Customer Reviews

The 12 Stages of Healing: A Network Approach to Wholeness

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I have completed over 100 sessions of Donald Epsteins "Network Chiropractic" or "Network Spinal Analysis" - and I can vouch for it. I believe it is unique, as it states, and not only is a process whereby you can overcome your pain, discomfort, and tension (defence physiology), but grow as a person overall. The benefits are without a ceiling to the "bodymind", and it just keeps getting better. It doen't even compare for example to the theory so highly touted and created by John Sarno (also reviewed) which is essentially learning how to control your pain. Network unwinds your spinal cord -- where all your tension resides, which is also said to be the subconscious mind.

THIS BOOK however is ABSTRACT, and if you are prone to getting stuck at all, you will. (I have asked several people who have read it, and they all have this same story.) It describes a process of 12 Stages on your healing journey, and you are in one of them now. If you can find it, great, otherwise, it really becomes confusing, and make no mistake, it is hard to read anyway. I quit after 90 pages, and I never went back -- it was that difficult. HOWEVER, it's ultimate "saving grace" is that there are exercises in it that are invaluable. If you are suffering in your life with pain or whatever, go to the first chapter and follow these diagrams and instructions. Photocopy these pages only, if you don't wish to read the book. They only take a couple of minutes. It is possible to get instant and total relief, especially once you have practiced them awhile. At first -- they can be hard to do and create more pain! Don't get discouraged.

The 12 Stages of Healing presents a model of healing that allows the reader to be more "OK" with their own healing process. By learning to identify yourself in one of the 12 stages, you begin to see that what is going with you is not necessarily a "problem", but rather part of a larger process. The simple act of identifying the stage you're in and then doing the easy breathing exercise designed to get that particular rhythym flowing is often enough to move you into the next stage. I have seen over and over again the natural accuracy of Dr. Epstein's model: the moving from a sense of helplessness, to the reaching out(or sometimes blaming!), to the perceiving the stuck patterns in myself and on and on. Use this book as a daily guide to life's challenges.

Dr. Epstein has help thousands of people get a new perspective of health and healing. The 12 stages model provides ideas for a new journey in understanding the healing process without the usual judgement of symptoms as bad or wrong. The book has some very easy exercises at the end of each chapter that can help integrate awareness to the body with breath and attention. A great book for those looking for a the bigger picture of health (from the inside out)

I was skeptical when a friend introduced me to network chiropractic. Since my insurance company covered the full treatment sessions I decided to give it a go. The surprise was worth it. Network chiropractice heals the spine and the emotional nervous system. So not only are the problem areas adjusted but the tension held in the nervous sytem is released. This is not cracking the joints but working with pressure points to align the body naturally and gently into place. If you get coverage for chiropractice ... give this a go.

