Customer Reviews

Nine Ways to Body Wisdom

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The author makes a noble attempt to present healing techniques in a collective, useful manner. While it has a decent introduction to Chinese medicine, I found the book to be confusing in its organization and poorly edited. Within one chapter, the author advises both against eating nuts and FOR eating walnuts. Descriptions of the techniques are sprinkled randomly throughout the pages instead of being presented in a cohesive manner. Measurements are only UK friendly. Too bad! It could be a valuable reference if it made any sense.

Easy to read but full of useable knowledge that helps even the unskilled practitioner understand why natural healing techniques really work. Jenni has pulled many threads together from Chinese medicine to meditation, flower remedies to the elements ... and on! The book was recommended to me. I now see why!

In a very readable and user-friendly style, this unusual book offers many suggestions for health and healing within the frameworks of Chinese medicine, augmented with other complementary/ alternative therapies. For instance, in Chinese medicine various elements and organs are associated with emotions. The Earth Element is linked with worry or sympathy; Wood Element with frustration and anger; Fire Element with laughter and joy; Water Element with fear; and Metal Element with grief. Each of us has natural traits and characteristics that incline us towards the spectrum that is typical for one of these elements. Harper provides a questionnaire that allows readers to identify their element.

... There are five emotions, which are connected to the five elements and to the maor yin organs (the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys). Anger relates to the liver, you to the heart, pensiveness to the spleen, grief to the lungs and fear to the kidneys. Extremes of emotions can have a negative impact on the organs, especially when they are intense or have been suppressed for some time, just as an imbalanced organ can have a profound effect on the state of our emotions. (p. 3)

Life rhythms are important in Chinese medicine because each organ has a two-hour period during the day or night when it is at its maximal activity and greater sensitivity to treatment. Various foods support various organs and energetic processes. Harper simplifies this complex series of relationships with tables that help to identify the various elements related to organs and feelings and their special times of peak energetic activity. Detailed lists of approaches that can help with problems of each organ - as it is associated with its particular Element - help to identify ways for healing. What I find particularly helpful is the attention to both physical and psychological issues that are often interlinked.

Harper's nine ways to understand and deal with health issues include: nutrition, herbs and spices, exercise, reflexology, acupressure, aromatherapy, flower remedies, affirmations, and visualizations/ meditations. While the index is amply detailed, I found that by using the table of contents I was able to identify which organs are associated with which elements - within the frameworks of Harper's discussion - and then explore which of the nine approaches could be helpful for problems with that organ.

This is a rich feast for therapists, augmented with helpful illustrations, resources and references. Those with little familiarity with complementary/ alternative healing may find the wealth of details a bit overwhelming. Patience and persistence, however, may lead readers to remedies and therapies that are helpful and safe.