Biomagnetic healing is a little understood subject in the West, but
one with great potential for helping people understand and lessen
their pain and suffering. The New Age (in my opinion a 'secular
spirituality' that is a reaction against the 'God is the machine'
approach of the Industrial Age) has muddied the waters of
understanding through too many books and practices that are basically
the authors' opinion of how these principles should work, with
overstated proclamations of their effectiveness, rather than an
objective look at how well they really do work. David and Glenda
(they are teachers of mine, I don't pretend complete objectivity in
this review) both have backgrounds in Western science and bring the
high standards of Karl Popper ("The severe the test, the more
valuable the hypothesis that survives it") into their exploration
of biomagnetic and other healing modalities. And yet they retain
minds that are open to the vast possibilities that the timeless wisdom
of Eastern mind sciences like biomagnetic healing can bring to
everyday living in the West. This book is NOT the typical cotton
candy one finds in New Age literature. It is very accurate and
in-depth in its scientific exploration of biomagnetic healing, without
negating the reality of healing that can, has and does take place. A
great introduction for those who have never heard of biomagnetic
healing therapies like Reiki or Healing Touch, it also includes
information and practices that will be new to the more experienced.
The reader will have to work around editing mistakes made by the
publisher.

As a Reiki Master/Teacher, I see a lot of other teachers, and listen to many students discuss their first Reiki tuning.
There is a tendency these days to give a cheap Reiki first level tuning, with a quick lesson and a scrap of paper to explain it all. I have had many people who received first level tunings tell me it was a fake, fraud and they got nothing out of it except losing their [price].
Mr. Tompkins presents us with a book that would be a great augment to any first level practitioner who feels that the instructions were left out of their tuning.
Mr. Tompkins offers a very clear and exact manual on how to use your Reiki tuning to get the most of this healing art. The pictures offer instruction that are clear and easy to follow.
There is a section about being professional as a Reiki practitioner. There are also correspondences for crystals and stones, and even for keeping personal records. Mr. Tompkins covers a lot of ground here, and makes this a book that is worth having in your personal library.
This book augments the first level Reiki tuning very well, and is worth a personal recommendation for those who did not seem to get out of their first tuning what they might have expected.
For those who did get a good foundation for their first tuning, this book might do well to cover those little nagging items that your teacher may have forgotten to add. Teachers are not perfect, and we do tend to get bogged down sometimes with some item or another that has us forgetting to cover another important part of our lesson. Here is a handbook that could fill in a blank or two.
This is a good reference book and it's good to see someone making this information available in a very clear and well written format.

This may be a 5 star book in the hands of an appropriate therapist. It just is not what I was hoping it would be. I had visions of a book about using an actual mirror as in scrying, or as an astral doorway. I thought Dr. Dee's infamous black mirror would be discussed, especially since there is a New Age link.

The mirror in this book is the mirror of the Soul. The client is guided through certain innovative visualizations of their soul as a mirror. They are asked to visualize only the essence of their Soul, and not the influence of others on it. Then exercises using the light of the eyes are worked on. I am sure I am not doing the procedure justice; it could be very effective with the proper therapist, but since this seems to be written as a guidebook for therapists to use with patients it just was not the book for me.

Reiki is a word comprised of two Japanese words, "Rei" meaning universal and "Ki" meaning "life force/energy" when combined the work means "Universal Life Force". Reiki has its origins in ancient Tibet, some scholars say it is at least 5,000 years old. Over time the technique was forgotten. However, in the late 1800's, it was rediscovered by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Monk. In the last 5 years there has been phenomenal growth in the number of people learning and using Reiki worldwide, some estimates put the figure at over 1 million practitioners.

The author, Teresa Collins is highly experienced both in conventional and complimentary medicine. She is a fully qualified Physiotherapist who worked professionally for many years in Canada before returning to practice and teach in Ireland. The book covers all the essential of aspects of Reiki training from beginner to Master level and it's clear, concise style makes "Reiki at Hand" a valuable resource for students and teachers alike. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about this ancient and powerful healing technique.