In theory a lot of this sounds as if it would be helpful. Reality can be something very different. The following is my personal experience and opinion of NSA. Please be aware this is not a wonderful healing tool for everyone. I started out thinking it is helpful and then ended up in a horrible state of depression and body agitation along with now over 3 months of insomnia that none of the breathing exercises will help. I have tried 2 different practitioners and find myself getting more and more manipulated into trying to stick with it as this is all part of some great process that will help you in the end. Any pain or difficulty is blamed on my "resistance". My body is constantly being stretched in NSA and then I have swelling and intense pain. If I say anything they tell me it is because I am not feeling my feelings and I need to feel more. I am not a person who is unaware of what I am feeling and where I feel it in my body so this reasoning gets ridiculous. Then in level 2 any pain depression insomnia etc that has occurred gets amplified. You can trust that happens and they try to have you breath through it. I did the breathing religiously it never helped me. They are messing with your Central Nervous System and they do not have as much research and validation as to what is actually happening to the brain and body as they try to make it sound. Trying to get information has been impossible and trying to contact NSA headquarters on their information line is useless. I have written and called numerous times trying to get information and get nothing back. The practitioners I have gone to are anything but what I would consider "higher brain" compassionate people. One lets her child play with video games that kill people in gory ways After seeing this 6 or 7 times red flags started going off. (This practitioner herself is a recipient of NSA for 10 years or more.). I switched practitioners and am getting no where but lots of guilt about how the universe will find another way to get my attention like maybe a death of a loved one ect. if I don't follow through. I tried this practitioner for 3 months now and after hearing this I really started questioning NSA. She also has been receiving NSA for about 10 years. Personally It seems they have subtle and not so subtle ways of continually manipulating people into keep coming when they are obviously causing things within your Central Nervous System that are anything but healing. Another great scheme is to have you come in more rather then less when there is swelling or any other concerns such as depression insomnia etc. This has only intensified all of the above for me. Another manipulation to watch for is their system of trying to re-label everything into a healing opportunity. There is a great fondness for causing struggle and frustration and pain. Also the financial cost of going 2-3 times a week is enormous. And if you buy into all the manipulations of how to be a more compassionate "Higher Brain" functioning human you never stop going. After you finish going 3 times a week at lower levels -You go at least 2-3 times a month depending on how committed you "truly" are to being a more evolved spiritual enlightened human. There also seems to be a cult like atmosphere around Donny Epstein the founder. Whenever I questioned anything there was a stiff taken back approach given to me and I was told I was so wrong and "lower brain" fight or flight thinking of me to not completely adore his work. Then there is the pushing about how much research has been done. However, that research has been questioned as to its validity. For one thing, they may have some studies and research but they definitely do not know enough about how NSA affects a large enough segment of the human population in our Central Nervous System and as I understand it there are other problems with the research and how valid it actually is. All I can say is be aware and watch out for all the mind and spiritual manipulation that goes on. They also claim it is not specific to any spiritual belief. I have not found that to be true. The whole philosophy behind this has an agenda to it. It definitely has a harshness to it that is not anything like the spiritual peace that one can truly learn from. If you are into harshness and looking on the dark side of things and yourself and dwelling there to "learn" then this is the place for you. If you like getting periodic highs and peace from release of tension that NSA builds up in your body and mind then you are in the right place. If you like being manipulated, led and losing your own sense of power and capabilities for inner healing, then you are in the right place. I was told that I needed to lose all sense of creativity and joy in my life that insomnia, depression and pain are what I need to heal. I have to wonder if this is a way to get people to take on their belief system-Anyone that isn't getting sleep and is in pain is ripe for not being able to think clear and take things as truth that they normally would not. The practitioners insisted that my body put me in these states of continued depression insomnia, and pain because that is what I need. Personally I found none of NSA to be healing except for an induced fleeting sense of peace it has been nothing but a nightmare. Also when I thought about leaving I was warned how my body will not tolerate me quitting and it will feel good at first but then get worse. Of course they tell you none of this when they start you off on just feeling some peace in level 1. All I can say is be very aware.

I've been using similar techniques for the past 20 years. I never knew that someone had written about the process that I discovered on my own. This is a great too for anyone wanting to tap into your body mind connection!

It is a fantastic book. I am so grateful for the knowledge and stories that have been imparted. It has made a positive impact in my life.

I was amazed by this book! A great holistic approach, yet so practical! I've never read to many books like this! A friend of mine who's a chiropractor, told me this book should be translated in as many languages as possible, for the benefit of the mankind! Just a warning, if the reader is not well acustomised into the spiritual and psychologogical aspects of the humans, she may find this knowlege kind of impractical! But if you understand that most of the healing power is within you, this is one of the best books on the subject! And if you don't understand this, it will help you with it!

I'm not really a self help book kind of personal and this one definitely didn't change my mind.

This book is part of the program for Network Chiropractic Care and focuses on transformational attitudes in conjunction with progressive breathing techniques (S.R.I. - Somato-Resperatory Integration. These programs have been transformational for me and I recommend them and this book.