1 comments about Making the Shift: How to Live Your True Divine Purpose.

1. I just got this CD set yesterday and finished it today. I was originally hesitant to purchase it as I have heard a lot of Wayne Dyer CD's over the years and thought it might be too much of the same. As in any of his CD's, there is some repeat material but there is so much new material--it is definitely worth listening to a few times.
   
   I felt inspired as well as feeling very centered and grounded as I listened to the CD's.
   
   This is a recording of a live workshop that was presented in Maui. Participates apparently paid $500 or more to attend. But listening to these CD's, you feel like you were there--and it is a lot cheaper than actually going.
   
   I have already put the CD's on my IPOD and purchased 2 additional sets for friends/family.
   
   I highly recommend this CD set. I personally like it much better than the movie of the same title and felt that I got more out of it. I also purchased the book but haven't read it so I don't know how much of the material repeats itself. I do know that the book is fairly short so I imagine there is a lot of material in here that isn't in the book.
   
   This CD set speaks to a wide range of audiences and Dr. Dyer does not speak to or adhere to a specific religion. People from all religions and even no religions can relate to this material and benefit greatly from it.
   
   A lot of the material deals with the EGO and moving past EGO to a more centered and grounded place. Dr. Dyer teaches paths to happiness that are not based on anything you do or have. Therefore, if you put to work these steps in your life, you can find happiness regardless of your situation because you will be living more in your Divine Purpose.
   
   I am very appreciative that Dr. Dyer continues to develop his work and delve into new areas or deeper into areas already taught by him.
   
   I would highly recommend this CD set. And, personally, I would recommend this over the movie--although both are good if you can afford both.

5 comments about Meditations to Change Your Brain.

1. Two of my greatest concerns in meditation CD's are the quality of the narrator's voice and the quality of the meditation script. In these areas, the CD's are excellent. I found the narrators' voices very soothing, not distracting, and pleasant. And, I found the meditations relaxing and well designed.
   
   There are some long stretches with no narration, which can challenge your powers of concentration, but I guess that's the point-- after you practice for awhile your mind will calm down and you'll enjoy the long pauses. And I have to admit that I fell asleep several times while listening to them, but that is arguably my fault for playing them at night while lying down. So if you are using them for meditation purposes and not to cure insomnia (which is not their intent), I recommend that you sit up when you listen.
   
   The only annoying feature is that the material on the discs should have been better organized and presented. The non-meditative parts of the CD are rather long, involved, technical and not particularly conducive to an audio CD format. It would have been much better to include the text as a separate booklet. Also, the discs alternate between text and meditations, so you have to constantly skip through tracks to find the meditations. If the narratives were short, you could probably sit through them more than once to get to the meditations, but they aren't, and once you've heard them you don't need to play them again.
   
   All in all, this set of discs contains thoughtful and well-designed meditations. My recommendation is that you burn the meditation tracks onto one disc or load them into your Ipod so you can avoid all the other tracks after you've listened to them once.



2. This 3 disc, 3 ½ hour, 2009 Sounds True program is encased in a cardboard type tri-fold. It is said to draw on 30 years plus of research by neuropsychologist Rick Hanson and neurologist Richard Mendius. The cover states that it will show you how to strengthen your neural circuits that generate happiness, love, and inner peace and includes 7 guided meditations to reshape your brain. (OK. I'm in.) Note that the term "guided meditation" just means that someone is verbally guiding you through the meditation by talking to you and making suggestions.
   
   There is a lot of really good information here and this is an excellent program, especially for those who want to learn to meditate but also want to be convinced first that it is worth their time commitment. This material provides how and why to meditate from a medical standpoint and can also be useful to seasoned meditators. The doctors also talk about how getting rid of your emotional baggage can help you. I can attest to that. Meditation has helped me bring up and confront some stuff I had buried inside. Once you bring it to the surface, you can begin to deal with it. This is a program that you can work with over and over, and will likely need to repeat to effectuate a positive change.
   
   With the exception of the meditation segments on each CD, you can listen to the other/instructional parts in your car, on your way to work. I have listed the times for each track so you can figure out how everything is laid out and what way to listen best suits you.
   
