Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: mind

  • A Mind Beyond Words

    A Mind Beyond Words

    The memoir of a teacher, for whom an extraordinary student becomes a metaphysical teacher, instructing her through telepathy.

    Have you ever wondered why there are some things in life you simply know, but have no idea of how you know this fact, or why you get a gut instinct about something or someone? This instinctive talent, or component is something we are all born with but often discard on our life journey.

    When teacher Jes Kerzen was offered a temporary role at a school close to her home, she hesitated but eventually took the position, thus beginning the most fascinating journey of her life and in doing so discovered so many of the answers to these questions as well as so much more.

    Jes Kerzen is still on that journey more than twenty-five years later, and she shares through the pages of A Mind Beyond Words, what she calls her ‘secret life’: a life that runs in conjunction with her seemingly everyday life, but in reality is one that is astounding, informative and somehow makes perfect sense.

    Working with children on the ‘autistic’ spectrum proved to be challenging, intriguing and a massive learning experience for Jes. She was intrigued with how these intelligent but challenged children communicated with each other without the use of words. She watched them in the playground, comfortable with their differences, which to them were not differences, simply a bother in the world in which they choose to enter.

    One boy ‘Asher’ or Ash came to her class, angry, frustrated and highly intelligent. He spent time seeking attention and once she finally understood what he was doing, he explained the reasons why and so began the next twenty-five years of her life, one filled with understanding, research and astonishment.

    With Ash as her teacher, as he grew from a young child to an adult, she learned to communicate with him without the use of words. Eventually he agreed to allow her to put the information shared into a book for all seekers to discover, so much of which throws a fresh new light not only Autism, but also establishes the capabilities we all have at the beginning of our life journey; all set in place well before birth.

    A Mind Beyond Words is a must read for anyone who is seeking to understand spirituality and the deeper levels of consciousness. It is well written, concise and offers a clear and loving understanding of who and what we really are: truth-seekers, voyagers filled with hopes and dreams and the innate ability to see that which is!

  • Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

    Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

    Winter 1993 – to Summer, 1994 -1995 is the time period Thursdays at Orange Blossom House spans. Set in Cairns the storyline accurately reflects the lifestyles and characters of the era. With the introduction of each season, Sophie Green has included a list of current movies, TV series and latest news and song releases. This is an interesting aside.

    When we meet the three main female characters, we are introduced to a range of issues facing them. To follow their path is an interesting journey, made more intimate by sharing the thoughts and feelings of the women. They each reflect on what circumstances brought them to this place. Dorothy is of German descent and desperate to have a baby. Patricia is a High School Teacher, who has come home to care for her aging parents, and Grace Maud has retired from managing her sugar cane farm but finding it hard to accept her son’s new ideas. All three women are strongly independent.

    By chance the women meet at a Yoga class at Orange Blossom House. It is run by an astute woman who is skilled at understanding the workings of the body and mind, and the relationship between them. Along with the gradual freeing up of their bodies and their minds, the women develop a bond with each other and open up to friendship. It is not surprising to learn that Sophie Green is a skilled Yoga Teacher. She shows a deep understanding of how tangled the human mind and body can become, and how exercise, breathing, relaxation and meditation can produce fresh insights. There is an emphasis on love, courage and friendship in this delightful story

  • The Devil You Know

    The Devil You Know

    Stories of Human Compassion and Cruelty

    Sensational headlines in news reports and newspapers have conditioned readers to think of perpetrators of violent crimes as ‘monsters’; co-authors Dr Gwen Adshead, and Eileen Horne in their book “The Devil You Know” demonstrate that this isn’t always the case. Dr Gwen Adshead, uses her “bicycle lock release’ analogy to demonstrate that we all have the capacity for evil and are but one step away from that final fatal combination of stressors that discharges an act of cruelty.  

    Her thirty years of experience as a leading forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist has allowed Dr Adshead to create the eleven composite case histories which she analyses in this book; they are based on the typical kinds of cases she sees in her working life. These cases include arson, sexual abuse, neglect, stalking and murder.

