Customer Reviews

Dr. Andrew Weil's Mind-Body Toolkit

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I am a practicing counselor, and I purchased this set for use in the therapy that I do. I thought it was reasonably priced, and the CD's and cards give several different examples of breathing and meditation exercises. Basically, for your money you're getting a few dozen flash cards with suggested exercises, an instructional booklet, and two CD's. It's nothing earth-shattering and comes across as a little New Agey, but the exercises are good. I know from the research literature I've read and from my own clinical experience that these exercises are helpful. I particularly like the different ways to breathe. If you're looking to reach enlightenment or higher states of existence, keep looking. But if you're looking to reduce your stress, stop smoking, sleep better, become less tense, supplement an exercise or diet program, or just relax a bit, then I'd recommend this box set.

"From coping with stress and reducing the severity of symptoms to easing chronic pain and strengthening the immune system, there's a broad range of mind-body methods that you can take advantage of and regularly use to enhance physical and mental health." - From the guidebook

In the past, traditional allopathic medicine treated illness at the symptomatic level, focusing exclusively on the physical body. However, over the last few decades, mounting evidence has shown that states of mind can influence health and healing. Now, many physicians and hospitals are using an integrative approach to medicine, factoring in the emotional, mental, and spiritual states of patients.

At the forefront of the mind-body connection, publisher Sounds True has created a tool kit providing several clinically proven techniques promoting self-healing. Dr. Andrew Weil's Mind-Body Tool Kit contains two audio CD's, a 52-page guidebook introducing the four healing modalities, and 25 flash cards featuring exercises in breath work, meditation, guided imagery, and sound therapy.

Teaming up with experts in their respective fields, Dr. Weil highlights the various methods for promoting overall well-being. With a run-time of 69:16, CD 1 offers six different breathing exercises demonstrated by Dr. Weil, including following your breath, beginning with the exhale, squeezing out more air, and the relaxing breath. Also featured on CD 1 is an introduction to guided meditations by nationally recognized expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., who describes cultivating mindfulness and loving kindness practice.

With a run-time of 72:16, CD 2 introduces guided meditations and sound healing. Martin Rossman, M.D., a pioneering physician in the use of guided imagery, explains the use of imagination in helping to deepen your ability to relax-including a fantastic guided imagery exercises centered on a place of healing. The second part of CD 2 takes listeners on an acoustical journey with sound therapist Kimba Arem. Using indigenous instruments, nature sounds, and ethereal soundscapes, the music can be used for background music when you meditate, practice yoga, receive a massage, or for helping you unwind at the end of a day.

The 25 flash cards reinforce the exercises presented in the CD and guidebook, including additional ways to employ breath work, meditation, guided imagery, and sound therapy for healing and wellness. Dr. Andrew Weil's Mind-Body Tool Kit is a good introduction to various healing modalities individuals can use for self-healing. However, my favorite part of the Kit is CD 2. I was experiencing some significant lower back pain and the wonderful guided imagery provided by Dr. Rossman helped me create a relaxing place of healing that I can visit anytime. The inner journey provided me with relief from pain and deep relaxation. The music of Kimba Arem, designed at particular Hz levels for relaxation, was also a wonderful experience as I recovered from my ailment.

The mindbody tool kit is a perfect escape into relaxation. Through this kit you have instant access to breathing techniques, meditation, guided imagery and sound therapy.

"For more than forty years, evidence has been mounting that states of mind can influence physical health and healing. Instead of considering the mind as separate from the physical body, research shows that interactions between the mind and body can directly affect health and treatment of illness." ~Introduction

Dr. Andrew Weil's healing audio CDs are accompanied by 25 mind-training cards and a 52 page workbook. Each card includes the CD information complete with the track you can listen to while following the instructions during a guided exercise. There is a place in the workbook to write your thoughts. A journal might also be fun to write down your experiences and mindbody journey.

The 9 breath work exercises help to completely focus the attention on the breath as you breath abdominally or practice various relaxing breathing techniques.

Mediation is also a focus in this tool kit and there are six meditation exercises led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. These cards are not only for use when you are alone in a meditation session; they also increase your awareness of your loving presence while out in the world. One is called the "lovingkindness" while waiting in line meditation. Mindful walking and mindful eating are also ways to remain peaceful all while increasing pleasure and happiness.

The five Guided Imagery sessions led by Martin L. Rossman, M.D. also include ideas for using breath. You can use breath to release a weight from your chest, address an illness or symptom by focusing awareness on areas of the body that need healing or enter an inner world of calming images to soothe your soul.

Sound Therapy is an intriguing section that includes 5 exercises. These include visual, physical and auditory exercises. Ideas for taking a class to learn how to play a musical instrument and ideas about moderating negative input help to bring a sense of peace and adventure to your life.

Kimba Arem's music on the CDs is calming and heart healing. The flute music invites you into the exercise sessions and the melodies retune your soul. The sound healing journeys are works of art and include:

Water Way
Spiral Ebb
Aqueous Air
Liquid Reverence
Angels of the Deep
Surfacing and Integration

After first being introduced to Sound Therapy through Dr. Andrew Weil's Sound Body, Sound Mind CD (first listened back in April, 2000) I have been happy to then listen to his Guide to Optimum Health CD set and now enjoy very practical solutions that lead to greater stress reduction.