   Disc 1: Using Your Brain to Change Your Mind (total time 71:12)
   1. Introduction (0:51)
   2. Using Your Mind to Change Your Brain (13:59)
   Drawing on a combination Western psychology and neurology and Eastern Buddhism, we explore how to be happier and have less anger and stress, to better understand difficult experiences, and to replace them with better states of mind. Rick begins this segment, followed by Richard. Both speak simply, in easy-to-understand language, and have voices that are pleasant to listen to. Both guys alternate throughout the 3 discs. Instead of getting caught up in all the "stuff" that is going on around us, they talk about how shifting your inner state-of-mind, one bit at a time, can effectuate positive change.
   3. How Your Mind and Brain Work Together (20:08)
   Your conscious mind is dependent upon your nervous system and is primarily dependent on your brain. Something transcendental is necessary for consciousness. This program is based primarily on Western (scientific) medicine. The complex brain is a gift--the extraordinary process of how it works (neurons firing, etc., even when someone is unconscious.) How brainwave patterns change and they change your mind, so you can deliberately effect a positive change in the physical structure of your brain.
   4. Why Aren't People Happier? (10:32)
   Explains how the brain generates suffering and how understanding these processes can allow you to suffer less.
   5. The Effects of Meditation on Your Brain (15:31)
   What scientific studies on meditating Tibetan monks have revealed, what happens in your brain when you meditate, and why. As someone who meditates frequently, I found this segment very interesting in helping me understand certain things about myself. If you listen to only segment 5 in this whole set, I think you will FIND time to meditate.
   6. Guided Meditation: Appreciating Your Brain (10:06)
   DO NOT DO THIS MEDITATION SEGMENT WHILE DRIVING. A bell indicates completion of the meditation. Do not jar yourself awake, but sit for a minute and then come out of it slowly.
   
   (Disc 1, Segments 1 through 5 can be listened to in your car. You may have to listen to this information more than once, because there is a lot of scientific information here.)
   
   Disc 2: Meditations to Change Your Brain (total time 78:47)
   This disc is about 50 % meditation, so you cannot listen in the car unless you skip over each meditation and just listen to the instructional information, which you could do by track. The meditations are fairly brief, so if you are not good at meditating yet, the shorter ones will probably help you learn to focus better. The better you get at it, the longer you can meditate on your own. You can either stop the tape when you want to continue, or just do your own thing.
   
   1. Introduction (0:40)
   2. Taking Good Care of Yourself (4:58)--general information
   3. Guided Meditation: Foundational Practices (15:04)
   How to meditate practice.
   4. How You Can Target Specific Changes in Your Brain (5:52)
   Explaining psychologically what the meditation and the suggestions do in your brain.
   5. The Four Steps to Taking in the Good (13:27)
   You are mainly built up of stored memories of events and emotions. How you can help the brain to register positive experiences and why that is important.
   6. Guided Meditation: Taking in the Good (7:32)
   Practicing positive meditational experiences.
   7. Introduction: Antidote to Stress (8:10)
   What happens to the body in stress and why medically it happens. How to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to compensate and how it medically helps you.
   8. Guided Meditation: Antidote to Stress (9:22)
   How to relax body parts in a combo instructional and meditational experience.
   9. Introduction: Healing Painful Experiences (4:52)
   How you can influence the tone of your memories and shift your reaction to the painful memory.
   10. Guided Meditation: Healing Painful Experiences (8:01)
   Practicing the concept.
   
   Disc 3: Meditations to Change Your Brain II (total time 73:32) This disc is 2 longer meditations and roughly 2 ten minute explanations--not a CD for the car.
   
   1. Introduction: Steadying your Mind (12:41)
   Voice in your head tends to chatter away on a lot of different subjects and build negative stories, which then causes you to expect negative happenings. Rick explains how attention works in the mind and brain. Steadiness of the mind is a real challenge for some, so you must practice and be patient with yourself.
   2. Guided meditation: Steadying Your Mind (28:33)
   A sampling of meditation methods to focus the mind on one thing.
   3. Introduction: Mosaic Meditation (10:00)
   Each moment of your life is like a mosaic of multi-sensual tiles that form a picture. This segment is about how the tiles are made and how we can rearrange them if we need to make a better picture.
   4. Guided Meditation: Mosaic Meditation (22:15)
   Practicing the concept.



3. For this CD set, a psychologist and a neurologist come together to lead you through a number of meditations to "rewire" your brain, with the goal of helping you to create new neural pathways that will allow your brain to function more effectively. They provide a thorough explanation of the brain and introduce the idea of our ability to change it. Neither of them are captivating speakers, but there is certainly valuable information being shared. What I found interesting was the scientific information on anxiety and the work the brain does to protect you. We have to work against these brain-engrained tendencies to reach deeper states of psychological well being.
   I found this material to be useful when focusing in on a specific meditation. It would be difficult to listen to the whole program from beginning to end, as it tends to get a bit dry after a while.
   A good effort, while the audio presentation could have been a good deal better.