Chok Hiew has connected western, more mechanistic thinking about successful human behavior with eastern, more dialectic or engery thinking by the universal bridge of resilience: the human capacity to face, overcome, be strengthened by, or even transformed by experiences of adversity. Dr. Edith Henderson Grotber, Ph.D., author, Tapping Your Inner Strength

This book breaks away from the formal movements that we see so many people associating with Tai Ji. It actually explains the philosophy behind the movements and what each movement represents. It is not necessary to do the movements in any particular sequence and the reader is given the freedom to express themselves in an individual way. The ancient Tao text translations are excellent and awe inspiring. Al Huang himself is charismatic and has a wonderful, dramatic, and inspiring presence. I highly recomend this book.

I love this book. As a Chi Gung practioner with over 30 years experience, a Shaman, and an Author (CHI GUNG: Chinese Healing, Energy, and Natural Magick), I would like to share that I think that this book is truly wonderful. It gently teaches a different perspective on Tai Ji, a view that encourages relaxation, spontanaity, and love. This book is about truly living in the moment and embracing life with a smile. Sure, there are a lot of purely technical books out there but I think that many of them actually miss the whole point of what Tai Ji or the healing arts are all about. What this book shows is that Tai Ji can be about having fun as you twirl in the moment with the wonders of childhood. Buy this book. It just might give you a fresh perspective on life. And with that, you can look at any challenge from a new angle and that's where creativity comes in. That is how this book has helped me to save the lives of others in crisis situations.

Too often Tai Chi today is either an exercise form, or a strenuous martial art. It is neither of these - and both. This book manages the catch the breath and depth of tai chi in an enlightening and enjoyable manner. Timeless and imaginative, I recommend it!

As a person who was totally blind on Kundalini, this book has given me very complete information on Kundalini from different aspects. It has also given detail instructions on how to prepare the body for the Kundalini awaken. For those who need information on Kundalini or on how to do practice as preparation for Kundalini awakening, this book is a definite answer!

This is a clear and beautifull written book. The book in itself is a teacher and guide of the Kundalini energy. No more secrecy about this energy, it's written all in this book and how to release it yourself. I had some awesome Kundalini releases by reading this book and it guided me through every single experience and I felt safe and comfortable!

This book is a must have for anyone who wishes to understand kundalini and the speedway method to enlightenment that it is.
It allows you to make progress in ways you could never imagine.
Looking back on my life before kundalini it was like being colour blind.
Ms. Paulson is a charming author who speaks with athority and wisdom. I recommend anyone who is curious about meditation, or is serious about seeking enlightenment to check this one out.

Sincerely,

Eric Lloyd

This book presents itself as a Reiki I manual, and uses a lot of space to show hand positions and leaves spaces for notes and journaling. It devotes a lot of space to Reiki for animals and provides some simplistic information about healing diets and dishes for humans and animals. It tells the Reiki history that has been shown to be mythology, and generally presents only basic and incomplete information. I guess only a Reiki I would be likely to accept this book as authoritative. There are now many other more useful books about Reiki, and if you want to take notes during your practice just buy a cheap pad or book of paper.

I don't know Reiki well enough yet to judge what this book says about it, but I do know a lot about dog and cat care and nutrition, and I can tell you that the optimum diet for pets is NOT Hill's Prescription Diet foods. Nor do I think that antibiotics are safe. If you want natural care for your pets, read "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats", or "The New Natural Cat" by Anitra Frazier.

I also found the tone of the book rather condescending at times. Chapter one in particular reminds me of a story being told to a bunch of children.

I found The Reiki Handbook clear, concise and well written. I have been a practicing Reiki Master/Teacher since 1996 and I often refer students to this book. The photographs of the hand positions are easy to follow, and I enjoy the detail of the section on giving Reiki to animals. The learning material does not stray from the subject, as some other Reiki books do.

Life is torture, all of us die (hard to argue with that one) Hell is inevitable; it's here on earth right now, death is the end, suicide is a comfort. We are very insignificant beings essentially powerless to effect any real change and the best we can hope for is to embrace despair. And then there are the really depressing parts of this book.

However, like Blanche Dubois it's wonderful to depend (or at least be surprised) by the kindness of strangers.

Life is a Siberian concentration camp, but a fellow inmate may give you a flower and bring tears to your eyes in the realization that compassion exists amidst the damned.

