Holistic Healing Books - Book Reviews

This is certainly a comprehensive book, and one for anyone seriously into sport of any kind. It shows you how to work muscles you probably didn’t even know you had. It would make a good companion to ‘The Anatomy of Sports Injuries’ by the same author.

The book is available through

Lotus Books

The Anatomy of Pilates Paul Massey 155 pages ISBN 978-1-905367-13-9 £14.99 Lotus Publishing www.lotuspublishing.co.uk

Ever wondered, or as an instructor ever wanted to demonstrate, which muscles and joints are involved in the various Pilates movements?

The author, a leading private physiotherapist and Pilates instructor, takes the reader through what’s happening under the skin using plain language and clear coloured illustrations. He also includes checkpoints, faults to look out for, and shows which muscle groups benefit from the different exercise positions. There are only four chapters but there seems to be no skimping on detail. The page edges are coloured for quick reference, too.

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Pilates Method. This covers the principles of the Pilates method, concepts and elements used in the Pilates method, and breathing.

Chapter 2: Posture and Movement Assessment. Here posture and posture types are covered as well as postural assessment, movement assessment, and body alignment during exercise.

Chapter 3: Application of the Pilates Method. This chapter looks at muscle balance and imbalance, motor learning, motor control skills (stabilisation and co-ordination), flexibility, strengthening, and the Pilates programme. It includes several tables, including one showing a selection of exercises based on the level of ability.

Chapter 4: Classical Pilates Exercises – this is by far the longest chapter and covers classical Pilates exercises – forty of them. Each exercise has two pages devoted to it – one of anatomical line drawings showing how it is performed, with a full explanation on the opposite page.

Particularly useful are the quick-reference sections at the back of the book:

Glossary of Terms Anatomical Directions Muscle Groups Main Muscles Involved in Movement Resources Index of Pilates Exercises

All in all a comprehensive book. I would say this is a ‘must’ for tutor and serious student alike.

Another Review by Jill:

Feng Shui Life Coach Simon Brown 144 pages ISBN 978-1-84181-343-1 £14.99 Octopus Books www.octopusbooks.co.uk

Another Feng Shui book? Yes, but this one is different, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a life-coach book in that it helps you identify and then aim towards your life goals, with the help of Feng Shui.

Most people understand the concept of Feng Shui – that they change the layout of their environment and their lives improve automatically. That on its own may seem a little vague and unfocussed, and this new book addresses that.

The author’s suggested approach is first to decide what it is you’d like to change about your life, then work out what internal (personal) changes you’d need to make in order to achieve what you want. Once you’ve defined your goals, find how Feng Shui will help you to get there then implement those environmental changes and see what happens. That’s the basic premise, but as the book reveals, there are many parts to it. Intuition, energy-sensing, working with the Sun and the Moon as well as (of course) the eight directions and the use of colours, shapes, plants, lighting and space all combine to get the final result.

It’s an easy read – and the author recommends reading the book quickly right through without analysing before you start making changes, just to get the hang of the concept.

Chapters – there are only four, but they contain all you need to know to get started: understanding life coaching, understanding energy, Feng Shui life-coaching tools, and finally room make-overs with eight-directional energy.

The glossary is brief, and has only around twenty entries, although the index is four pages long, and quite comprehensive. I liked the idea of ‘automatic leaning’ but was disappointed to discover that it was a typo…

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone interested in self-improvement.

The Little Book of Spirit Readings Collette Star O Books ISBN 978-1-84694-158-0 £9.99 www.collettestar.co.uk

According to the bumph on the back of the book, this was to be un-put-downable. Sceptic that I am (as far as PR is concerned), I started to flip through its pages. The first thing which struck me was that this lady seems to write as she speaks – and she speaks as many mediums do, which is almost like an open tap.

This I can quite understand. Once the spirit messages start to come through, you just have to deliver ‘em. Having said all that, I soon got used to Collette’s style – and I honestly couldn’t put it down. She offers a tantalizing glimpse into the world of a medium. How frustrating that we only get a little peep into these peoples’ lives. It left me wanting more. When’s the next one out?

Traditional Herbal Medicines – a guide to their safer use. Karalliedde and Gawarammana Hammersmith Press £19.99 ISBN 978-1-905140-04-6

Most alternative health practitioners, as well as those of us who use herbs on a regular basis know that herbal remedies can have contraindications. Some, for example, shouldn’t be used when pregnant or breastfeeding, or when taking various conventional med’s. Others can trigger an allergic reaction. Often, though, we have to trawl thro’ different books to discover which goes with what, or more importantly – doesn’t. Usually it’s buried at the back, somewhere, or just given a line or two.

This book has it all in one place and it’s so easy to access. Written by experts at the Medical Toxicology Unit (MTU) of Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital in London - Dr Lakshman Karalliedde spent 10 years there and is now a toxicologist with the Chemical Hazards and Poisons Division of the Health Protection Agency, Debbie Shaw heads the MTU’s Chinese Medicine Advisory Service; and Indika Gawarammana was a former registrar there.

The book covers traditional herbal remedies from around the world including Chinese, Afro-Caribbean, Unani and Ayurvedic traditional medicines. It describes their sources, known effects and side effects, dosages, interactions and – most importantly – precautions.

A ‘must’ for every herbalist’s bookshelf.

I Will Need to Break Your Other Leg Prasanna Gautam Hammersmith Press ISBN 978-1-905140-121-3

I have to say I found this book absolutely riveting. Whilst it could be read as a ‘dip in’ book, I would recommend it be read cover to cover – as I did in a couple of sittings.

While there are many ‘I was a medic’ books out there, this one stands out because the author was trained in India and first practiced in rural Tibet, giving the best clinical care possible with often inadequate instruments and drugs, as well as socio-political obstacles. In fact, he ended up having flee to England with his family, where he worked hard for the NHS until retiring.

I felt I learned something along the way, as diseases and procedures are explained as the tale is told – but not in such an obtrusive way as to interrupt the flow of the story.

This book is brilliant. I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone with the slightest interest in medicine. Certainly an eye-opener for me.

Don't forget to visit Jill's site at www.woodwords.co.uk

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