A Life You Love — Margaux Joy DeNador

Book Review: Be Your Own Shaman — by Deborah King

While looking at books, from Hay House publishing, that I could review next, this book by Deborah King caught my attention. For many years, I've heard the words "energy medicine" and "shaman" and have been curious to know more about them. Because of my curiosity, the title of this book, Be Your Own Shaman: Heal Yourself and Others with 21st Century Energy Medicine, inspired me to want to read it and review it. 

 

Have you ever wondered what energy medicine is and how it can help people heal? I know I've wondered for some time now and this book was able to answer some of my questions.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the introduction because in it I got a chance to know a little about Deborah King, how she defines what it means to be a shaman, and also how she became interested in energy medicine. Deborah King discovered energy medicine when she was diagnosed with cancer in her 20s. She tells how it helped her and why she decided to become a healer herself.

Deborah King says, "One reason I use the term shaman, which can also be defined as a person who acts as an intermediary between the human world and spirit worlds  — between the natural and supernatural — is that it encapsulates the idea that everything in our universe is connected. We are all linked — to each other, to the physical world of our senses, and to the world beyond that we aren't able to see."

There is a quote from Louise Hay on the book's front cover that also contributed to my decision to review this book:

"Be Your Own Shaman is an excellent book. It will take you deep within yourself and allow you to connect with life in a totally different way. Anyone seeking the path of the healer needs to read this book. I loved it."
— Louise L. Hay

Now that I've read the book, I agree with what Louise Hay says – this book does change how we look at life and healing. It really does take you deep within yourself. You'll see what I mean when you read it.

Reading this book also made me curious to read Deborah King's first book, Truth Heals. After taking a look at it online, I've decided I would like to read it as well.

Deborah King

I've decided to take a workshop with Deborah King when I attend the "I CAN DO IT!" conference in Pasadena this October. If you decide to go, perhaps I'll see you there! To get the best price on your ticket you'll want to buy it by 6/23/11. After that the prices go up.

Click on the following link to get a ticket for Deborah King's workshop  – or a ticket for all of the "I CAN DO IT!" conference in Pasadena:

 
As Deborah King says:
"I'm sure you have something you want to heal. We all do. Your health, your weight, your finances, a relationship – or even the lack of one. And maybe you not only want to heal the parts of your life that are dysfunctional, but you are also intrigued, as I was, by the idea of being able to help others. The fascinating thing is that these two goals, healing yourself and healing others, are inextricably linked: in the process of learning to facilitate healing in others, you yourself become healed. It's actually impossible for you to study energy medicine without experiencing positive change yourself."

Later in the book, Deborah King says:
"In addition to learning healing techniques, becoming your own shaman is dependent upon your clarity. Once you're clear within yourself, you can be a clear channel for others."

To get this kind of clarity, she suggests the following five practices:

1. Journaling
2. Meditation
3. Prayer
4. Forgiveness
5. Being of service

For each of the five practices there are helpful suggestions and ideas for how to do them. For journaling, she had several suggestions for making it work best for you. The suggestions for journaling remind me of doing my "Morning Pages" so I could really relate to that part.

I agree with what Deborah King said about journaling: "In essence to truly be strong and joyful we have to live in truth. Journal writing helps us do that."

In this book, there is a wonderful Hawaiian clearing technique that is said to activate forgiveness. It is like a prayer, or mantra with the words, "I'm sorry. Forgive me. I love you. Thank you."

Just recently I had heard those words during an interview with Joe Vitale by Lisa Garr. Joe Vitale said you can say the words in any order. (He was talking about you saying it to yourself – as well as to others or God.) Because Joe said you could do it in any order, I tried various ways and it seems true to me as well. For example you could say, "I love you. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you." But I think I like it best when I say, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I love you! Thank you."

It seems to me this book can also help us stay healthy by reminding us of the power of forgiveness – for others and ourselves.

I am glad Hay House sent me a copy of this book to review. I am glad to have read it and have it as part of my personal library.

Whether you know what energy medicine is or not – whether you know what it means to "be a shaman" or not – this book will enlighten you, entertain you, and inspire you. And perhaps it will help you to heal your own life and help people you love as well.

If you're curious about energy medicine – and how to be your own shaman – get a copy of this book!

Here are some links to buy the book:

A Course in Weight Loss – Book & CDs – Marianne Williamson

 

When Hay House publishing sent me an email asking me to do a review of Marianne Williamson's new book, A Course in Weight Loss, my first thought was that I didn't want to do it. But then I began to wonder if the book and CDs might be helpful to the people who read my blog so I decided to write the review. 

I've heard Marianne speak at the Hay House conferences, and also at our local bookstore. I found her to be an inspiring speaker and person. I was honest with my contact at Hay House and told her I would prefer to listen to CDs of Marianne's book. The result was they sent me both — the book and the CDs of the book.

This "course" is aimed at an audience of "compulsive eaters" or "food addicts." It seems to me that those are two extremes of behavior and the lessons could also help people who just want to let go of some behaviors that cause them to overeat. It could also help them find ways to replace overeating with loving kindness and a greater feeling of connection with other people.