4. The two authors of this audio book wrote a very thorough explanation of how ego and psyche and the brain all work, and how to fix the problems. The Introduction is nice and long, and very thorough and detailed. They are fond of saying, "Change your mind to change your brain to change your mind."
   
   But the introduction to this set of 3 CDs is a lot like a textbook. I find that at the same time that I am hearing extremely important, totally new concepts, which are hard to "get" in the first place, I am having a hard time paying attention. It's just dry. Plus, one of the authors is a much better speaker than the other... It might have been better to hire voice actors or professional readers, because the authors are clearly reading from their own scripts, and seem to be so uncomfortable with speaking into a microphone, that at times they don't even sound like they are familiar with the material that they wrote themselves!
   They just don't sound confident in the material, or relaxed about conveying it.
   
   I have heard few Audiobooks that rise to the level of "The Secret." Even if you don't agree with everything in that book, "The Secret" CDs are spectacular with production value, the music, the number or authors and experts who do sound great on CD, the overall impact... The Secret is the best audiobook I have ever heard for those reasons. I wish more Audiobooks sounded like that.
   
   I will update this soon with a review on the Meditations themselves!
   
   TECHNICAL ASPECTS of the CDs
   During the Introduction, each track is much too LONG! The topics and subjects change several times during each and every track! There have been many times when I would have loved to hit the skip back button on the player, but I realized that's impossible, unless I want to listen to about 18 minutes that I did hear, to get to the last 3 minutes I missed.
   
   The sound quality is 100% - very clean and professional.
   
   The cardboard album case is flimsy and doesn't really close. It would be impossible to bring it in a car. Dust would get in and the CDs would fall out constantly. I had to put the CDs in my zipper case to hear the introduction in my car. (Of course, the meditations can't be done while driving.)



5. I've been dealing with chronic anxiety for the past 30 years. I have found this group of CD's to be incredibly helpful. It explains some of the evolutionary processes that have contributed to our survival anxiety and takes a lot of the mystery out of this free floating anxiety. Also, I have been working with cognitive therapy for some years which is a wonderful way of dealing with anxiety and depression and controlling what you can to overcome these forms of suffering. "Meditations to Change Your Brain" explains the actual physical changes to your brain that cause changes in our mind, which is what we have been doing with cog therapy. The exercises and information are presented in a gentle and sensitive way and have taken me even further in the direction of health and happiness. You have assisted me in getting my mind, body and spirit in sync and the resulting peace is incredible. Thank you sirs for HOPE!!!

5 comments about Excuses Begone! 8-CD: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits.

1. I loved this book. Dyer takes the woo-woo out of spirituality and makes it doable, approachable and sensible. I was so inspired by his treatment of memes and mind viruses that I bought the books he refers to when explaining them. His list of the eighteen common excuses that we all use, and how to think about them in order to change whether we're willing to continue to give power to them or not, was enormously helpful to me. He brings things to light that I had pretended not to know, and in a gentle, kind manner, shows how to rethink thoughts that had kept me stuck for years. I am so grateful for his work, for his clarity and loving spirit.



2. You should read this book if you want to get a perspective on personal responsibility and reinforcement of the idea that one can work to overcome habitual behavior.
   
   I find this book hard to review since, on the one hand, it presents a positive philosophy of life in which we can make conscious choices to improve our lives and cast off habits and excuses that prevent us from achieving our goals, while, on the other hand, the book contains a lot of new age psychobabble. There is not much new here, but one can draw inspiration and motivation from Dyer's ideas and his very positive presentation. It is a good quick read as a refresher for understanding that we should strive to adopt more positive and active thoughts to help us act and to achieve our goals.
   
   The book contains no practical advice on getting rid of excuses. Dyer provides a few affirmations, but nothing to really assist in overcoming excuses; these affirmations are useful but not particularly imaginative.
   
   The biggest criticism I have of this book is his consistent reference to God as the source for a mysterious energy that will align an enlightened, "excuses begone" practitioner, with the universe such that anything can be accomplished. His persistent reference to God, or universal energy, is tiresome and is a way to abdicate responsibility. OK, I agree that having more positive thoughts will encourage constructive action that is likely to improve one's chances of success in a given activity, but it is a cop out for Dyer to tell the reader that he or she is a "divine being" and that is why some things will work out. Faith in oneself is essential to success, but Dyer loses credibility by exhibiting the religious fervor of a new age guru.
   