Well, this is a fun book to give to anyone who annoys you by telling you to cheer up .

One might keep it by the door in case any Jehova's Witnesses knock, especially if they've been having a good day. It would also make an interesting Valentine's Day gift for your beloved, just in case she's nagging you into a wedding and you'd like to offer the alternative of a double suicide.

Itsuki writes about pain, sometimes eloquently, as in his narrative of The Dalai Lama , sometimes verging on obscenity as in the story of the mother whose terminally ill child is gasping for breath and Mom observes that "The gasps seemed like labor pains. . .the mother cheered her daughter on in death . . .Hurray!"

It's weird but Isuki's advice at times sounds like a self-help book turned upside down yet equally hoaky. Instead of telling us to smile and look on the bright side because it'll make us feel good, he tells us to weep and look on the dark side because it'll make us feel good.

This ain't profound but it sure sounds elevated as soon as he brings in Amida Buddha.

An entity which, from what I can gather exists in the archetypal Platonic realm (unlike Siddhartha, the Buddha, a human who actually lived) yet whose Presence is far more Real to his followers than a mere flesh and blood being.

Amida is the Buddha of Ultimate Compassion, and-- though there is no hope, really-- intoning his mantra 'Namu Amida Butsu' puts us in touch with compassion, frees us from the futile desire to escape our doom and best of all----

--Well I'm not sure. According to Itsuku, Zen was for the aristocracy who had time to enage in 'self-salvation' unlike the peasants who had to rely on 'Other Power' (Amida) and followed The Pure Land Sect.

(Actually I doubt it was that simple, having met a Korean Zen master who began each day by prostating himself 106 times and invoking Amida's help. It seems a human need to ask for divine compassion. Likewise I suspect that even the bravest of Stoics would have snuck a prayer to Zeus now and then.)

It seems the peasants believed they would be reborn into a paradise, a "Pure Land" unlike those intellectual Zen types who sought for Enlightenment a la Siddhartha while they still had breath to fight.

But Itsuki rejects this interpretation of The Pure Land. There will be no paradise or re-birth, you'll just be a kinder person and take refuge in Amida's light while you spend time in your own hell of a Siberian prison, etc.

I'm not sure as to how this reinterpreatation of The Pure Land sect came about. Judging by Itsuki, it does appear to be normative today. Perhaps the original was considered too primitive and literal ( by intellectuals, of course) or perhaps it cheered the peasants up too much, thus blinding them to the truth that Suffering is All, etc.

Well, it's an interesting book, though I believe the point was better articulated in C.S. Lewis' masterpiece "A Grief Observed"
not because Lewis was a Christian, but precisely because he had -- unlike Itsuki--a happy childhood. Consequently he was fairly optimistic, sure of his religion, and in late in middle age found true love-- only to have his wife die horribly of bone cancer--whereupon his world and his faith came tumbling down.
Lewis's attempt to cope with having egg on his face after a lifetime of naivete, and his brutally honest soul searching strikes one as far more poignant than this gloom and doom autobiography.

Oh, and BTW, 'Sad To The Bone' really is the title of a section in Itsuki's book.

In the final analysis, while Itsuki's philosophy embraces pathos and sympathy for our fellow sufferers endorsing a lofty charity towards all, given his metaphysical premises arguably loftier concepts would be rendered meaningless.

There is absolutely no room for heroism, triumph or, in the classical Western sense, tragedy.

Have a nice day.

First of all, it should be noted that this work is NOT a 'beginner's book' on Shin Buddhism. While there are parts which address the 'mechanics' of this school of Mahayana Buddhism, the real fact is that Itsuki's work is more directed to those who have already accepted the Nembutsu-faith as their own, or to those who wish to see the impact which that faith can have on those who are sometimes in the deepest and darkest places in their lives. As such, "Tariki" succeeds magnificently and powerfully.

