Customer Reviews

The Sedona Method: Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-Being

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Although I have read dozens of self-help books and attended weeks of self-help seminars, none of those books and seminars helped me in the profound way that The Sedona Method has.

The book's core observation is that we allow emotions based on old memories to block our minds and bodies from experiencing what is possible now. Many self-help authors make the same point.

What makes The Sedona Method different from the others is the proposed method for eliminating those emotions. I have learned many other techniques for changing memories (such as the Tony Robbins Swish pattern) and use meditation to withdraw from emotions. I have found that meditation has worked best for me in the past. While meditating, my head is pleasantly vibrating and I feel at mental peace. With The Sedona Method teachings, I find that my whole body shudders pleasantly into relaxation and peace. In other words, this process causes me to enjoy a greater release from old memories and emotions than I had thought possible. It's a wonderful gift.

So what do you have to do to enjoy this peace? You just need to ask yourself a series of questions (and the book is full of exercises to help you do that). I soon found that I did not need to ask all of the questions. With practice, I could just release negative emotions whenever I wanted to.

This book came to me at a very stressful time . . . just after my Father died. I find that the grieving process has been greatly eased by the emotional releases I can stimulate any time I want.

To get the most benefit from this book, you should practice every day to establish new habits. I read the book over two weeks to help make that transition. In retrospect, I would have done better to have read it over more weeks and practiced more each day. I plan to reread the book now to deepen my benefit.

What was most impressive to me was that I could get so much benefit without going to a class or listening to an audio version. I suspect the teachings would be much more powerful in those forms. But you certainly can experience great things from just reading the book, doing the exercises, practicing and remembering to use the teachings when those emotions well up.

May your days be filled with tranquility and a greater sense of what is possible!

Over the past couple of decades, I have read a LOT of books that address the issue of creating a better life and ending "personal suffering." The "problem" with most of these teachings-- although certainly worthy-- is that they either require extensive learning, or following the ways of a Teacher (to the exclusion of ALL others) for *years*, before some level of self-awareness is reached.

The Sedona Method has certain aspects of "New-Age Mumbo Jumbo" it is also the antithesis of most "wishful thinking" programs. while basically offering very similar tools and skills to many of history's great Teachers in the tradition of nonduality. Here's a tool for everyday living, that you simply just take home and apply right away. I say this not only from the perspective of having read the book, but also from having attended seminars with the author, Hale Dwoskin.

Many teachers and "systems" explain how we are held back in life by old memories and patterns. Essentially, we will recoil from, or even fear, certain situations... and when we do so, we're not actually responding to the PRESENT situation, we are responding to a MEMORY. What makes The Sedona Method stand out is its simple, easy to apply steps to moving on. No need to sit at some guru's feet for 10 years, no need to spend $5000 on seminars. The Sedona Method is a systematic "distillation" of the insights of a man named Lester Levenson who underwent a profound life change after being told he had only three weeks to live. Levenson defied the odds offered him by doctors, and lived another 40+ years.

The core of the Sedona Method is extemely simple: "Letting go" or "releasing" the feelngs and emotions that arise around whatever issue is facing you, and are causing you to feel stuck. In some ways, it is not dissimilar from the teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz (The Four Agreements), in that it follows a basic "release your attachment to the outcome" premise. Perhaps that sounds overly simplistic as a life-altering tool, but it isn't. And the benefits are immediate.

The book offers up a number of steps (basically in the form of questions you ask yourself) which will allow you to let go of pretty much any kind of "stuck" feeling you might have. A variety of scenarios are offered, so the method can be applied broadly to everything from setting life goals (overcoming negative "it'll never work" self-talk) to overcoming fears of specific events. It does require a little practice to get used to the idea of "releasing" everytime you encounter one of life's obstacles... I personally found that it took me about a couple of months before the system became "second nature."

About the book itself, it is a mixture of description, exercises and "real life examples" of how people have put variations of the method to use. Whereas it is easy to read, it does get incredibly repetitive, after a while, and some readers might find this a tad frustrating. The book also leans towards pointing the finger at "feelings" as the culprits behind most of our personal suffering, and I found this a bit offputting, at times-- but it's a very minor niggle.

Having read the book AND been exposed to the material in seminar settings, the best I can offer is this: The book DOES stand alone, and most people can easily learn and apply the method without taking a seminar. The workshops (which can be pretty expensive) offer the benefit of the "full immersion" experience, and might be helpful for those who don't believe they are the best "self-starters" in the world. However, taking a class is NOT necessary to get the benefits.

Final thoughts: Highly recommended (9 out of 10 possible bookmarks) for anyone looking for a practical way to address and move beyond old patterns. On the other hand if you're attached to the idea that self-awareness is complicated and "must" happen as a result of studying with a guru for 10 years, then this book is probably not for you!

Thanks for reading!
--Peter

I've been using the Sedona Method for more than a year now, but I've gotten the hang of it only recently, so perhaps these words of caution will save you time and allow you to take full advantage of this wonderful method right off the bat.