   Nonetheless, I give the book three stars because the basic philosophy (good self esteem) is sound and Dyer does provide inspiration.



3. Great book. Always a pleasure to read Mr.Wayne Dyer. Read it and you will find the real one that is in you.



4. This is a very easy to read book that contains a large amount of wisdom. In todays world of everyone finding an excuse for why they cant achieve what they want, this book blows excuses apart and allows us to see that we can and should achieve anything we want to.
   
   A great book, thoroughly recommend adding it to your library.
   
   Shaun Brodison
   Author
   Secrets to Effective Weight Loss



5. Dr. Dyer offers a challenge to a new way of living. He makes so much sense, you wonder why you haven't heard of these simple tools before. "Excuses Begone" is presented in a humorous and easy to understand delivery. My life is more peaceful since listening to and applying the suggestions Dr. Dyer offers.

5 comments about Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace: A Guided Imagery Meditation for Physical & Spiritual Wellness.

1. This is an excellent CD for meditation. I didn't think it would work for me but it did and I have even fallen asleep. A must have for those wishing to meditate for some guaranteed relaxation.



2. I ordered this CD because the ones I have are all over 2 years old now and I wanted something new to listen to. Overall, this meditation is ok, but there is approximately 6 minutes of intro. at the beginning detailing the benefits of meditation, etc. For someone who has meditated for a while, this is inconvenient and annoying to have to listen to every time. This could have been put on as a separate track to be listened to once and then not have to be dealt with each time one wants to meditate. My current CD player does not have a 'skip' function, so everytime I want to meditate to this CD I have to stand there and hold down the fast forward button until I get past 6 minutes. Not the worst thing in the world, but irritating and I certainly don't want irritation before meditation. So, if you are more tolerant than I or if you have a 'skip' function on your CD player, then I would say to give this CD a try.



3. I have had this program in tape format for years and decided to upgrade to a DVD. I LOVE this program. It is perhaps the most useful tool that I use in a day. It's great for clearing your head, relaxing, and focusing on what really matters in your life. It's only 30 minutes, and even if you choose the option to relax and fall asleep, you will actually wake up after 30 minutes. Undoubtedly all the good "stuff" is still rolling around in your head. I highly recommend this program!



4. This CD was perfect during the stress of the holidays! A half hour of guided meditation can do wonders for the body and mind.



5. We each pull from this tape exactly what we need. I look forward to listening to it every night. Her voice, the background music, and the imagery are soothing and healing. I have never made it to the end of the CD because I fall asleep within ten minutes. My mind used to race at night and not even Ambien could put me to sleep. This CD and the DVD Yoga for Stress Relief have helped me immensely and now I feel empowered and at ease with life. This CD is true to its name: it will bring you peace and physical and spiritual wellness. This is the CD you have been waiting for your whole life - ORDER IT NOW!

No comments about Shamanic Meditations: Guided Journeys for Insight, Vision, and Healing.

5 comments about Guided Mindfulness Meditation.

1. I come back to these cd's time and time again. I really need to consistently practice as he recommends even when life gets busy and that's what I'm doing now. I read "Full Catastrophe Living" before purchasing these cd's and though JKZ is quite pedantic and wordy in his descriptions of meditation and mindfulness, it works well for me. I'm sure his "voice" in describing mindfulness practice may not speak to everyone, but that's how life is. As JKZ said in his book, there are is one ultimate path to God/enlightenment (or whatever word you want to use), but many roads to that one path. Thich Nhat Hanh or Pema Chodran may work better for others, but they all say the same thing essentially.
   
   These cd's are great. No music to distract you. I want to really meditate, not just relax to new age music, or picture myself in a meadow or something. But you'll find when you really get into a habit of meditating with the cd, relaxation is a natural consequence. You really have to commit to the practice though (which is difficult).
   
   There are 4 cds included: meditation, body scan, hatha yoga I and yoga II. Each one is approximately 40 minutes. It's just JKZ talking and describing things. I personally love JKZ's voice. Yes, he talks a little more than some would like during the meditation cd, but I don't mind. The body scan is also a great and effective tool. I love all 4 cds. I love JKZ's patience and his soft and gentle voice as he describes things.
   
