Mind, Body and Spirit Essential Spring Reading

Stock up your bookshelf and prepare to be enlightened with these fabulous new books for mind, body and spirit. Learn to forgive, learn about where we come from, learn about a different religion, or learn to connect with yourself on a deeper level.

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99 Reasons to Forgive and Revenge Ain’t One by Geoff Thompson

Geoff Thompson was sexually abused at the tender age of 11 by a trusted and beloved teacher. By the time he was 30 years old he was unconsciously displacing his rage into violence, sexual self-harm and long bouts of debilitating depression. After failing to find a solution to his burgeoning mania in all the conventional places, he set off on a Campbellian quest to find the answers for himself: about abuse, about the aftermath of abuse, about the true meaning of forgiveness, its metaphysical power, and how it is possible to heal, no matter how deep or how old the wound. The author assures us that “there is treasure in the ruins”, “there can be profit in sorrow and in suffering”, and, with a few tried and tested, honest techniques and a heavy supply of courage, victims can reclaim their lives, they can win love and they can find healing and inspiration, post-abuse.

In this deeply empirical study, Thompson reveals the true definition and the awesome power of forgiveness, clearly defining the difference between forgiving someone and letting them off. He demonstrates the power and freedom of “giving it over”; the revealed health benefits of releasing anger, dissonance and resentment; the hidden power of reciprocity; avoiding the hate trap; the healing power of love and compassion; the liberating practice of personal repentance; and discovering “the world to come” – the exhilarating expansion we experience when ignorance is dissolved with qualified knowledge.

Geoff Thompson is a BAFTA-winning screenwriter and has written over forty books. His work in the self-help genre has been published in 21 languages: he has appeared on the Sunday Times Best Sellers List several times. His bestselling first book, Watch My Back was adapted into BIFA Nominated motion picture, Clubbed. He has written articles for national magazines and broadsheets, including The Times, Men’s Fitness, GQ and FHM. Geoff lives in Stratford upon Avon, UK.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

And She Lived Happily Ever After: Because every woman deserves a happy ever after! by Deb Durbin

And She Lived Happily Ever After is an inspirational and motivational book for women, reminding them that they are in charge of their happy-ever-afterness and that they don’t have to adhere to societal rules and regulations if they don’t wish to. Inside these pages, Deborah Durbin covers more than thirty life tips and reminders, including building your own world profile, why it’s important to wait 24 hours before reacting, why it’s so important to surround yourself with radiators and not drains, and many more life lessons Durbin has learned over the years. These lessons are short and to the point and written in a style whereby the reader can dip in and out for a life lesson when it suits them.

Deborah Durbin has over 20 years’ experience working in print media for national magazines and newspapers as a freelance journalist and feature writer. She writes regularly for all the MBS magazine titles, Chat it’s Fate, Take a Break, and other UK & US magazines. She lives in Somerset, UK.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Atlantis and Gaia: Magic, Reincarnation, Covid and Earth Healing Today by Diana Mary Rose

A brilliant portrayal of how karma works over the centuries, Atlantis and Gaia: Magic, Reincarnation, Covid and Earth Healing Today explains in easy-going style reincarnation and soul healing through natural medicines such as homeopathy and herbs. Diana Mary Rose brings famous modern-day celebrities into her writing. We see George Harrison, for instance, as a monk, and John Lennon as a famous peace man – eons before their fame today – and William Shakespeare appears in a new light, too, as this psychic author delves into his past and future lives. From Julius Caesar and Fred Astaire to Angelina and Brad, there is no end to interesting tales here. Everyone alive has reincarnated multiple times over. Karma is a merry-go-round. And underpinning the entire book is Atlantis, that mystical civilisation, for the Atlantean light shines brightly over every aspect of society today. An entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable read, /Atlantis and Gaia/ will introduce you to new concepts and blow your mind.