    After being presented the facts of the case, the crime, and the background to the event, the reader then follows the progress of the patient through the therapy sessions.  The background information included by the author as the sessions progress, give the reader invaluable insight into the patients as people and not just perpetrators.

    As each case progresses Dr Adshead analyses and documents her own ideas and practices; despite her wealth of experience, it is obvious to the reader that she changes her thinking, feelings and working, hopefully resulting in improved patients’ mental health and an ability to take responsibility for their action.

    I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in the workings of the human mind; why we do what we do! Readers will find this a fascinating, thought provoking read which provides real insights into the minds of those who have committed unspeakable crimes. It will give them a different perspective on people who have done terrible things. By seeing the human side of those people and how trauma and pain has contributed to their crimes, readers will no longer see them as ‘monsters’. 

  • The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp

    The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp

    The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp does a great job of recognising children who see the world differently. Bowen Crisp struggles to answer questions put to the class by his teacher from the earliest years. This is not because he doesn’t have answers to the questions, but because he sees so many possibilities. “What colour is the sea?” asks his teacher. Bowen thinks about the white tips of waves, the deep blue of the ocean, the turquoise waters of the shallow beach, but by then, the class has moved on.

    Bowen is inventive and wonders why tortoises haven’t gone into space. He designs and constructs a suit for his pet and only when Granny discovers his rocket attached to the tortoise, does his experiment come to a halt. Bowen’s class visits the Art Gallery, and the teacher sits them down before a particular painting and asks the children to write down what they see. Most of the children respond saying they see a man with a dog. Bowen, however, is amazed by the brush strokes of the painting and studies them so carefully that he is unable to complete his work.

    At night, when his mother comes to say goodnight, the two have a fun discussion about hypothetical issues. They ponder, “Is a firefly hot?” and so we see like minds. It is refreshing to look at different learning styles and attitudes and we are reminded not to judge a person too quickly.

  • Gift Mindset

    Gift Mindset

    There are many books on Leadership available for the professional or non-professional wanting to excel in a leadership role or considering moving up to a leadership role within their workplace but few, if any come with the unique understanding shown by Renee Giarrusso in her powerhouse book Gift Mindset.

    Having spent many years in the Corporate World in senior leadership roles, she believes passionately in mindset, communication and collaboration in the workplace, to create a great workplace culture that leads on to success at both a Corporate and personal level. What she has to say is not rocket science; it is something that is known to everyone, if only they seek to find and understand, that of using life’s experiences as lessons to learn from and foster understanding.

    She has gathered together over her lifetime what she considers are the twelve Gifts we are all offered to help embrace change, challenge and success in a way that is positive and empowering.

    Why does mindset matter is a question posed early in the book and one well worth serious consideration. As she goes on to point out, in today’s world it is so very easy to disconnect, to separate the challenges from life, only focusing on the positives, to seek ‘perfection’ and in doing so, find yourself in a world of comparisons coupled with despair and loneliness.

    Tough talk but difficult to argue against, she offers the wisdom of the ages, coupled with her own personal learning, to shine a broad light on a pathway that is a Gift toward a happy, healthy Mindset as we learn to unwrap the gifts we are so freely given, learning to understand their powerful impact on daily and professional lifestyle and goals.

     Beginning with understanding where the gifts come from: challenges, positivity, personal experience and professional experience, it is then time to begin to understand and unwrap your gift. Part II presents the specific Gifts. Each of the sections is short but powerful, each concluding with a dainty Bonbonniere of facts which reiterate the main points in the preceding pages.

    Gift Mindset is original in a world of mass information; it is a powerful voice for change and understanding is perceptive in its depth and breadth of understanding of the human psyche and could be considered as a road map or guide book to a fresh new beginning along a pathway of understanding, leading to personal and professional happiness and success.