   Ultimately, I think a lot of people don't understand or have a false idea of what meditation is. I definitely can say I was confused. Should I meditate to clear my mind and not think? Should I visualize success and abundance? Should I just focus on my breathing? What if I'm breathing wrong? What's the point? After you read Full Catastrophe Living and do the meditation cds a while, you get some clarity. It's not about stopping your thinking or achieving some state. It's about watching your thoughts, your body sensations, your emotions, your pain and just being present with it. And allowing this presence to carry over into your daily life. It's so simple, yet so not simple. The book and cds have really helped me in my breathing (sounds strange) and my knowing of what meditation is really about.
   
   The only drawback I found with both the book and the meditation cds is that it focuses more on alleviating physical pain and less on emotional pain, upset, and anxiety than I'd like. Those emotional things are more my "problems." But this is a minor critique as dealing with physical pain better is something we could all use and because I know JKZ's background is helping patients at a medical center deal with chronic pain. Plus, you can substitute the word anxiety or anger or fear whenever he talks generally about pain. I really love Jon Kabat Zinn and think he's a great voice for presence and mindfulness in this world.



2. Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Meditation CD's correspond to many aspects of his 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Thus, this is a great resource to allow you to learn the same mindfulness techniques as you would learn in the formal MBSR program. The CD's are also a great accompanyment to his seminal mindfuless book, Full Catastrophe Living. The CD set includes: 2 Hatha Yoga exercises, a body scan, and a sitting meditation. Kabat-Zinn is definitely a master in his use of language to articulate subtle mindfulness concepts. The body-scan is a great exercise to start with when building a mindfulness practice. It will introduce you to the current state of your body in the present-moment- and for some this is a first time experience! Not only will you become aware of the sensations and state of various body regions, but you will also learn how to experience and observe these regions with a compassionate and non-judging attitude. This is extremely helpful if you are someone that has excessive muscle tension and/or pain.
   
   Mindfulness Meditation and Stress Reduction for Beginners: The Garden of NOW



3. I have Asperger's and this selection in particular was suggested by my therapist as something she uses for Mindfulness. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same luck.
   
   Honestly, it's hard to explain. Getting into the Mindfulness mindset was just extremely difficult, and though I know that not having any direct and deliberate added distraction sources such as ambient music is important, for someone like me or others that can't control being able to "turn you mind off" the format of CD1 might actually be counter-productive. Not having a base, controlled place to focus makes any and every external sound influence impossibly distracting and can ruin several minutes of progress or combine into killing a session all together. Autistic listeners may also have issues with the length, which is very difficult to push through and one's mind can wander back to the things you're trying to avoid after going too far. For these persons and those with the sort of mind that is continually processing information or speaking with itself on multiple levels this probably won't be a terribly helpful program.
   
   Moreover, if the Mindfulness is the specific goal as part of a mental health or social rehab regiment, having CDs 2 and 3 feels kind of meaningless and you may want to look into something with more focus and more specific options.
   
   In a month of efforts I often felt like I had been deliberately punishing myself by going through the entire session. How it's presented is clearly more for the 'average listener' and not for persons specifically targeting mental conditions. On the other hand, I know family and others that have used it (after I gave it to them) and they've given it decent marks, which is why I'm rating a 3/5 anyway. I personally consider anything lower to imply that it has no productive purpose to anyone, and this certainly will be helpful for a lot of people... just not those like me.



4. The guided mindfulness meditation helps me maintain my focus and helps keep me calm
   and relaxed. My chronic pain appears to become less active and I can relax much better.



5. My wife and I frequently use meditation as a tool for general wellness. She has several illnesses that respond to the instructions given on this CD. I would highly recommend this to anyone with a disabling disease as a useful means of gaining some relief.

5 comments about The Secret (Unabridged, 4-CD Set).

1. This book is very inspirational. I like to think of the universe that it refers to as God, and I feel it is very biblically oriented. I loved it so much that I sent it to all my daughters.