What I discovered while listening to the CDs was that her message is one that can help people with other issues besides shedding excess weight. I mentioned this to a friend, after I had listened to all of the CDs, and she decided she would like to listen to the CDs and see if they could help her become a nonsmoker. (My friend has no problem with her weight but has been a smoker for many years.) Following is what she told me this morning after listening to the first two CDs:

"I've never had anything hit such a nerve in me about quitting smoking as these CDs by Marianne Williamson. I would definitely recommend this book and the CDs for people trying to kick the nicotine or other compulsions or addictive behaviors. In fact, I woke up this morning and threw all my cigarettes away."

What made the difference for her, I believe, is that the CDs were about a problem that she could pretend was about smoking. She began to hear the message that overeating (or in her case smoking) were ways of being unloving to herself.

We both feel that the book and CDs can help people who have compulsive or addictive behaviors and want a new way to think about their behavior. Although the subtitle of the book is "21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever" these same spiritual lessons can help people with being more loving to themselves in a variety of ways.

Marianne Williamson has been teaching the principles of A Course in Miracles for many years. She found that the lessons she learned and was teaching had helped her change from someone who was a compulsive eater to someone who people thought had never had a problem with eating or her weight.

I had already changed how I looked at eating — what I eat and how much I eat — because of a desire to be a healthy person and to set a good example for my son. But the lessons in this book fit in beautifully with what has been working for me. The lessons also helped me feel compassion for "untidy me" so I can become more of a "tidy me." The lessons in this course help us be more loving to the "parts" of our behavior that make us feel bad — which just makes us want to do more of whatever that behavior consists of whether it's overeating, smoking, drinking, drugs, living in clutter, or a combination of compulsive behaviors.

The foreword for the book, written by Dr. Dean Ornish, inspired me. One of the things he said is that, "The real epidemic is not just obesity or heart disease or cancer; it's loneliness, depression, and isolation. If we address these deeper issues, then it becomes easier for people to make lasting changes in their behaviors." Dr. Ornish also states that he believes, "Fear is not a sustainable motivator." What works is for us to focus on love and the joy we can feel in living. As Dr. Ornish goes on to say, "Even more than being healthy and losing weight, most people want to feel free and in control."

Following are a few quotes from Marianne, from the book, that I would like to share with you here:

"…when you're eating wisely, you're expressing love for yourself… Love dissolves fear the way light dissolves darkness. Fat cells will dissolve permanently when they are dissolved through the power of love."

"For the overeater, food is an area where a spirit of fear has infected the nervous system… like a virus in a bio-computer."

"One of the ways you love yourself is by permitting yourself to want what you want."

"Overeating is an act of spiritual starvation, and one of the things the overeater often starves herself of is the natural right to dream. Invoking the real you begins with expanding your imagination, allowing yourself to want what you really want. You have as much right to your dreams as any other person."

Marianne Williamson has dedicated this book, and the CDs that go with it, to Oprah Winfrey. I would like to share the book's dedication here:

"This book began and ended as a communication between friends. Oprah Winfrey inspired the book, directed its course, and guided its vision. On a soul level definitely, and in many ways in a literary one, this book was a collaborative effort. Every page is a reflection of my affection for and gratitude to her; my hope is that it brings comfort to her as she has brought comfort to so many.

To any reader who may feel this book is a gift, please know it was a gift from her."

If it were up to me, I would change the title and re-design the cover of the book and CDs in order to achieve a wider audience appeal. I believe the book and CDs can help people make positive changes. All of us have our own reasons for resisting changes  — even when the changes can make us feel wonderful. If you're open to thinking of your behavior in some new and loving ways, you'll want to read this book and/or listen to the CDs.

To buy A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever, click on one of the following links:

Hay House
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Chapters Indigo (Canada)

To register for the 3-Day retreat in New York, click on the link below:

Visualize Your Desired Outcomes!

Yesterday I achieved an exciting long-range health and fitness goal. Here is what I've learned is true: By visualizing my desired outcomes I get inspired to take the actions that allow me to achieve my goal. 

To inspire me to take actions and "show up" for this long-range goal, I created a "vision board" for health and fitness. My "vision board" inspires me to exercise, track my "points" (which also means to watch portion sizes), and eat foods that help me look and feel my best. My vision board did help me achieve my desired outcome. Following is the "vision board" that helped me. It is a combination of photos, quotes, and reminders. 

Following are some quotes that also helped me achieve this goal: 

"Become the change you want to see. Those are words I live by."
— Oprah 

"What we believe becomes our reality."
 — Oprah

"A belief is just a thought and thoughts can be changed."   
 — Louise Hay

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."    
 — Wayne Dyer

"By visualizing my desired outcome, the perfect action is always inspired."
 — Abraham-Hicks

What would you like to visualize? What outcomes do you want to create? Would it help you to create a "vision board" to remind you of your desired outcomes? The "vision board" in this message inspires me to keep "showing up" for my health and fitness goals. What would you like to inspire yourself to do? 

Decide what outcomes you want and then — visualize yourself enjoying your desired outcomes!