wonderful It really helped me learn about how to use Essentail oils in my healing work. Its clear and easy to read . and I look at it often. Angelic Reiki Blessings, Gigi Benanti Norwalk ct

When there are so many readymade products on the market, why do people take so much time to create their own? Reading "The Fragrant Heavens" supplies key answers to this question, the most significant is our desire to tap into the spiritual dimensions of plants. "The Fragrant Heavens" is another stellar work by Valerie Ann Worwood. This is a book to treasure and to give as as a gift to anyone involved in holistic health or spirituality.

One can easily tell that the author has not only spent much time studying and working with this aspect of aromatherapy, but the writing was purely a labor of love. Her other books are very good. This one is excellent. Even people who do not particularly do this type of practice will appreciate the detailed knowledge provided and the author's deep respect for the subject.

This book does wonderful justice to what we have all subliminally known - namely that scent and fragrance work on more than the physical realm. In this remarkable book, Valerie Worwood discusses in great detail the role of essential oils in all kinds of spiritual and emotional practice and healing. For example there are numerous colour photographs of the remarkably beautiful auras of different oils. There are table compiled by those who have real experience of them, of how oils interact with angels (don't let this put you off) and there is an in depth discussion of each of 62 oils and how they work to support and heal us on a deeper and higher levels than anything purely chemical could. I have long used and love essential oils and this is an invaluable addition to my library of more basic introductions to the physical properties of the oils. Incidentally, Worwood's Fragrant Pharmacy is one of the best books of its kind of the medical and household uses of oils, and her Fragrant Mind is BY FAR the best book on healing mind and emotions with essential oils.

For anyonyone that wants to know more about the memdicinal uses of herbs, this is the book to read.

From Earth To Herbalist: An Earth-conscious Guide To Medicinal Plants is a straightforward field guide to the sustainable harvesting and usage of North American medicinal plants, emphasizing the principles of ethical wildcrafting and the herbalist's connection with the earth. The introduction offers a basic guide to earth medicine; detailed profiles of 52 medicinal plants, along with color photographs, detailed line drawings, instructions to distinguish, harvest, handle and propagate herbs, how to make use of herbal remedies, and when to choose alternative herbal medicines make From Earth To Herbalist an practical, easy-to-use, quick-reference resource. A resource list, bibliography, and index, round out this valuable field guide to healing plants from Bee Balm to Goldthread and Valerian.

I love this book so much that I made it required text for my Roots and Branches Herbal Home Study Course with the Herbal Medicine Making Kit.

NO OTHER BOOK covers ethical wildcrafting like this one. Not only does it have excellent background information, the plant descriptions are fantastic.

When I want to know how to wildcraft a plant, this is the first book I reach for. It has helped me in MANY situations.

I can't say enough about this book. So I'll stop here... If you want to learn how to harvest plants and use the plants you harvest... this is the book....period.

This book goes beyond the typical field guide to herbs in promoting the ethical harvest of wild plants and putting emphysis on the herbalist's connection to the Earth. Although it only covers 52 common herbs, it does so thoroughly and includes nice color plates for identification and typical information such as habitat and range of the herbs, applications & seasons to harvest. However, it also includes plant-animal interdependence and a "tread lighly" section which discusses how to minimize damage to the micro-ecosystem when harvesting each specific plant. Also incuded is a general chapter on ethical harvesting, and a chapter on basic herbal preparation. More field guides and herb books need to follow this ethical approach to help preserve our wild plants for the future.

This little book was just was I was looking for ! I have been making my own gemstones in water and drinking it, not sure what I was doing or why, I was just compelled. I kept thinking, if stones give off certain energies, and water absorbs and retains energies/memory/information, then can I drink their energy ?
Then one day I ran into this little book and ordered it rightaway !It was EXACTLY what I was looking for !
I am confused about one thing- he reccommends not putting the water or stones in sunlight, but thats what I have been doing with mine. I'm confused because I thought putting stone in sunlight would give it a "charge", yet he implies this would weaken it ???
If you are interested in elixirs or tonics or gemstone healing or water, or familiar with the book, "Hidden messages inwater" , I would check this book out ! Can fit in your purse !
Thank you to the authors and I want to visit your websites !
Dc

This is a little book, but has enough information about the making of gem waters. The only thing I regret is that I would like to study more on this topic and the webpages that are at the end of the book, where you can find updates etc, are in german.... OPS!!!!!!!! If you translate a book, ensure that the complementary resources will be translated too.

But the info is enough to begin making gem water in a safe and higienical way. It explains everything from the qualities of crystals and gems, to the cuantities for preparation, methods for cleaning and clearing crystals and for preparing gem waters.

I recommend it to anybody, experienced or not on healing, crystals, etc. It's good enough for the price.

The only reason I didn't give it five stars, is because I've seen that there is another book before this writen by the same author and it is not translated, so, if you want to go deeper on this topic, where do you go now?

And please, translate the webpages ;)

A very well written and concise discussion on the practice and therapeutic benefits of gem water. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this powerful medicine that will in time be a greatly appreciated method of healing.

I really liked this book, though the tiny size made it difficult for me to read. I was very interested in the transfer method, and the way the picture is in the book, couldn't really tell if the crystals used were single or double terminated. They didn't give very much written information about it; I THINK they were single, but it was very hard to tell. Other than those two things, I really liked this book. It gave 2 different methods for making elixirs without putting the stones in the water. I have noticed that the lists of stones to not put directly in water to be taken internally varies almost everywhere you see one, so I am extremely wary of making them by any direct method. According to the authors, the transfer method is the way to make the strongest elixir, it is indirect, it's the shortest method, and also looks the easiest. I have never seen this method in any of the other books I've read! The other indirect method was using a quartz test tube-like affair to put in the water, but I was afraid that it could make tiny chips and get glass in the elixir. This is not going to happen with the transfer. Another way (direct) was by boiling the crystals, but I durn sure am not going to boil any of mine; sorry! I believe there were a couple other methods given, which I didn't pay attention to, as they were direct.

All in all was exceptionally good information, and I'm sure the tiny size is better for the trees! Recommended!

As the title of the book states, "Guided Imaery and Beyond" goes BEYOND kindergarten guided imagery to graduate work Integrative Imagery. It describes a fabulous gentle process for "healing and transformation" that can be utilized in any situation that presents challenge: physical, emotional and/or spiritual.

After reading Guided Imagery and Beyond, Stories of Healing and Transformation, all I can say is READ IT, it is very inspiring. It is great to have a book that brings these inspiring stories of healing and transformation to show us what we can do with our mind and our imagination. Thank you Susan and Terry for putting these wonderful stories together to give us all hope for transformation & healing. I highly recommend this book. Doreen

This book has a lot of heart and substance. The very useful and broad range of information is presented in a "hands-on" style that easily inspires and instructs. The personal accounts are touching and clearly demonstrate the many arenas of life in which the tools of creative imagination can be applied with results ranging from interesting to miraculous. I don't know anyone who could not benefit from reading this book!

This book is a "must read" for all who are becoming aware of the potential each person has for coping with life's challenges. The stories are full of interesting situations and evoke emotions from tears to laughter. It can be very helpful in preparing for a challenging event, recuperating from an illness, or just new ways of looking at life.