Diana Mary Rose is a psychic clairaudient medium. She is also a qualified Reiki Sekhem healer and a homeopathic practitioner. She is an expert on past lives and can intuit how thoughts and behaviour in a prior existence may create sickness and infirmity today. She lives and works in Rutland, UK.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Introducing You to Your Own Perfection A Guide to Walking the Path to Peace with Our Inner Guru by Akash Sky

Introducing You to Your Own Perfection is aimed at the reader who has an interest in transforming their self-awareness to gain inner love, peace and joy at every moment of their life. Working with the world-famous universal spiritual teaching called A Course in Miracles, we become mindful of who we are. Are you a body? Are you an accumulation of experience and past thoughts? Are you a person independent from everything and everyone in this world? In this book, self-aware author Akash Sky continuously investigates the individual we think we are. The conclusion is that as we dissolve our personal identity we arrive at a state of nothingness, which is the beginning of pure existence. This knowing unites us with love’s presence and covers us in peace. Sky shows us that through understanding what we are, what our origin is and where we are now, we can arrive back to our natural joyous state of mind by holy forgiveness with the higher self. Introducing You to Your Own Perfection offers an open discussion about self-realisation, with enjoyable analogies presented throughout.

Self-Aware Spiritual author Akash Sky was Born in London, UK, where he still lives. In 2015, when his dad died, Sky connected to the formless essence of Guruji, an incarnation of Hinduism’s Lord Shiva. Using ‘A Course in Miracles’, Guruji & Jesus introduced him to his true self. He devotes life to sharing this.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Mescalito Riding His White Horse Inspired by The Musical Adventures of Peter Rowan by Mike Fiorito

Mescalito Riding His White Horse was inspired by several interviews conducted with Peter Rowan, legendary bluegrass musician, over a period of a few months during 2021. Peter never really followed the path of rock superstar – he was more interested in the alchemical process of music. In discovering this magic, I have felt myself projected across time, place, and identity and tried to put that experience into words. Except for the quoted interviews, which were transcribed as spoken, what follows is a combination of autobiography mixed with my visions and dreams. Some were imagined. All were real.

Mike Fiorito is an Associate Editor for Mad Swirl Magazine and a regular contributor to the Red Hook Star Revue. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Mindfulness and Me: A Practical Guide for Living by Kira M. Markoff, LCSW-C

Are you ready to see mindfulness in a whole new way? As a set of relevant practices for emotional stability, concentration, insight, relaxation, self-control, and mental fortitude, mindfulness was never intended to be shrouded in mystery. Current psychological research shows that just 8 weeks of daily mindful meditation practices significantly lowers the activity in the fear (a.k.a. stress) center of the brain. Mindfulness and Me: A Practical Guide for Living is a myth-busting, philosophy-integrating handbook designed to lead you through 8 weeks of practices for creating a meaningful, empowered, kind, and relaxed life. To prove there’s nothing mystical or magical about mindfulness, these practices integrate Buddhist, yoga, and Christian philosophy, mental health treatment, modern psychology, and so much more. Mindfulness and Me will take you through the biology of stress, changing thought patterns, managing emotions, and having a better relationship with yourself and others. There’s nothing magical about it. It just makes sense.

Kira Markoff, LCSW-C is a licensed social worker and psychology PhD student. She has practiced yoga and meditation since 2018 while working as a mental health therapist. She lives in Chambersburg, PA.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Muslim Mechanics: The View from Behind the Curtain by Charles H. Brewton

Muslim Mechanics is a factual and informative resource guide for Islam written for non-Muslim Western audiences. The word mechanics, as in quantum mechanics or classical mechanics, represents a branch of physical science that studies the working parts of complex systems, machines, or even organizations and institutions. Taking the same tact, Muslim Mechanics is the study of how Islamic policies, activities, and functions affect populations and organizations. Going further, Muslim Mechanics looks at the functional and technical aspects of actions and determines their impact on an organizational and institutional level. As the word mechanics would indicate, there are hundreds of policies, rules, and beliefs that make Islam tick like a Swiss watch. Dr. Brewton presents an objective and secular view of a religion that is anything but secular.

Charles Brewton is an American professor of business strategy. In addition to a career in higher education, he is one of the few classroom professors with operations experience in private industry and state government. Currently, he teaches MBA courses in business strategy, marketing, public budgeting, public policy, and international business. He lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Phoenixes & Angels Mastering the Eighth & Twelfth Astrological Houses by Carmen Turner-Schott, MSW, LISW

In Phoenixes and Angels: Mastering the Eighth and Twelfth Astrological Houses, Carmen Turner-Schott gives practical advice and tips on how to implement self-care strategies to overcome challenges and help the reader gain greater self-awareness. This book will benefit astrology students, seasoned astrologers, beginners, and those who want to learn how to counsel individuals with eighth and twelfth house planets.

