http://www.ncreview.com/ 3034-1296 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/feeding-the-hungry-ghost-life-faith-and-what-to-eat-for-dinner-a-satisfying-diet-for-unsatisfying-times “Every meal-any meal, no matter how humble- can offer the opportunity for deeper connection…” In Feeding the Hungry Ghost food writer and author Ellen Kanner invites readers to experience the wonderful world of food in a more mindful and Earth sustaining way through a variety of vegan recipes that promise to delight the palate. She shares personal stories of connection, community, and traditions from all around the globe, while introducing delectable recipes that will entice even the most carnivorous readers. Divided into four chapters, The Seed, The Flowering, The Harvest, and The Compost, Ellen takes readers on a journey through the seasons in celebration of the rhythm of our planet. She includes recipes such as “Hopping John” and “Haitian Soupe Joumou” that will bring comfort and warmth in the winter, along with many others that coincide with the other seasons. And while she encourages a vegan lifestyle for the wonderful life force it provides our bodies, she does so with “gentle nudges” spread throughout the book providing simple steps that will make a huge difference in the way you cook, eat, and ultimately live. Feeding the Hungry Ghost is not just a compilation of recipes. Instead, it is a witty and soulful guide to mindful cooking, eating, and relating to one another that reminds us that food fuels not only the body, but also the soul. ]]> Thu, 02 May 2013 14:10:02 -0700 3153-1275 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/your-sacred-anatomy-an-owners-guide-to-the-human-energy-structure Desda Zuckerman has taken her 40+ years of experience in studying the human energy structure and created an in-depth guide to the energy systems of the human body and soul in her book Your Sacred Anatomy: An Owner’s Guide to the Human Energy Structure. This book goes far beyond the discussion of chakras and auras, and instead outlines the many parts that make up the Human Energy Structure (HES) such as, the template, the bones of light, and the harmonizing network guiding readers in sensing and understanding their own sacred anatomy. The book is divided into two parts; “Your Owner’s Guide” which provides a brief overview of the HES, and “Your Technical Manual” which is a comprehensive discussion of each of the seven soul layer structures and how they work together. Throughout both sections there are exercises that will guide readers in sensing their own HES as well as specific case studies that illustrate the importance of the HES in the overall health of the human body. Also included are the 7 anatomical systems of the HES, discussion of the 13 chakras, guidance to sever entanglements, magnificent illustrations, and so much more. There is no doubt this book is very detailed in the explanation of the HES and while it may be best understood and used by healers and energy workers, it is also very informative for those with an interest in the intricate workings of the subtle energy body. ]]> Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:08:20 -0700 3127-1271 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/the-secret-language-of-color-cards As an aficionado of Oracle cards, I believe they can offer a wealth of knowledge to us if we listen. Many decks offer two or three ways to interpret the messages being offered by your personal energy emanating from within the cards. This deck, however, is unique in the variety of card “spreads” offered. These vibrant COLOUR cards can be enjoyed in a variety of ways and Inna Segal encourages each 2 months ago ]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:12:51 -0700 2836-1253 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/energy-healing-the-essentials-of-self-care The body is an amazing, self-healing entity that is constantly working to re-balance itself to a natural state of being while repairing the dis-ease it experiences on both the physical and energetic levels and Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson demystifies this process in her book Energy Healing. This book goes beyond simply describing the subtle energy body and instead provides deep insight into various energy practices utilizing the chakras, meridians, and dan tiens from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). After a basic overview of the various energy centers in the body and our connection to the unified energy and shamanic fields, Dr. Chiasson takes readers through a process of learning to sense, move, and balance energy through various exercises. Exercises such as toe-tapping, sacred touch, soft sight, and many others provide opportunities to practice clearing energy blocks in order to maintain a balanced and more grounded energy body. Dr. Chiasson also provides a chapter on specific energy techniques that can be used for certain symptoms and diagnoses and is a great reference for common ailments such as pain, fatigue, depression etc. Energy work has always been a concept that I thought was far too complicated to understand and utilize without studying for a long time, but Dr. Chiasson has done a magnificent job of sharing her knowledge in a way that is not only easy to understand, but also easy to practice. While I have not tried all of the exercises included, those I have tried are surprisingly simple to do and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in whole body healing and energy work as a compliment to other self-care practices. ]]> Sun, 24 Feb 2013 03:05:18 -0800 1094-1251 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/cellular-awakening-how-your-body-holds-and-creates-light Mind, body, emotions, and spirit frame our experience of reality. Each influences and interacts with the other. Health is not just about physical vitality or emotional