Self Help

Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior: A Companion to the Book That Changes Lives (Millman, Dan)

by Dan Millman

Average Rating:

"Updated commentary on the "Peaceful Warrior" from a 60 or so year old Dan Millman? Well, it doesn't get much better than this! I enjoyed every moment that I spent with this book, and when I finished reading, I wanted to stand and clap (would have if I were not in a social setting...). Though I am somewhat biased in that I share many of the views Millman presents, I think any seeker will benefit greatly from reading this powerful book. It also has a very gentle feel, a humble feel, and obviously comes from a place of deep sincerity and honesty. I loved the various quotations because they were so on-target and poignant. The book covers a lot of ground, lots of material that is already out there, but the difference is the open-mindedness and willingness to accept that each person is unique and no view is perfect. A bizzillion stars! "

Publisher: HJ Kramer | More reviews: amazon.com

Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche

by Bill Plotkin

Average Rating:

"Bill Plotkin's Soulcraft, grounded in the author's formal training as a clinical psychologist, and in his decades of experience as a wilderness guide who guides his clients through both inner and outer wilderness, provides readers with an experience-based, intellectually stimulating, and potentially life-altering antidote to mainstream Western civilization. Based on the premise that virtually all of us live lives that attempt to satisfy the ego's needs while ignoring the soul's deeper yearnings, Plotkin guides us to a severance from our ego-based lives, through an encounter with soul, and finally into a return, with new knowledge of the gifts we carry to our people--family, friends, co-workers and community. As he encourages us to grow from our necessary and valuable uninitiated adolescent need to be accepted by society, into our initiated adult need to live authentically these gifts we carry, he treats us to his own story and the stories of others who are doing the work of authenticity. More than 30 practices validate the presence of the word "craft" in the book's main title. Whether the reader is drawn to meditation, drumming, dream work, deep imagery, befriending the dark, wandering in nature, working with shadow or any one of more than a score more approaches to living a soul-based life, Bill Plotkin challenges us to live our true callings, and provides us the means with which to do so. Soulcraft engaged me both experientially and philosophically, calling me to both act and think. It's no accident that Thomas Berry wrote the foreword, or that Brian Swimme, Angeles Arrien, Robert Johnson, and Derrick Jensen, among others, praised the book before publication.

Bill Plotkin, in the words of David Whyte, whose poetry graces many of these pages, carries "what is hidden as a gift to others." For this we should all be grateful."

Publisher: New World Library | More reviews: amazon.com

The 5 Rules of Thought: How to Use the Power of Your Mind to Get What You Want

by Mary T. Browne

Average Rating:

"This book is such an incredible gift from Mary T. Browne. I am recommending it to my friends and family. And I urge everybody to approach it with an open mind and at least look at it for even a few minutes. Even a small dose can only help your soul. "

Publisher: Atria | More reviews: amazon.com

Notes from the Universe: New Perspectives from an Old Friend

by Mike Dooley

Average Rating:

"I've been a huge fan of Mike Dooley since I discovered his website and started receiving daily "Notes from the Universe." I recently shared that discovery with my sister and gave her this book so she could get "caught up."

This is a perfect book to dip into every day to remind you of life's universal truths -- and make you laugh! Also a terrific gift..."

Publisher: Atria Books/Beyond Words | More reviews: amazon.com

Reiki The Ultimate Guide Learn Sacred Symbols & Attunements plus Reiki Secrets You Should Know

by Steve Murray

Average Rating:

"This is a fascinating energy practice.

Some practitioners regard the contents of this book as secret information, only to be passed from Master to student. Many Reiki books do not include this information. As you read this book, you will discover that it does cover all the symbols up to Master Level, and the attunement processes.

The author also shows the beaming and scanning techniques he uses in his sessions which are interesting.

What is not included in this book is the history of Reiki, which you can easily find from other sources or on the internet.

A more surprising omission is that it does not include the different hand positions, which would require me to buy another book.

If you are looking for general Reiki information, or to learn about Reiki you should look elsewhere. If you are looking to practice Reiki then this book is an excellent guide.

If you were to find this review helpful, please click yes."

Publisher: Body Mind Productions | More reviews: amazon.com

Ex-Free: 9 Keys To Freedom After Heartbreak

by Troy Byer

Average Rating:

"Even though my husband and I are separated and there were a lot of tears and heartache that led to the separation, thanks to the Keys in this book, I am not angry about the past anymore. It's miraculous, to not be angry, to be able to be in the moment because this book actually helped me to see why I loved him in the first place, our dreams together and how he made me think bigger than I ever had before I met him. Now he and I can be friends with a common respect and love for one another and very importantly, great parents to our 6 year old Luna. I am so grateful for the lessons and exercises in this book! I now know I am not the loser I thought I was for falling in love with my ex. "

Publisher: TroyCircle | More reviews: amazon.com

Sourcebook of Magic: A Comprehensive Guide to NLP Change Patterns

by L. Michael Hall

Average Rating:

"I bought this book recently, and even working on the first pattern, I noticed a significant mental shift, when I ran the pattern through my own neurology. I have used that pattern many times, and just feel very calm. It could also be called the Law of Attraction pattern.

A complaint of many NLP books is that they are difficult to read or the concepts are difficult to grasp. I can assure that this book is not difficult to follow, if you have a basic grasp of NLP. I highly recommend it.