The basic idea of the Sedona Method is this: if we "release" our emotions and feelings, we immediately feel better and are more able to deal with whatever life has handed us. So, the entire book is geared toward teaching you how to "release." In particular, there are lists of questions that you can ask yourself and that will help you to release.

The crucial point to understand, however, is that the questions themselves do not get the job done on their own. In fact, YOU have to do the releasing - just reading the question or memorizing them won't do. As the author notes on page 40 "[The questions] are not important in and of themselves but are designed to point you to the experience of letting go, to the experience of stopping holding on."

I should point out that the written format is certainly not the best support for the Method. I am not advertising for the Sedona Method audio program nor the live seminars (both are very expensive, indeed, well beyond my current financial means), but I am guessing that hearing someone guide you through a release is more powerful than just reading about it and then having to figure it out yourself. Besides, Hale Dwoskin (the author of this book) is not a writer at all, and his writing is really not that great. (It should be pointed out, however, that it's quite an achievement for a non-professional writer to write 400 pages like this book, which in itself shows the Method to be quite powerful.) Yet, it's very possible to learn how to release by reading this book, providing you are mindful of not "just reading" but actually trying to find in your mind and your body what it is to release, and then practicing it over and over.

I don't remember the date I first "released" using the Method. What I can say, though, is that using it makes life better and better. Problems are easier to solve, and if there is something you can't solve, you will be more able to accept it the way it is and it will not ruin your life. I don't think anything can be more helpful than this method in having a better life.

To get the best understanding of this material, start with it's source... Lester Levenson's books "No Attachments, No Aversions" and "The Ultimate Truth About Love & Happiness." The Sedona Method is based on Lester's profound midlife, near-death experience and his resulting realization of his true nature... one of unlimited freedom and beingness. He shared these life changing insights freely for the rest of his life... 42 years after being told he would die within three weeks.

What the Sedona Method is good at, is creating a step-by-step process out of Lester's profound but sometimes disjointed teachings. But in doing so, the book can seem very redundant because of the simplicity of the teaching. It's probably best experienced in person at one of their seminars, since it requries a lot of reflection, writing and introspection. (Something most people would skip over and therefore miss the benefit of the exercises.) I have not been to their seminars, so this is not a plug, just an observation.

Lester's books are a quick read and really set the stage for understanding the Sedona Method or Release Technique as it's sometimes called. These techniques are really not meant as an end in themselves, but more as a way to clear out the mental clutter so we can begin, like Lester did, to experience our true nature of timeless, limitless beingness. It's very freeing.

Releasing will improve your life, decrease your anxiety, improve your health, decrease your stress and blood pressure and make life easier. If that's all you want. Lester said only one in a million wanted what he could really give, the knowledge of who we really are beyond name and form, beyond a body and a brain. He must have been a remarkable person from what I've read and the lives he touched.

I recommend the Sedona Method, but more importantly, I recommend going beyond just improving your life, with the ultimate goal of discovering who you truly are. That was Lester's greatest wish.

I have been searching for the perfect self help solution for many years. I have purchased well over 100 self help category books and programs and have spent thousands of dollars. Some of these programs have provided limited relief, but rarely the positive improvement promised. I can honestly say that the Sedona Method Program and book have provided me with the permanent relief I have been searching for, so many years. I urge you to try it. You will not be disappointed. The Sedona Method will not compromise any of your beliefs nor require you to use complicated steps to achieve a rapid reduction/elimination of stress, anxiety, fears, and Phobias.

This book is an invaluable adjunct to taking the live Sedona Method Course, and as a stand alone!

I was introduced to the Sedona Method approximately 20 years ago, while I was going through a very painful divorce. I saw how this approach was very simple, direct, and powerful, especially in helping me to go through the pain I was experiencing. I had studied many change processes, and had gone through many personal growth seminars, workshops and intensives prior to that time, and since then. I found the Sedona Method to be the most elegant and straightforward of the ones I have experienced. Even though I use other techniques and processes, I continually return to the simplicity of the Sedona Method.

It has opened inner doors for me that have been sweet, and profound. It has allowed me to explore my inner nature in a very gentle, yet commanding way. I have used it with most of my clients in my private psychology practice, and have seen how it has helped most people make changes that are transformative in nature. And yet, it is so easy to learn and to apply on a moment-to-moment basis. It is truly a gift that comes from a place of purity and truth.

I have also had the sacred privilege of meeting Lester Levinson, the founder of the Sedona Method, on a number of occasions prior to his death. I was always aware of how present he was, totally there for whomever he was with. His presence inspired me to continue the journey of releasing, and to go ever-deeper into the heart of my soul.

The SEDONA METHOD BOOK has managed to capture the most important elements of the live course, and the essence of what Lester lived and taught. DO YOURSELF AND YOUR SOUL A FAVOR, AND READ IT TODAY! - Daniel Sternberg, Ph.D.