Often very bleak and dark in places, "Tariki: Embracing Despair; Discovering Peace" is a sobering examination of how faith in Amida Buddha as held by those of the Shin faith can be both an anchor and a comfort to those in grave infirmity, grief, or facing death. Since much of the tenets of Shin deal with "resolving the question of the afterlife", it is natural that the book dwell in such heavy territory for much of its material. And while Itsuki does concentrate on such darker issues, it's important to note that...as would be appropriate for Buddhism in general...ultimately one comes to a realization that the duality between the 'dark' thoughts and the 'light' ones is really false. In this, Itsuki creates a very interesting and thought-provoking 'map' of the harsher aspects of life and how this harshness can be resolved through faith in the "other power" of Amida Buddha to unfold these experiences as ones of personal power and meaningful depth.

Again, this is no "starter" book for those wishing to learn more about Shin Buddhism; for those seeking that sort of information, I would suggest either Rev. Taitetsu Unno's "River of Fire, River of Water" or Dr. Ken Tanaka's "Ocean". But after absorbing the teachings set down in one or both of those, returning to Itsuki's book for a sober look at how those teachings affect and ground the lives of Shin Buddhists is a must.

Hiroyuki Itsuki provides a lucid and powerful explanation of Pure Land Buddhism in the Japanese tradition and supplements it with the lessons derived from his own suffering. Mr. Hiroyuki is to be commended not only for providing a spiritual essay with universal implications but also for drawing upon his own difficult experiences in a relevant, helpful manner that deftly avoids sentimentalism and self-pity.

Hiroyuki describes his childhood as the son of a Japanese teacher in occupied Korea before and during World War II. When Japan was defeated, Hiroyuki's world fell apart. After losing their home and belongings, Hiroyuki's mother died, his father became an alcoholic. Ultimately it was the then thirteen year-old Hiroyuki who cared for his siblings and dragged them to safety in South Korea. The trauma of these experiences and others caused Hiroyuki to develop a very negative view of life. The significance of this development, which was clearly missed by one reviewer, is the fact that Hiroyuki's negativity is not nihilistic. Instead, Hiroyuki argues that when we accept the negative facts of life (primarily that we will experience loss, pain, sickness, old-age, and death) we are better able to lead a positive life. Hiroyuki goes on to describe the Buddha as "the ultimate negative thinker" and explains how the Buddha gave up His life of wealth and privilege in order to comprehend and then address the suffering that comes with existence.

In explaining the differences between Zen and Pure Land Buddhism, Hiroyuki addresses the common misconception that the latter is based on blind faith. Zen, according to Hiroyuki is a religion of action that involves meditation and other exercises while Pure Land Buddhism simply requires a simple belief in and verbal acknowledgement of the Amida Buddha. This belief is not an attempt to find the Amida Buddha, for according to Hiroyuki He has already found you and has reached out to you with countless subtle mechanism that can include the kindness of complete strangers and the pages of Hiroyuki's book. Hiroyuki refers to these countless mechanisms as the "Other Power" and contrasts them with the "Self Power" associated with Zen. According to Hiroyuki, the practice of Zen involved time and activity to perform self-development that was simply not available to anyone beyond Japan's privileged classes. Pure Land Buddhism appealed to the commoners because it did not require developing the "Self Power" of Zen. Instead they merely had to believe in and acknowledge the "Other Power" of the Amida Buddha's commitment to save them. More to the point, the Amida Buddha already had saved people; they simply needed to wake up to this fact.

If Hiroyuki's writing only focused exclusively on the suffering and despair of his personal history then readers could justifiably find his negativity appalling. But Hiroyuki contrasts these experiences with the surprising kindness of strangers and other positive experiences that he eventually came to attribute to the "Other Power".

Ultimately, "Self Power" and "Other Power" are parts of the same thing. "Other Power" is faith, and it is also a required foundation for "Self Power". Hiroyuki convincingly argues that you cannot practice any form of self-development without a faith to precede it. Hiroyuki draws a parallel between the two schools of Zen Buddhism and the differences between Catholicism, which stresses salvation though one's works and Protestantism, which bases salvation upon faith alone. Hiroyuki concludes that the relationship between faith and action are universal to practically all of the world's religions and cites a recent accord between the Vatican and Lutheran council that acknowledges the primacy of belief in Christ and the importance of supplemental good works in His name.