2. The Secret
   Do you want to lose weight? Have a great love life? Be successful in your job? Get rick quickly? According to Rhonda Byrne, we can all have everything we want, by living the rules of life, given to us in her novel ¬The Secret. The Secret was written in 2006, and has become a worldwide phenomenon. With Oprah as a supporter and testimony giver of the realness of the secret, people all over the world are reading, and trying to learn how they too, can have all the things they have ever wanted in life.
   In her book, Byrne focuses on teaching the reader about the power of the mind. She explains that with constant positive thought, we can steer our lives in the direction that we want them to go. She believes and teaches that humans are eternal energies, constantly emitting and attracting energy, whether it is good or bad. The book teaches the reader that by focusing on only the good things in our lives, and the good around us, we will only attract good. She explains that thinking bad thoughts about others or about situations does nothing to hurt others, but it in turn, attracts negative energy towards us. Through the power of thought, Byrne attests "There isn't a single thing that you cannot do with this knowledge. . . . The Secret can give you whatever you want" (p. 11).
   The Secret gives many examples of how living this way of thinking has helped many people throughout history. Byrnes herself came across the secret to life, when she was having a hard time in her life. She began practicing positive thought, and began willing good things her way. After many instances of her positive thoughts coming true, she began to write down her experiences. These written experiences have transcended into the phenomenon that is "The Secret."
   This book has been very helpful to me in my life. Not only in attaining the things I want to attain within my family and my business, but also to help me live a happier life. With the help of this book, I have learned to become more "Zen" and less stressed out in daily life. This in turn has helped me to become a better father and husband.
   Don't get me wrong, I did not agree with everything Byrne teaches in the Secret. From a religious standpoint, I find some of what she writes to be very blasphemous and sacrilegious. She claims that we should thank ourselves daily for our lives, where I feel we should thank our Father in Heaven for our lives. On page 164, Byrne states "You are God in a physical body. You are Spirit in the flesh. You are Eternal Life expressing itself as You. You are a cosmic being. You are all power. You are all wisdom. You are all intelligence. You are perfection. You are magnificence. You are the creator, and you are creating the creation of You on this planet." I struggled with some of the contradictions to my beliefs that were listed in this book, but was able to change the wording in my head, to fit my own beliefs as I read it.
   Despite the contradictions to my religious beliefs, I feel that there is something to be said for positive thinking. The Secret, if followed closely, and practiced, truly can change your life. I have become a better family member, a better business owner, and a better friend, because of the secret. I would recommend reading this book to learn how you can have money, friends, and success, when and how you want it.



3. I love that the book was in great condition and the price i paid was a steal! thanks!



4. I saw the movie and wanted to give the book as a gift. It was very much appreciated. "A good read" I am told. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to make changes in their life.



5. God is a pinata. Naive optimism is the broom stick. This book (less than $20) removes your blindfold, so you can get candy, cars and supermodel dates to fall from heaven (ahem...I mean...the "universe"). Tell that to the teenager dying of stage IV cancer, the mom whose child is strung out on dope, and the guy whose job just got out-sourced to India. You have to be dumber than driftwood to believe any of this junk, let alone to pay $15 to have Rhonda prey upon your wishes for a better life. The sequel should be "Psst...You're REALLY Dumb for Buying More Snake Oil". Ask Rhonda how much $$$ from her millions in book sales she donates to charity? After all, the 'universe' stands ready to re-fill her bank account. Right???

5 comments about Mindfulness for Beginners.

1. Excellent introduction for new comers and a quick review for people who are already familiar with Jon Kabat-Zinn's work. If you want a whole package of on "how to live" the eastern or yoga way, get Sunil Sheoran's Mylife Framework: A Model For A Successful Life Based On The Yoga Principles. The book doesn't talk only "mind" or "thinking" pieces but will really get your ready to get started on a meaningful life - in a VERY simple and disciplined way!



2. I attend a group meditation and my psycologist recommended this in conjuction with our group session work. Since the group only meets once a week, this CD is very helpful in guiding a beginner, like myself, through mindful meditation. I use this on the days when we don't meet. Personally, I find Jon's voice to be soothing and comforting, but every person is different. Just about everyone in my group session has purchased Jon's CDs and have been throughly satisfied. All you can do is give it a try and see if it works for you. That's life: trial and error.
   
   Mindfulness for Beginners



3. If you have tried to meditate only to discover that it's extremely difficult, this CD can get you going on the right path. If you are an experienced meditator, you may find this CD unnecessary.
   
   The package includes two CDs. In the first CD, the author starts by explaining what mindfulness is: "paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, as if you life depended on it, non-judgmentally". It explains how the mind is always busy thinking about one thing after another, incessantly. I have listened to this CD more than once, and every time I get something more out of it.
   
   In the second CD the author gives you several guided mindfulness exercises that allow you to quiet the mind in a progressive way. This is perhaps the most valuable aspect of this CD, that it guides you, through baby steps, down the path of meditation.
   