This book will change your life!
Have you ever been disturbed by a person or event and remained disturbed after the initial event that triggered it was long over? How much better would your day be if you could instantly "let go" or release this negative feeling instead of being ticked off for perhaps several hours (or longer)? How would your life improve if you were able to release your emotional reaction to a problem while at the same time courageously handling the situation? How would the quality of your life improve if you could regularly release negative feelings as they cropped up?
The Sedona Method is all about releasing negative feelings as a means to improve your life.
I used to think that bad moods were part of life and we were at the whim of them coming and going. Since practicing the Sedona method, I find that by releasing negative thoughts, bad moods are thing of the past or they are very short-lived should they appear. The Sedona method moves you in the direction of being more relaxed, happy, clear, alive, productive and effective. An additional advantage is that your intuition will improve as you release the negative thoughts that cloud it.
The secret is out! Prior to this book, knowledge of this method was only available by audio tapes or live classes at a cost of many times the price of this book.
This outstanding book is very well written and provides you with all the knowledge you need to practice the Sedona method. It is suitable for beginners and also has a wealth of advanced techniques included.
As an example, Chapter 5 focuses on the serenity prayer. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". As you do the work in this chapter, you'll discover a way to accept the things you cannot change. You will find that you're easily and bravely changing the things in your life that need to be changed. In addition, the wisdom to distinguish between the two will suddenly be at your fingertips.
The book also goes into dissolving your resistance to moving forward with accomplishments, setting and attaining your goals, power decision-making, breaking nasty habits and much, much more.
If you only buy one self-improvement book this year, this is the one!

While you're probably aware that holding on to negative energy (such as long-standing grudges, phobias, paranoia, frustrations, blame and worry) is not a good thing to do, you might not be remembering to clean this kind of junk out of your energy field on a regular basis. THE SEDONA METHOD's basic premise is that when you master the art of releasing and letting go of all this negative energy, you'll feel more effective, healthier, happier, and energized.

Would you like to be more resilient when times get tough? Would you like to feel more loving, secure, optimistic, calm, and free? THE SEDONA METHOD will show you how to move out of being "stuck on a feeling" that no longer serves you well... and moving onward and upward to a life of total prosperity.

If this sounds simple, it's because it is! THE SEDONA METHOD presents real-life stories which give you a sense of how you might be sabotaging your success, as well as the tools for releasing yourself from guilt, shame, fear, and all manner of bad habits. Your mind and emotions can be reprogrammed for joy, health, and success -- and when you learn to understand how you currently incorporate basic emotional states and ways of thinking, you'll see how a few small changes can lead to BIG improvements in your life!

I've got the Sedona Method course on CD and find it to be a very simple yet effective method for reducing stress (and much more). The concept of letting go of thoughts and emotions is a basic yet powerful one.

I just got through reading this book and was delighted to see that it is not merely a transcript of the Sedona Method course. It provides a lot of insights and good solid written material and examples which serve as an excellent compliment to the basic course.

It has been very helpful to have some written material to backup that which is in the taped sessions. While listening to the tapes I just didn't have enough time to be doing the exercises and also taking notes. This book serves perfectly as my notes on the course. It is a great companion and refresher on the concepts of the Sedona Method.

Also, if you have been considering attending or buying the Sedona Method course - you should really check out this book as it gives complete and in-depth information about the course. This is not just a teaser book that constantly admonishes you to get to the course to learn more. This gives the actual material that is in the course which costs a couple hundred dollars at least.

This has been an exceptionally useful concept to me which I rate as somewhere between meditation and self-help. Well worth a look for anybody seeking to improve their thoughts and actions.

Apparently, I am in the minority here, but don't waste a dime on this book, or god forbid, the $400 Sedona Method Course on CD. This review is based on my completion of the TWENTY CD course, in which this book is included.

The message of the "Method" is simple: bring up postive and negative emotions/thoughts, experience the "feelings" and simply "Release" them. THAT'S IT. Except it gets repeated probably 200 times focusing on different thoughts - extaordinarily tedious. Releasing on your grudges and obsessions is valid enough, in that it clears the mind to view them objectively, but how many times do you need to repeat this exercise? Get the idea, try to use it and that's that.

Additionally, in the CD version, which is simply a taping of a weekend seminar, whenever anyone asked why or how this works, they were told to simply "release" on that thought/question. Had I paid $1,800 for that weekend course, "just release on that" wouldn't have cut it!

The Course is another of those "Nervana In a Box" concepts that promises everything from weight loss, quitting smoking and general happiness just by completing a quick course or book. True personal growth and enlightenment take arduous work, TIME, research of ideas and sole searching - not a quick fix by any means. These "Box" approaches dispense with knowlege and replace it with "Just do what we tell you and all will be rosey". Not only do I find these ineffectual, but they are really rather mindless.

Mind you, there are some that swear by Sedona - as evidenced by the ratings here, so obviously it has value. But, seeking the quick, mindless fix seems a sorry state of affairs.

Finally, simply go to sedona.com and order the demo DVD. You DO have to pay the shipping (rather odd...), but not only will this give you a very good idea what it is about, but in fact, it's all you need to "get" what the course offers.

Fortunately, I was able to resell the program on an auction site, so it cost me little. If you can do that, as they say, "Couldn't hurt".