The eighth house is the most powerful house in astrology. It rules death, regeneration, rebirth, healing, transformation, sexuality, behind-the-scenes energy, power, and secrets. All the energy of Scorpio and Pluto brings a heightened awareness of the deep things in life from which most people hide. Eighth house people share similar life experiences. /Phoenixes and Angels/ highlights actual stories from eighth house people, which can help those interested in learning more about themselves and helping others.

The twelfth house is the most spiritual and mystical house in astrology. It rules cosmic consciousness, oneness with God, compassion, service to others, psychic abilities, imagination, sleep, dreaming, addiction, secrets, and much more. All the energy of Neptune and Pisces brings a heightened awareness of the spiritual world and the divine. Twelfth house people share similar life experiences. This book highlights actual stories from twelfth house people, too, which can help those interested in learning more about themselves and helping others.

Carmen Turner-Schott, MSW, LISW, is a practicing licensed clinical social worker, astrologer, writer, and teacher with a national and international clientele. She has worked with victims of trauma for over 25 years. Since 2010 she has managed several Facebook Astrology groups which have over 50K members from all over the world. She lives in Troy, Illinois.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Questioning Spirituality: Is It Irrational to Believe in God? by Eldon Taylor

A pragmatic case for the rational viability of a spiritual belief in a higher power. [Taylor] makes a compelling case that the scientific worldview–one that sees humans as “meat machines”–is inconsistent with people’s experiences of themselves and is not nearly as rationally superior as it is so often presented. This alone makes the author’s compact consideration a worthwhile read. A philosophically astute challenge to the rational supremacy of science over its spiritual rivals. Kirkus Reviews

Eldon Taylor is considered to be an expert in the area of preconscious information processing and has served as an expert trial witness with regard to both subliminal communication and hypnosis. Eldon was a practicing criminalist for over ten years, where he supervised and conducted investigations and testing to detect deception. Eldon is a New York Times best-selling author and the subject of his books range from exposing the darker sides of mind programming and brainwashing to the spiritual search for life’s meaning. He lives in Medical Lake, WA.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

The Soul & The Sea, Essential Healing for Everyday Life by Benig Mauger

In The Soul & the Sea, Benig Mauger interweaves depth psychology with spirituality to present a new model of healing. Inspired by the sea and land around her home, Mauger draws from her own life experiences as a Jungian therapist and spiritual teacher to illustrate how connection to nature and the spiritual world can heal emotional wounds. In a time of spiritual awakening, emotional healing must move beyond psychology to be effective. As both a guide and a creator of a new portal for healing, The Soul & the Sea reads like a story as it charts the journey to healing through nature and spirit while serving as a tool for emotional healing and soul growth, showing us how to connect to our inner healer.

Benig Mauger is a Jungian psychotherapist, transformational teacher and author specialising in spirituality and wellness. As well as maintaining a private practice, she teaches and runs courses and workshops on psychological healing, spiritual wellness and how to live an empowered and soulful life. Her work is featured on her website http://www.benigmauger.com She lives and works in Connemara, Ireland.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.

Spirituality Rekindled: The Quest for Serenity and Self-Fulfillment by Nassir H. Sabah

Spirituality Rekindled: The Quest for Serenity and Self-Fulfillment explores the attainment of serenity and self-fulfillment through a rational spirituality, which author Nassir H. Sabah posits is a quality of being predicated on a sense of connection to The Almighty. Incontrovertible, science-based, and objective evidence for the existence of The Almighty is derived from the Quran, which for non-Muslims is to be regarded as a stand-alone text that should be judged on its own merits, without prejudice or bias. Based on this, and on cognizance of the limitations of present-day science, Dr. Sabah makes the case for a spirituality that provides the foundation for a continual, immensely beneficial, and comprehensive self-development – spiritually, psychologically, morally, and intellectually. Spirituality Rekindled: The Quest for Serenity and Self-Fulfillment presents a detailed roadmap for this spirituality.

Nassir Sabah is a neuroscientist and Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, where he also lives. He has over 100 technical publications, mainly in neurophysiology, biophysics, and biomedical instrumentation and has authored four books on electric circuits, electronics, and neuroscience.

Buy the book: Amazon US; Amazon UK; Waterstones; WH Smith.