There are so many New Age "Self-help" books on the shelves that you can literally get lost, and every book begins to sound the same. This is the first book I've read in a long time that actually helped me. Of course, I read most of it thinking, "Sure, it worked for the author--her picture on the cover already tells you that she's got everything going for her, but what about the rest of us?" I also thought her exercises were too simplistic and would not work. I decided to try the exercise on the bus--meeting your sub-personalities. I was absolutely not expecting to see any imagery in my mind, since visualizing is difficult for me. I was amazed when a very clear& vivid image of a small, plain, mousey-looking woman with glasses stood up immediately on my bus & said hello. I realized that this was the image I have spent my entire life working to avoid, and talking to her was very enlightening. This book has helped me a great deal in accepting & even embracing all of the aspects of myself that I have worked so hard to eliminate. I highly recommend it!

THE DARK SIDE OF THE LIGHT CHASERS is written with such brutal honesty that if you are not ready to change your life than don't bother with the book. Why? Because it would probably put you off, and that would be a shame because this is an extraordinary book that will surely alter your life as it did mine. Ms. Ford teaches us to deal with our inner demons or shadows as they are called in the book Shadow work as Ms. Ford refers to is the on going process of depolarizing, and balancing to heal the split between the conscious sense of self and the all else we are or could be. We learn that 'Dark' doesn't mean only negative, it refers to something out of the light of our conscious awareness.

We know our shadow by many names, dark side, alter ego, the dark twin, the repressed self. I always told myself that I was crazy, I'm not worthy of the nice things that I have, and worst of all I felt unloved. Believe me when I say the hardest thing in the world to do is to look deep inside yourself honestly and for me it all came out in anger, learning to own the anger and then dealing with it so I could change that pattern in myself. When we do that our whole way of thinking changes for the better.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE LIGHT CHASERS is a wonderful self-help book and will show you how to be a whole person if you really want it.

The message here is clear. Reclaim your power and creativity by actively embracing the sides of yourself you deny or dislike. Rather than waste time and energy condemning others, look at yourself for possible faults you may be finding in those around you. In this context, being a whole person is more important than being a "good" person. Being "spiritual" means being fully human, warts and all!

Many examples are given throughout of how judging others negatively is in fact a mirror for one's own perceived negative personality traits. Positive qualities are also often projected onto others and we can reclaim these too. By accepting the whole truth about ourselves we can move forward with a greater sense of self-worth and more love to give to others.

"Do you really want inner peace?" asks Debbie Ford, "If you do its yours. Surrender. Stop fighting. Stop defending. Stop pretending. Stop denying. Stop lying to yourself". Overall this is a powerful read in the territory of the "Conversations With God" books by Neale Donald Walsch who contributes an introduction here. As with many books of this nature, the challenge is to consistently LIVE these ideas!

This book would be excellent for people seeking ashrams. However, there is nothing about major temples, festivals, or other local observations. There is a little bit of information about local pilgrimage sites but it is laughably inadequate.

This is a great book.It was written for those of us who want to travel to India and learn more yoga, meditation etc.Not all places are described in equal length and depth but you will always find useful information about yoga schools, ashrams and monasteries in all the parts of India.In a lot of cases, the writers have been there and they took the classes for you, sat through the satsangs and tried the food and water.The book talks about each place separately and gives you info on "Teachers & Teachings", "Facilities and Food", "Schedule","Fees","Contact Information","How To Get There",etc.A very helpful guide for spiritual seekers who intend to travel to India.