A funny thing happened on the way to the millennium: ‘new age’ concepts like spiritual discovery and mind-body medicine went mainstream. Let these seven classic books help you make better life choices.
1 Stand Up for Your Life
Sometimes you don’t want to be asked, “How do you feel?” You simply need someone to say, “Here’s a plan.” Oprah life makeover maven Cheryl Richardson provides sound advice and practical strategies to build confidence and achieve goals. Here, she uses inspiring real-life stories (including her own), plus interactive exercises to build your ‘courage muscles’. (Transworld/ Free Press; ISBN 9780743226516)
2 Spontaneous Healing
Dr Andrew Weil has made the shift from Harvard medico to mind-body visionary by combining the best of conventional medicine with alternative therapies. In this landmark bestseller, he puts the patient – rather than the disease – at the centre of the therapeutic process, with the goal of “maximising the body’s innate potential to help heal itself”. (Time Warner/ Ballantine; ISBN 9780804117944)
3 A Simple Path
Despite describing himself as “a simple monk”, when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama talks, millions listen. This book embodies his assertion that “Buddhism is a treasure for the world”, and covers the fundamentals of the Buddhist ‘path’, including the belief in rebirth, karma, impermanence and that suffering is caused by attachment to the ego: only by letting go of attachment can we achieve wisdom. (HarperCollins/ Thorsons; ISBN 9780007138876)
4 Anatomy of the Spirit
Western doctors would once have dismissed talk of chakras, energy circuits, hidden blocks to wellness, and sacred imagery. But thanks to Caroline Myss – who holds doctorates in theology as well as energy medicine – the credibility of these concepts has snowballed and, increasingly, the medical profession is becoming open to therapies like reiki. (Transworld/ Three Rivers; ISBN 9780609800140)
5 Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom
Women’s healthcare pioneer, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Christiane Northrup operates on the long-ignored principle that – surprise! – women’s bodies have different requirements from men’s. One of the first doctors to prescribe natural progesterone for menopausal symptoms, her book goes beyond standard self-help books, assessing women’s health within the context of work, family and society. (Piatkus/ Bantam; ISBN 9780553384109)
6 Ageless Body, Timeless Mind
Indian-born endocrinologist Deepak Chopra has been at the forefront of the self-help movement since the early 1980s, when he introduced Ayurvedic medicine to the West. In this definitive work, Chopra explains his theory of ‘quantum healing’ – a combination of modern science and traditional approaches, such as yoga – and how they can transcend the limitations of disease and ageing. (Random House/Harmony; ISBN 9780517882122)
7 Inner Peace for Busy People
More and more scientific evidence shows that your mental and spiritual consciousness is as significant for health as physical factors, and that they are inextricably linked. Medical scientist Joan Borysenko is a leader in the field of mind-body medicine, which synthesises neurology, immunology and psychology. This step-by-step guide provides 52 ‘mindfulness’ techniques, such as breath control. (Hay House; ISBN 9781401092148)
At the time of writing, all these books were available at www.amazon.com.
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