Harmonise body, mind and spirit

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The books are ordered alphabetically by the first author's surname.

Boundaries: When to say yes, when to say no, to take control of your life ' - Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Many people struggle with setting boundaries whether this be with their spouses, their children, their bosses or their family and friends.  Someone with clear boundaries knows where they end and another person begins and when it is healthy and unhealthy to allow another to cross that boundary. 

If children are not taught healthy boundaries by their parents and significant others they can struggle in adult life.  For example, they may constantly and begrudgingly say 'yes' to others' demands because they believe that to say 'no' would make them a bad girl or boy, risking punishment.

This book will help you drop negative beliefs about boundaries, allowing you to confidently take control of your life.

Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth - Robert A. Johnson

Once in a while a book comes along that changes who I am – this is one of those books.  Robert A. Johnson is a Jungian analyst who studied in Zurich under Carl Jung.  His book, Inner Work, makes Jung’s ideas about the individual and collective unconscious not only highly accessible but relevant to our everyday lives.

Using a simple, four-step process, he shows how to understand the strange symbolism of our dreams.  Dreams often appear to us as nonsensical but, when understood, contain immense wisdom.  Once we extract the wisdom from our dreams we can apply the lessons they teach to our lives.  The lessons help us balance the often conflicting parts of our personality.  They help us see our problems from a more wholistic perspective, make better decisions, create peace in our lives and live with richness, depth and meaning.

In the second half of the book, Johnson explores Jung’s idea of Active Imagination.  We learn that imagination is not just unreal fantasy but, when used in a purposeful way, can, like dreams, provide us with wisdom and life lessons from our unconscious minds.   

Using these methods teaches us to trust the intelligence inherent within us.  This reduces our fear and anxiety because we realise that there’s no need to forcibly control the world around us, we can be content to let it be, trusting that we are divinely held and protected.

Read more about Robert A. Johnson and his co-author Jerry M. Ruhl at http://www.jerryruhlrobertjohnson.com.

Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life in Between Lives - Michael Newton PhD

Embracing Your Inner Critic: Turning self-criticism into a creative asset - Hal Stone & Sidra Stone

We all have a voice within us, sometimes very loud, that constantly picks on us.  It tells us that we’re not good enough, that others are much better than we are, that we shouldn’t have done what we did, that we’re not living up to our standards, that we’re lazy, stupid, not strong enough, too strong, blah blah blah. 

As painful as it is, this Inner Critic is actually a part of our personality and has developed to keep us safe.  It forms in childhood to make sure that we conform to the norms of our society, gender, culture, etc.  Unfortunately, it does not relinquish this role and usually gets out of control as we grow up.

This fascinating book shows you how to become aware of your Inner Critic.  It helps you identify the Critic’s underlying fears and anxieties that keep it attacking you so you can stop playing its game and instead embrace it as a powerful ally.  Rather than feeling debilitated, anxious or depressed you will have a tool for releasing inner creativity, experiencing more personal authority and obtaining objective guidance in life. 

I highly recommend this book as well as others by Hal and Sidra Stone, the creators of the powerful psychoanalytic technique, Voice Dialogue.  If you’d like to know more about the Inner Critic, and the array of our other sub-personalities, you can visit Hal and Sidra’s website at http://delos-inc.com. 

'Many Lives, Many Masters' - Brian L Weiss

Brian L. Weiss M.D. is Chairman Emeritus of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami.

While conducting psychotherapy with a patient, Catherine, in 1980 she suddenly started recalling past lives.  At first Dr Weiss did not know what to make of this but as he continued to work with her she recalled more and more past lives.  She also connected with entities from a place inbetween lifetimes who appeared to be master guides. 

As this work continued, Catherine's significant psychological symptoms cleared and she and Dr Weiss experienced an increase in wisdom that changed both their lives.  An engaging and fascinating read.

Dr Weiss' website is www.brianweiss.com.