equanimity, it’s “a deep emotional connectedness to who we are and our place in the universe,” says Barbara Wren. “When mind truly connects with the body, it is like a light goes off in every cell.” Both our mental and physical foundations must be robust. By bringing the body back to harmony and full potential we simultaneously awaken our cellular vibrancy and illumination. Using plain language, Wren explains the microcosmic and macrocosmic principles guiding how to heal from any condition—and their connection. She begins by showing us how the body works, from the cellular level outward. Wren explains that light connects everything in the universe, including every cell in our body. And our watery nature records the messages of the universe in our bodies. Any kind of external stress registers in the water component of the body as dehydration. And did you know that the colon is the organ that registers whether the body—the cells in particular—is hydrated? Awakening an illuminated consciousness, either cellular or universal, begins with five fundamental building blocks at the physical level: light, hydration, PH, temperature, and mineral balance, and these are the core focus for healing treatments in this book. And although the emotions and mind are not the primary focus for this book, Wren speaks to how they play an equally important role in achieving cellular and life integrity. If you’re thinking you’ve heard this before, or that this is just another car on the new age train, it’s not. Some of the less familiar aspects Cellular Awakening covers has to do with the endocrine glands behind the chakras, universal cycles, unresolved emotions and stress at the cellular level, the five element theory, the suppression principle of drugs and vaccines, and Herring’s Law. The book concludes with a comprehensive guideline for self-generated, step-by-step healing treatments. Not knowing some of the science behind some of the claims, I have unanswered questions. Still, this is a practical and inspirational book, definitely worth reading, that seems to impart a deeply felt-wisdom. Which may just be the stirrings of cellular awakening. ]]> Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:05:57 -0800 2881-1244 http://www.ncreview.com/food-nutrition/primal-cuisine-cooking-for-the-paleo-diet Primal goes gourmet! This is a great book if you like to cook and want to take your culinary creations to healthy new heights. Indeed, the recipes are mouth-wateringly exciting combinations of vegetables, protein, healthy fats and the occasional fruit. Based on the latest nutritional science laid out so convicingly in "Primal Body, Primal Mind" by Nora Gedgaudas, the recipes all avoid grain, gluten, additives, sugars and artificial sweetners. They rely instead on spices, herbs, citrus peel and stevia for palate-popping flavor. Although there are lots of all-veggie recipes and recipes for vegan substitutes are offered, like a ground nut-yeast mixture to replace Parmesan cheese, most of the recipes do call for meat, fish, eggs or cheese, and I suspect it would be a bit frustrating for vegetarians. The book does show how you can go primal, eat well and entertain beautifully without feeling in the least deprived. It is wonderful inspiration for a whole lifestyle shift back to wholesome, healthy eating, and preparing and sharing meals full of flavor, color, nutrition and love. ]]> Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:57:20 -0800 2712-1226 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/intentional-healing-one-womans-path-to-higher-consciousness-and-freedom-from-environmental-and-other-chronic-illnesses If a reader had suddenly entered the frightening and lonely world of Environmental Illness that the author, Jennie Sherwin, entered suddenly in early 1999--this author's description of her eight-year healing path would be a priceless gift. Ms. Sherwin was a public health writer and editor, married to a physician and epidemiologist when her journey through the trials and tribulations of environmental illness began. This very personal narrative sheds a great deal of light on a type of illness growing more and more prevalent in North American society all the time. Ms. Sherwin had shown signs of being sensitive to other chronic illnesses throughout her life, but all of them were well-controlled through medications, diet, and exercise. But a move to New Orleans in 1999, and her townhouse being sprayed with a "safe" pesticide, pyrethroid, began a nightmarish path of medical symptoms that puzzled most of the Western medical specialists that initially treated her. Her symptoms mushroomed throughout the first year and included: esophageal spasms, chest pain, asthma-like symptoms, tremors, migraines, advanced muscle pain, burning, hives, constant yeast infections, memory loss, and, even, electromagnetic field sensitivity, which made it impossible for her to use her computer, talk on a cell phone, or use the microwave. The author ended up having to live in a "safe" house i.e. a house where all of the components were metal, glass, or porcelain. She could wear only organic cotton, and she could not be anywhere where others wore any kind of perfumes or scents. For awhile her life was one of depression, isolation, fear, and chronic pain and sickness. However, the book doesn't just focus on her illness. It focuses on the the detailed and sometimes synchonistic pathway that led to very complete healing from all of her symptoms. Ms. Sherwin's illness was a doorway that allowed for the "intentional healing" of childhood sexual abuse, other emotional pain from a failed marriage, and the build-up of fears that mounted with her frightening journey through the world of Environmental Illness. Along the way, Ms. Sherwin describes the well-intentioned but ineffective medical care she received in New Orleans. Finally, she is referred to a world famous medical