   The author leads you first to focus on a simple task: eating a raisin. As you discover that you can focus on that, the CD then takes you to focus on other things like sounds, and sounds only. As you do the sound exercises, you begin to witness your thoughts, how you judge the sounds, how you interpret the sounds and so forth.
   
   The last exercise is mindfulness as pure awareness. You no longer focus on anything but experience life by witnessing everything: sounds, thoughts, emotions, and anything else that comes in and out of your awareness. This step has the odd effect of giving you extreme peace of mind.
   
   I have bought other products by the same author: a book called "Wherever you go, there you are", "Coming to your senses" and a "Mindfulness Meditation" CD. I recommend getting the Mindfulness for Beginners first and if you find it useful, then read these other books and get the meditation CD. I have also bought several copies of this CD as a gift to friends and family, not everyone has taken to it, but those that have spent the time going through the exercises have told me that the exercises have helped them become more relaxed and "at ease in their own skin".
   
   On my end, mindfulness has completely turned around my life. I went from worrying about the future, worrying about what people thought of me, to enjoying life as it unfolds. Kabat Zinn was recommended to me by an organizational consultant that saw me stressed out worrying about my job and my life in general. Up until then, I had tried meditation multiple times by focusing on my breathing, but I failed miserably at it. When I started listening to this CD, I began to break through a wall of thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts, circling in my head.
   
   If you have been curious about meditating but struggled to do it, this CD can get you unstuck and on a journey of self discovery that will completely transform your life.



4. I have read the author's book on Mindfulness. It was great. I was hoping the CD was something I could use with my therapy clients and family members who need an intro to Mindfulness. The material on the CD is way over the head of the average person - not for beginners, in my opinion. He uses a lot of unfamiliar words, phrases and concepts that the 'beginner' would not know. Maybe this would be useful for someone who had already been exposed to mindfulness and needed some encouragement to practice it.
   
   I returned the CD and got a refund.



5. I am a therapist and coordinator of therapeutic activities for an intensive psychiatric service team. I run a lot of DBT groups and was hoping I could supplement them with this resource. I was really disappointed after listening to it. I found the exercises to be overly intellectual and cerebral. This was so different from the experience of the author's books. It felt as though the author was filling a need to hear his own voice! This incessant talking left little space for observation. While I would highly recommend his books I would not recommend this CD for someone beginning mindful practices.

1 comments about Menopause and Beyond: New Wisdom for Women.

1. Dr. Northrup's presents an incredible mix of medical science, psychology, and philosophy to spell out how women (and men too for that matter) can not only live a healthier life after menopause but FLOURISH as well! She will have you laughing and crying and seeing yourself in a lot of her examples.
   
   I'm not sure how far into the "New Age" Philosophy she is but she talks about things like bioidentical hormones, herbal treatments, "pain body" at mid-life, as well as traditional medical treatments.
   
   Although I'm not into "New Age" (I do believe in the power of herbs!)I totally enjoyed the CD and found it uplifting.

5 comments about Change Your Brain, Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted.

1. I saw Amen, on PBS the other day. I thought I would check out the book at my local Library. First off, the man looks like he's suffering from malnutrition. Through-out his seminar, you can see him shake and twitch while he talks and walks. Amen preaches that it's ok to eat [complex] carbs but except for his sandwich that he has at lunch time, he doesn't eat hardly any carbs and no starches whatsoever. Amen believes that "everything in moderation" is wrong. He compares cocain and arsenic in his example to support his belief. Saying that according to that example cocaine or arsenic in moderation is ok. That's a fantastic example, don't you think? Besides, there is a bit of arsenic found in mineral water. ;)
   
   Amen's cookbook that he includes has receipes from his wife, that's it. His diet recommendations are not achievable because he wants you to count calories and because his diet lacks most starches like rice and potatoes. It's just not sustainable in the long run.
   
   Another interesting observation about Amen is that he preaches about "brain type" but neglects to mention "body or blood types". Not everyone is suited for a particular diet, regardless of "brain type". Some people with certain body or blood types have to eat more starches and carbs while others need to eat more meat. That's just the way reality. His diet recommendations can leave one's body in a state of acidity when the ideal diet should be one where your body is alkaline. When you're about to die, your body becomes terribly acidic. Amen's diet recommendation throughs your PH balance out of back, for the worst. I know people who did the no or low carb diet and ending up in the emergency room with abdominal pain and bleeding because they followed the diet.
   