So why do we need negative thinking to have a positive life? Hiroyuki argues that if we are driven by optimism alone then we are fooling our selves and are only going to suffer in the long run. When we acknowledge the normalcy of suffering, we are better able to cope with it. We are also more likely to appreciate and less likely to be fooled by the cycles of our own happiness. For me the most interesting part of this Hiroyuki's thinking is that fact that it is an equal blend of faith in human salvation and deep existential courage. Hiroyuki also gets right to the spiritual heart of religion rather than its alienating social and political elements.

This book is not worth one star.

Ms. Elsbeth implies this book is authentic indian stone medicine.

It is NOT. If you want Native American or new age material; look elsewhere than reading this conglomeration and getting confused.

Page xii-xiii: "The stone people - the earth angels, devas, dwarves, elves" _| The Indians worked with the stone people and the little people. Devas, dwarves and elves are Celtic of origin.

Page xvi: "The Celts left their tracks literaly etched in stone in the Ancient Celtic alphabet called Ogham". _|What does the Druid alphabet have to do with crystal healing?

Page xix: "The South American rainforest, our main source of oxygen" _|What does THIS have to do with crystal medicine? Furthermore; I am all in favor of preserving the rainforests, but the rainforests are NOT the primary source of oxygen. Trees only produce oxygen during daylight hours. They use oxygen during hours of darkness, and trees are dormant part of the year. Trees are a further oxygen depletion system when leaves decompose. The real source of oxygen is from the oceans (this will not win friends and influence people, but it's true).

Page 3: "The Lakota address the Great Spirit as Tunkashila" _| Only part of the Lakota. The more common name is Wakan Tanka.

Page 3: There is the Yuwipi ceremony which uses the power inherent in the sacred stones." Ms. Elsbeth has confused the Inipi ceremony with the Yuwipi ceremony.

Page 57: There is an illustration of the seven chakras. The chart is incorrect.

Page 79: the author goes into palmistry.

Page 99: the author (tries) to show an illistration of the meridians. She shows a few accupuncture points on the body (without showing ANY illustration of the meridians. Furthermore; the Chakra model, and meridian model are mutually exclusive. If the Chakra model were correct; then accupuncture could not work.

The ONLY redeeming quality of this book is the 16 pages of color photos between page 168 and 169.

Mahalo. Two Bears

My heritage is Irish-Native American (specifically Seminole & Cherokee) so I was very interested. My main hesitation comes from the assigning of crystalline structures to various signs. I would have preferred to see the Native American totem animal descriptions used (rather than the Western zodiac terms) Also, my husband is a jeweler & it is hard to find stones that are suitable for setting in some of the specified crystal structures. I liked the fresh approach but ended up donating the book to our local coffee shop/study library.

Get this book and go straight to the 16-page section of glossy photographs. You will find a large amount of capsulated information in the photo. This will seduce you right into the text and you will be hooked until you have finished the last page. The introduction is one of the strongest statements to be found on the state of the world. It will move you to deep thinking. It also points out that healing must be accomplished internally before it can be applied externally. This must be remembered!

Crystals have been in use in indigenous cultures since the Peking man of the Old Stone Age. Throughout the world, they are used for healing, communication, and divination. While crystal healing came under fire during the Burning Times, science has proven that stones do contain and emit electromagnetic energy. The therapeutic value of stones can no longer be debunked.

Elsbeth states: "...we are able to receive the psychic imprint of Nature through meditation or even proximal contact with stones, once we know where and how to look."
She devoted roughly half of the book to teaching us to utilize crystals for healing. There are instructions for making tinctures and elixirs or a Medicine Wheel. There exercises, meditations, songs, and chants. There is a reference list for alchemical crystal healing. She even covers metals.

The rest of the book is a stone encyclopedia. The crystals are listed in alphabetical order. Each listing includes: the crystal system, cell salt, color, energy, element, planet, sign, stone lore, and medicinal uses. There is a resource guide in the back of the book to guide you in securing crystals.

This is a marvelous book. I have used mine extensively. The instructions are easy to understand and follow. The writing is lively and conversational. You can use it for a number of purposes. Or you can simply enjoy reading it.

Marguerite Elsbeth is a descendant of the Delaware Indians. She has facilitated shamanic healing and ritual groups. She has two other books.

Alicia Karen Elkins, Reviewer, Columnist, Editor

Reprinted from Gotta Write Network Online