specialist in New York, who finally diagnoses what is happening to her. She has acquired her illness through chronic exposure to toxins, and the incident with the pesticide in New Orleans was the overload that her body could no longer tolerate. This doctor, who has seen thousands of patients like Ms. Sherwin, ends up referring her to Environmental Health Center in Dallas--an amazing program that was going to take her through sauna detoxification, organic rotational diet, allergy testing, energy healing, psychological counseling, and meditation. Ms. Sherwin branches out and also adds Reiki, and, finally, even work with a Navajo healer as she charts a course back to wellness. Her book covers nine years of her life, and she leaves little out--except towards the end when her discussion of the Navajo healing ceremonies are limited due to traditional restrictions about sharing them with others. But, the book is inspiring, as Ms. Sherwin chronicles her complete recovery from the symptoms that plagued her due to her environmental illness, and she also recovered from the various other illnesses she had been prone to since childhood. If you are suffering or you know someone who is suffering from an illness akin to Ms. Sherwin's, I highly recommend this book. It will give them a doorway of hope to walk through as they face a little-known and frightening modern illness. ]]> Thu, 20 Dec 2012 06:09:55 -0800 2827-1217 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/the-encyclopedia-of-natural-medicine-third-edition A weighty tome - 1,200 pages! - but a fine and comprehensive reference book to the field of holistic medicine. It covers nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, causes and symptoms of disease, treatment, prevention -- in short everything a person caring about their health would want to know. ]]> Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:31:40 -0800 2872-1210 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/conscious-food-sustainable-growing-spiritual-eating "If you have observed the subtle, completing forces of nature steadily withdrawing from the land and our food in response to relentless waves of industrial synthetics and poisons, then this book will guide you in finding honest ways of bringing them back in their essential, nurturing goodness. Conscious Food is a banquet of agrarian insight." -- Steven McFadden, author of The Call of the Land: An Agrarian Primer for the 21st Century, co-author of Farms of Tomorrow "Conscious Food reminds us, eloquently and plainly, that even our daily bread is a sacrament. In its growing, in its cooking and in its eating, food deserves our honor and respect. Ewing thoroughly explores the reasons why our contemporary 'Industrial Food' system is broken, and then tells us how to mend our relationship with the earth and soil that nourish us - through careful growing practices, spiritual awakening, and mindfulness." -- Robin Mather, senior editor, Mother Earth News, author of The Feast Nearby In our current times more and more books about holistic living are being published. Too many of the authors have the theory of wholeness, yet disconnect the subject matter of their books. This is an error that Jim Pathfinder Ewing has avoided as he skilfully blends the ingredients of the land, the culture of the land, the growing of food and its consumption into one seamless whole. This is the way of a writer to whom a holistic way of life is a reality, rather than a theory. I thoroughly recommend this book and its valuable insights. -- Michael J. Roads, Conscious Gardening "Jim PathFinder is a competent guide through the realm of the miraculous, putting us deeply in touch with our selves." —Rowan Storm, musician and educator "From his heart he shares what our ancestors have lived since the beginning of time: to be one with our Mother Earth and to heal each other." —Melynda Ruckels, faculty member, the Ritberger Institute "[This] knowledgeable man manages to impart his wisdom in a manner that is beautifully clear and concise." —Sandi Sedgbeer, editor, PlanetLightworker magazine "Jim is a voice for the Earth, giving us much needed inspiration and information about living in harmony. . . . A marvelous guide." —Brooke Medicine Eagle, author, Buffalo Woman Comes Singing "Jim Ewing writes with deep compassion and love." —Sandra Ingerman, author, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts ]]> Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:49:54 -0800 2640-1203 http://www.ncreview.com/body-mind-spirit/advanced-hatha-yoga-classic-methods-of-physical-education-and-concentration In an era of fleeting information fixes, this book is a full-length feature, and for that alone, I thoroughly enjoyed it (although that is not the only reason I enjoyed it). Truly a classic, the dated photos may seem "quaint," but the presentation of yoga practice in its undiluted tradition as a wholistic mind-body-spirit practice is timeless. The pillars for any yoga practice, as shown in this classic, include such practices as stamina, sexual control, breathwork, strengthening the endocrine system, internal cleansing, and concentration exercises, many of which are passed over in the modern age, or simply given broad brushstrokes. But yoga’s origins are in Eastern doctrines, and unlike the Western world, the “science” of these traditions explore and celebrate the metaphysical. Consequently, yoga in its pure state employs the physical as a path for spiritual development, with no apologies. The daily and weekly yoga practices provided in this book accommodate students at differing degrees of fitness, so in this sense the book can be usefully applied by most (and the numerous photos and descriptions for each pose are most helpful); however, it’s not recommended for beginners or those unfamiliar with yoga postures or practice. ]]> Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:56:05 -0800