   Amen's comment about Vitamin D and how getting enough vitamin D is easily is achievable is false. You can't get sufficent amounts of Vitamin D from your diet or from a pill, your body just doesn't absorb it well. You need exposure to the sun, withOUT screen screen. Again, everything in moderation, but Amen doesn't subscribe to that theory.
   
   Celebrities are endorcing his bood and his plan, like Bill COSBY mean nothing. Heck, Beyone, was endorcing the honey, pepper, and water diet at one time. Amen's diet may work for COSBY and for many people, just like the Atkins diet, it's not for everyone. Remember, Amen lives in California and he's just starting the next diet craze using his experience as a legal drug pusher (psychiatrist)to push sales.
   
   Save your money and take his recommendations with a grain of salt. Amen is nothing more than a business man. Eat foods in moderation and avoid the bad foods as much as possible like refined sugars, high fatty foods, and trans fats. Remember, it's ok to induldge every once in a while because in the long term, you won't be able to maintain his diet recommendations. Otherwise, you'll end up in one of his clinics and be prescribed anxiety and antidepressant medications, which to me, seems to be his real objective here



2. I always read customer reviews before purchasing a book, and when I ordered this one the reviews were all 5 star. I thought this book was going to change my life! I was very disappointed....
   
   First, as with many "self-help" books, the author takes about 10 pages to say what could have been said in 1 page. After all, self-help "magazines" don't sell and make money--you have to stretch your material out into book format. I found myself reading the same information over, and over, and over again.
   
   Second, I found some of the advice to be a little impractical. I purchased this book because I'm having a difficult time getting motivated to lose weight. I know I need to eat right and exercise, but I'm just so tired and feel so blah that I just haven't been able to do it. So Dr. Amen's premise appealed to me--it's not my lack of willpower, it's a problem in my brain. If I just follow his advice, my brain will be "fixed" and I'll be eating all the right foods, in the right amounts, and working out like crazy. Well, a large part of his advice is to eat right and exercise. Not how to get there, just to do it and my brain will start getting "fixed." Hmmmm.....
   
   Third, Dr. Amen suggests a number of supplements that will help brain function. Upon researching some of these supplements, I find that many have not been approved by the FDA. Some have been linked to rather serious side effects, and other medical experts caution that they should not be taken without further research. Personally, I don't want to be a guinea pig. Unless there is overwhelming support from the medical community that indicates a supplement is safe to ingest, I'm not going to put it into my body.
   
   I feel this book was a complete waste of my time and money because I didn't learn a thing. If you don't already know that lack of exercise, poor diet, and negative thinking has a negative effect on your brain, then you could probably benefit from this book. But if you know those things, just not how to implement them, you may want to look elsewhere.



3. If you can, watch Dr. Amen on one of the PBS specials, then read this book. His warmth, humor and intelligence all come through in a highly readable book. The book brought together for me concepts that I was familiar with, but his explanation of the science made it more fascinating and compelling. I have adopted his recommendations and have recommended his book to several people who can literally change their lives by listening to his message.



4. Ok Book at Best.
   
   New books and diets are out for mostly 1 reason - TO SELL MORE BOOKS AND DIETS.
   
   Books have to say something new - even if its not true or works - or no money is made.
   
   Stick with books, food plans and exercise that work, are simple, do not make you alter you life too much. Or you will quit and go back to your old habits.
   
   Books that Work.
   1. Strength Training Anatomy
   2. Weight Training Workouts and Diet Plan that Work
   3. Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength
   4. Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution



5. (See my other review under CHANGE YOUR BRAIN, CHANGE YOUR LIFE). I wanted to believe in Dr. Amen. He was smart, he was funny, and everything he said seemed to make sense. Moreover, his lecture was being broadcast on PBS, so he had to be legitimate, right? I was disillusioned when I went to his website and took a "free" online test that diagnosed me with every mental problem but bipolar syndrome, and proceeded to recommend products that would have cost me more than $200 a month, all this without knowing anything more about me than what I put on the questionnaire. Some of the information was contradictory, because it said that I should not take products with fish oil or gingko, but many of the recommended products included one or the other.
   
   I'm no medical expert, but I cannot find any information other than that given by Dr. Amen or his supporters that SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) is a legitimate diagnostic tool the way he claims it is. Even Wikipedia says the evidence is "anecdotal" and an article on SALON points out the problems in more learned language. As far as the "prescriptions", they all come with a disclaimer that they are not FDA approved.
   
   I have also written to PBS asking them to vet their programming more carefully. I recommend getting this book out of the library and talking with your physician before rushing to try any of his products.