Customer Reviews

The One Thing Holding You Back: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Connection

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's taken me some time to grasp the simplicity of what Raphael Cushnir is sharing. This "technique" is not about bringing up old emotions-- as another reviewer stated-- but more aptly about finally allowing the current emotion, and there's always a current (pun intended), to be experienced. And past issues emerge in the current moment, so as you meet each scary emotion, you are finally allowing the past its life--which includes its decline and death. I have, since reading his work and seeing him live, permitted myself to face the whorling/crashing/sledgehammering of emotion that at times takes me over and paralyzes me. I let it cycle through and then I open my eyes and it's like I have moved through the eery eye of the storm and survived. How clear the air is, how crisp the colors are around me.

My take-away is that I am able to expand what I am capable of experiencing so that I don't live by avoiding what brings up those emotions, emotions that I am too scared to really experience. Hello, life obligations that I feel incapable of meeting? Hello every creative technique of avoidance and procrastination that time and money will afford, hello guilt and self-blame. I have known them well.

I am in touch, in a sentient way, with the borders of my self. It's a kick if you are someone who is used to hiding out from your own self. And I say this as someone who has read alot, workshopped a lot, and searched alot for what would deliver me from my demons. I have learned immensely from all the modalities I've explored, but Raphael has helped to clarify and lovingly simplify. I finally sense that I can meet my demons (scary feelings) and sit with them. And they're not demons at all, just perhaps life as it was meant to be. Maybe the point of life is to know the contours of the human experience, and to do as little harm in that as possible--just a thought I play with. And it's all just one moment at a time.

We have been taught what to do ie, "feel your emotions" but few have taught us in detail just "how" to do that. This book is just that primer.
Thanks Raphael.

This is just an amazing book. It gets to the heart of the matter, guiding you through the finer arts of "getting in touch" with the emotions you are trying to bury. Who doesn't have those? Through this process of "surfing those emotions", you come out the other side, much more alive, able to feel and connect with others. The things that were holding you back before seem to vanish.
All the ways we've been taught in school, or the ways we have lived in families who didn't want to hear what we had to say....those experiences teach us to squelch our feelings and "overcome" our negative emotions by bucking up and ignoring them. Instead, Raphael Cushnir, leads us through ways to get in touch with anything that brings up an emotion, and to actually try and feel whatever that is, until is softens. Through this process, you begin to see that emotions are your friend and that by feeling them, you actually release them. This begins to bring you clarity in life, and anything is possible. I think this is one of his best books.

I could tell just from the title that this book would be powerful for me! Raphael Cushnir has the ability to describe what to do in terms that are easy to understand and implement. I have read "The Secret" and many other good books but this one has definitley given me the "how to" break through what was still keeping me stuck. How liberating! If you are unhappy, overweight, financially strapped or just at your wits' end, GET THIS BOOK!!

Cushnir's book is right on. He offers insightful wisdom and practical advice on how to work with feeling and processing our emotions. Most of us really don't know what to do with the sensations that arise in our bodies whenever we feel sad, angry, or even joyful or at peace. Usually what we do then is eat them away, drink them away, sleep them away, or turn to any other number of numbing techniques. Cushnir shows how to be with the feelings instead, and thus feel more and more alive, as was meant to be.

Some of the design of the book is confusing. He has such a load of info, and since he doesn't condescend to the reader's intelligence, he addresses many of the gradations of emotion as well as many of the ways individuals may need to adjust their approach to connection. This requires a savvy handling and I don't think he and his editors quite pulled it off. The names he gives to things are also not so much evocative as confusing. Calling his primary method 2 x 2 for instance, for me is only evocative of a wooden board.

But, in all fairness, the emotional world is incredibly rich and complex and overall Cushnir does a wonderful job of helping the reader become comfortable with its riches. I can testify that the rewards of practicing what he teaches are indeed plentiful.

I purchased the abridged CD version and use the material on a daily basis without effort. Asking myself his basic questions "What's going on with me right now and am I willing to be with it right now? " has led me to a greater freedom to just be. It has helped me to stop running away from my experience of my own existence. The result is I'm not afraid of my emotional reactions to life anymore. What's that worth? I do recommend it and have seen others benefit from the material as well.

The author's ideas are great. I think, however, that the book could be structured in a more digestible way. There are too many bulky paragraphs and repetitions. Cushnir is trying to get you out of your 'thinking' mind, so more accessible information would be a lot more effective. (That is not to say that it needs to be dumbed down. However, I found myself sorting through paragraphs and underlining so I could refer back, etc.) After reading the book and practicing, I do feel some positive benefits, but I am not sure that I "got it." I am now thinking about attending one of Cushnir's seminars and am hoping for information that is more "get-able."

I recently saw Raphael. This new book really struck a cord with me. I started using the technique and got immediate results. I've continued with it. One of the best things I can say about his work is that he simplifies things I've heard before. He breaks things down and makes them easy to integrate. I've grown since I started using his earlier books, but this one addressed the areas in which I was stuck. I highly recommend this and his other books.

Straight forward and simple approach to clearing out what keeps you stuck and a great way to move through life.

A diapointing book, didn't really give you any firm ways to help you through the problem you were trying to solve in your life. The writing just goes round and round not ever giving assistance to a solution. there are much better books out there, or ask a professional counselor.

This book tells you to bring up old emotions (correct approach), but does not give you a viable way to resolve the issue. For instance, if you are afraid your book will fail, you get together a bunch of friends to say things like: "you really should reconsider being a writer; your writing isn't that good or interesting." Now, you have the emotions brought up, you are just suppose to deep breathe and process them. This is not sufficient.

I recommend that readers of this book search out EFT. EFT tells you to bring up the emotion and then you use accupressure techniques to heal them.