Book Review: Energy Medicine: Balance Your Body's Energies for Optimum Health, Joy, and Vitality

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Energy Psychology, which addresses the relationship of energy systems to emotion, cognition, behavior and health. Jon Mejia is the Official Guide to Energy Psychology.nnEnergy Medicine: Balance Your Body's Energies for Optimum Health, Joy, and Vitality, by Donna Eden, Caroline Myss, David Feinstein, Brooks Garten (Illustrator), is a valuable resource for people interested in Energy Psychology, and it is available through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.nnAmazon.comnThis alternative-medicine self-help guide promises to teach you to help heal yourself and others using the body's own natural energies. Building on such diverse concepts as acupuncture and therapeutic touch, Donna Eden lays out a practical framework in Energy Medicine for flushing out and recharging the body's systems.nn"This book will show you how to work with the electromagnetic and more subtle energies that give your body life," Eden writes, along with her husband, psychologist David Feinstein. "These energies form the foundation of your health."nnFor instance, if your head aches or feels clouded, energy may be stagnating there, so do the "crown pull" to release it. The book gives a detailed description of how to do this and other energy-fixing exercises, and provides time estimates and illustrations for doing the maneuvers.nnEden, who has practiced energy medicine for more than 20 years and has given classes around the world, also relates stories about some of her clients, including those with cancer and chronic pain. While Eden says people can help themselves and others with the techniques in the book, she urges them to seek professional care as well.nnEnergy Medicine includes chapters on various energy systems, ranging from the meridians to the chakras, the basic grid to the strange flows, and chapters on how such systems relate to pain and illness. It also includes an appendix listing organizations and Internet sites for other forms of alternative medicine, like naturopathy and qigong. The book is a useful guide for people interested in this form of alternative healing. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. nnFrom Publishers WeeklynAfflicted with myriad health problems, Eden approaches alternative health-care practice from the viewpoint of both practitioner and patient. As a massage therapist, she has more than 20 years of experience practicing and teaching the methods of applied kinesiology. This book is the culmination of her experiences, presenting techniques she developed through studying a variety of methods and working with her clients. Eden's work is based on the premise of an "energy body," made up of chakras, meridians, auras, strange flows and Celtic weaves. Healing involves balancing these energies for optimal physical health and well-being, pain management and vitality. With simple illustrations, Eden presents clear instructions for many do-it-yourself or with-a-partner techniques that involve tapping, tracing, smoothing and massaging, as well as more than 100 quick fixes for relieving common ailments and stresses. Unfortunately, these remedies are placed randomly throughout the text, making it inconvenient for reference. Nonetheless, Eden delivers an excellent, comprehensive guide to a unique combination of ancient Eastern and modern Western health-care techniques. nCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.