If you were to find this review helpful, please click yes.
"

Publisher: Crown House Publishing | More reviews: amazon.com

The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife (Studies in Jungian Psychology By Jungian Analysts)

by James Hollis

Average Rating:

"James Hollis had written a short but well thought out book on the midlife crisis. The term "mid-life crisis" would not be a term Hollis would use, because he sees the conflicts and disturbances that happen at mid-life as wonderful warnings that new directions are needed to achieve a meaningful life. He compares the depression, the loss of energy, the unexplained anger, the flare up of passion, as earthquake type pressures that give evidence of the rumblings below. He compares the magic thinking of children, to the heroic thinking of young adulthood, to the more realistic thinking of the second adulthood. It is during this second adulthood that we must recognize what behavior patterns we bring from our early family of origin and whether those patterns have become maladaptive rather than adapative. He asks us to be aware of emotional outbursts or unrealistic passions of any type that signal that an unresoved complex still directs us emotionally and may be blocking our growth. He asks us to be willing to go into the luminous darkness within to seek answers, after all, by midlife you should have seen enough of the world to know that answers rarely lie outside of ourselves. I enjoyed the poetry of Tennyson, Rilke, and Kazantzakis that he uses throughout the book. I especially liked the linkage to Tennyson's Ulysses, a poem that honors the fact that Ulysses' greatest adventures happen after mid-life. Hollis believes the greatest tragedy during the midlife crisis is to remain unconscious and never examine the illusions, concepts, complexes, and dark shadows within us. After all, as we reach mid-life, this is the last chance for a meaningful life. The meaningful life is a higher goal that the happy life for both Jung and Hollis. Hollis links his concepts to the ancient Greek dramatic concept of the tragic flaw. This flaw is usually unconscious and eventually brings the hero to ruin, at which point, his eyes are opened and he sees beyond the veil of illusion under which he has acted. Hollis would say that the meaningful midlife is one in which ego needs are met and the ego becomes a tool, not an ever hungry brat requiring constant feeding. The wise adult uses the ego to achive a meaningful life, but does not have to achieve fame and fortune to feed this bottomless belly. The complexes are identified when unexplained or unwarranted anger and passion occur. After all these are just sign posts of an inner strategy failing to operate as it did back in childhood. The shadow has been accepted so that one's faults are put in perspective and do not weigh one down day after day with guilt and flashbacks and recriminations. This gives us the strength to go into the final years where one by one we lose all those whom we have loved and eventually they will lose us. Jung asks "Are we related to something infinite or not?" and he defines life as a luminous spell between two dark mysteries. Coming through the mid-life crisis allows us to personally answer these thoughts and concepts."

Publisher: Inner City Books | More reviews: amazon.com

Manifest Your Destiny: The Nine Spiritual Principles for Getting Everything You Want

by Dr.Wayne W. Dyer

Average Rating:

"No conflict between material desires and spritual goals. Great concepts and they work.Get this book and An Encounter With A Prophet if you want hugh changes in your life."

Publisher: HarperPaperbacks | More reviews: amazon.com

40 Days to Personal Revolution: A Breakthrough Program to Radically Change Your Body and Awaken the Sacred Within Your Soul

by Baron Baptiste

Average Rating:

" If you found "Journey Into Power" (Baron's first book), to be a life changing book (I also have it on CD and listen to it all the time for inspiration), Baron has produced another excellent guide along the path of his approach to yoga.

While I must admit that I haven't followed the plan on a week by week basis, I have already been doing yoga daily for 8 years and have a very well established practice which I vary daily (I have over 70 videos of every imaginable style of yoga).

A big part of the reason that I purchased this book is because I was curious to see how he broke the sequences down for the various weeks. I like the way he lays out the routines in the series of photographs in the back section of the book, very useful!

The excavation questions in the meditation sections are useful as well as the principles he outlines in the first part of the book. The last section is also very useful in terms of applying yoga to one's whole life and not just what happens on the mat.

I did find Baron's nutritional principles ("The Cleansing Diet" and "The Detoxifying Cleanse") a bit easier to follow in "Journey Into Power", but there was still much interesting "food for thought" in this new book :) Baron's approach to eating is not a "diet" in the way the word is typically used, it's just really an approach to eating vital, living and unprocessed foods along with the psychology behind your relationship to food.

As far as practicing Yoga, in general I feel it's much easier to work with his Video/DVD programs than any book, even those as excellent as Baron's. His video/dvd programs are the best I've seen if you want a real "physical" yet sensible practice. For me the information on the poses in the books are excellent for getting detailed information on the specific elements of the poses which can be hard to get and absorb in the flow of a class (be it live or recorded).

In particular I'd recommend his "Live" programs, such as "Core Power" and "Unlocking Athletic Power" which are shorter practices. Plus "Soul Of Strength" which is a longer program (and it follows the "Journey Into Power" sequence almost exactly, just a few differences.

His PBS special which you can buy called "Transform Your Life" is a documentary of sorts which shows 40 students on one of Baron's weeklong "Bootcamps" and it is very inspirational, it also has a fabulous 20 minute Power Yoga Basics routine which is worth the price of the tape alone, I use it all the time for a short but effective practice.


Also, you may want to check out Baron's "Bootcamp Box" which has two CD's (not DVD's, but the CD's are VERY easy to follow) and flash cards which contain three 20 minute practices (Vinayas Flow/Hip Flow/Core Flow) and a long 75 minute practice. It also has a small booklet that helps you structure a home "Bootcamp" weekend practice.

Since writing this review I have purchased and used his "Journey Into Power" Video/DVD programs and they are excellent. The level one is a wonderful introduction to Baron's approach, it certainly seems that it would be challenging for someone new to vinyasa flow, and even for an experienced person it is a nice shorter and less intense practice than the level 2 which is considerably more intense. The level 2 program follows the sequence of Baron's book "Journey Into Power" quite closely (though it is very close to "Soul Of Strength" so if you have that you may not need "Journey Into Power" Level 2)
Namaste"

Publisher: Fireside | More reviews: amazon.com