Dr. Andrew Weil's work is beautifully nurturing and healing. Once you experience his teachings, you may find yourself much healthier, on a path to better health and actually experiencing life in a more positive way in general. I've been to many doctors who have been unable to solve problems I struggled with for years. Dr. Andrew Weil teaches you to care for yourself, he knows what works and I have had great success with all his natural remedies. His most important lesson is teaching us to become more aware through relaxation and in that way we can calmly seek healing solutions while maintaining emotional equilibrium.

~The Rebecca Review
Celebrating six years of listening to Dr. Andrew Weil

After fracturing my spine and dealing with seven months of therapy, I bought Dr. Weil's Tool Kit solely for the imagery healing disk. In two sessions I had more relief from pain than I had in seven months. This is envaluable to me now. I take it everywhere with me. The sound therapy part of the disk is right for me as a music nutcake. But I would like to be able to skip some of the sounds at certain times due to time restraints.
The guided meditations are too talky for me, and the breathing techniques work well, but are very basic.
More of this Dr. Weil, and quick!!

The editorial description covers it nicely: This toolkit provides an introduction to breathing, meditation, guided imagery, and sound therapy. It is intended to aid individuals with mind-body healing. The short instruction book/journal with 2 CD's and 25 flashcards is just enough of a sample for you to decide if this approach is for you. If so, you might be moved to purchase CD's for each major topic as produced by Dr. Weil and respective practitioners. Taken together with his recent book on aging, I found the toolkit quite useful. Dr Weil's perspective seems practical enough and he's a good guide through the fields of both alternative and traditional medicine.

I loved the breathing exercises especially in this kit. They are easy to follow, nothing complicated and long-winded which some meditation exercises can be, and only takes like 30 mins to do the breathing exercises part. Its also good because if you dont like any part of the cd's you just dont have to do them, I like the breathing part on CD 1 and the guided meditation part on CD 2 which teaches you how to relax every muscle in your body, it also has beautiful music to help you along. I also love the fact that this is packaged up so nicely into a kit, and also lists all what is on the CD's onto nicely presented cards as well so if you cant be bothered listening to the Cd's every time you can just use the cards. I suffer from Chronic Pelvic Pain and after doing these exercises every day for 2 weeks straight the pain had gone down by 40% and this is only from doing them for 40 mins per day, now I dont need to do them every day, my pelvic floor has relaxed itself over time and persistance with these exercises. I would say this is a must for anyone suffering with chronic pain. It really helps calm the nervous system down. I am studying to be a counsellor and I know for sure I am going to be purchasing lots of these kits to keep in my office to lend to clients. I also copied the CD's onto my ipod which is great if I want to do the exercises out of home.

Also, these kits are so nicely packaged and arent huge, they are great gift ideas. I just brought a good friend of mine one who is going through a hard time with her health. I would really recommend it for anyone with health issues which is pretty much everyone these days unfortunately but even if you dont have any issues its great for managing stress which lets face it, leads into health issues in the end alot of the time if not controlled.

As a psychotherapist, I often recommend breathing exercises, meditation, guided imagery, and other relaxation techniques to my clients. However, this is the first time I have found a good introduction to all of the above in one place! I bought a kit for my own use (I like to practice what I preach) and have since enthusiastically recommended it to several clients. I especially like that the info. is presented in three different formats -2 audio CDs for home instruction, a guidebook for background information, and a set of cards with one technique explained on each. The cards are perfect for reference while on a lunch break, waiting for an appointment, etc. I also like that many of the techniques take less than five minutes to do, since many of my clients complain that they do not have time or are not ready to commit to devoting long periods of time to learning relaxation techniques. The sound therapy on CD 2 is great too, and is nice background music while reading, journaling, etc. I am very grateful that I discovered this kit. I have used it every day since I bought it a month ago. It has enhanced both my personal life and also my effectiveness as a counselor, since I now have an easy way to introduce my clients to a variety of relaxation techniques. Thank you, Dr.Weil, for putting this kit together!

The MINDBODY TOOLKIT is great. It comes with a work book, two cds, and flash cards. the focus on this kit is meditation and relaxation, and the work book is meant to be used in conjunction with the cds. However, once a person has read the book and gone through the cd at least once, I dont think it's necessary to use the book again except to journal. My favorite cd is the first one, since i find that doing even a few of the breathing exercises helps me relax and relieves anxiety and tension. I highly recommend this kit to newcomers to meditation as well as those who have not experienced Dr Andrew Weil's works.

I usually get great products through Amazon partners but this one came with some of the cards and CD missing. It was a little cumbersome using the two components so I have only looked at the material a couple of times while I read and enjoy other of Dr. Weil's books.

This product is easy and not complicated in the least. I have begun using it in my daily routine. Worth its weight in gold! Dr. Andrew Weil is amazing!