  • Brain Briefs: Answers to the Most (and Least) Pressing Questions about Your Mind

    Brain Briefs: Answers to the Most (and Least) Pressing Questions about Your Mind

    There are always a thousand and one things there to be wondered, pondered or marvelled about or over, as we travel along the pathways of our lives. Sometimes the answers are there, but mostly, if they are, they are something that may, or may not be possible, or even probable.

    In this lively look at what really may be going on in the brain, so many of the imponderables in life may be answered. Well probably!

    How many times has a rhetorical question been posed, while seeking to find the solution to a problem; problems such as how to catch out a liar, or does multitasking really work, or does time speed up as we are getting older, are taken out of the closet and given a serious analysis with an entertaining component, in an attempt to answer what may be to many, unanswerable questions.

    Now a thoroughly confusing hypothesis has been presented, settle in to enjoy, mind you in small doses, the revelations about to be forthcoming from this team of Markman and Duke, who really do know what they are talking about as far as the brain is concerned.

    Clever little aphorisms are dotted throughout the book, generally as the summation to the question being discussed, such as chapter 15, where ‘Does time speed up as we get older’, is analysed and is answered, slightly tongue-in-cheek, with ‘time flies when you’re getting older’ which relates to learning cycles, memories and how the two change and combine to create a richness to your days and lives as you look back.

    And then there is the seriously concerning chapter 23: ‘How much of what we see is real’, which opens up many, many doors in the mind and the psyche! This is answered in the short by ‘to see is to assume’ – perhaps you need to read the chapter to really get this one!

    ‘Can delusion be a good thing’, is something that only the deluded may  be able to answer; that will depend on what is behind the delusion at the time, but is based on how you perceive your little corner of the world and how this is chosen to be used – as a motivation or an excuse.

    So many issues, so many answers; by the time you have worked your way through the 40 questions posed, and the 40 sets of research based answers, all coming from a firm basis of the latest research across the fields of psychology, you are sure to have at least some of the answers to the world’s most vexatious questions and have enjoyed discovering just what it is that does indeed tease the brain!

    A thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and informative collection of bits and pieces of intrigue and interest presented to tantalise the mind!

     

  • Recognitions

    Recognitions

    So many times in our lives, we meet someone and feel a spark of recognition. Sometimes it is a place that instantly touches us and is so familiar that we know it is special. The Author has written a story that delves into those special feelings that many of us recognize, and comes up with some interesting theories as to how that sense of belonging has originated. She has suffered a loss of her younger brother, and began questioning the spiritual world. Cleverly she has woven four lives into this seamless tale.

     The story involves a young woman, named Amelia, whose husband has decided to leave a fairly unhappy marriage for a break.  They have two teenage children who live with their Mum, but visit Dad and friend, most weekends. For Tom and Jen, the new younger woman, named Claudette, is just an add on to their father’s life. Amelia is feeling very stressed, and coping with a fairly high pressured job, her two teenagers, and a broken marriage, is just too much.

     A friend suggests she sees a hypnotherapist to learn how to relax. Reluctantly and from desperation, Amelia visits the woman who is recommended. She is instantly transported into a much earlier time and observes a young woman by the name of Adele, learning some of her story. On leaving the practitioner’s office, Amelia feels much lighter and can recognize an outside world. She is intrigued by the unfolding story of the young Adele, and the school teacher who saved her from being lost.

     This story of Adele and the school teacher develops through dreams and further hypnotherapy sessions, but we don’t see a connection between Amelia and Adele. Back in the present time, Amelia meets an old school classmate. He was never close to Amelia, always an outsider, but now as a mature man he tells Amelia his story. He has always been a bit of a loner but has chosen fencing as a sport that he can be involved in and be passionate about.

     The next hypnotherapy session is so interesting, but not to do with Adele at all. It involves a tribal elder who wants to protect his tribe and lands. Again it seems there is no immediate connection, but the threat by an invading group leaves us in no doubt that his life is on the line.

     As the story unravels further, the author credibly links the lives of those in the past to those in the future. There is nothing forced or unbelievable about the outcomes, and I was delighted to read that “Recognition” is the first book in a trilogy. The author has a sensitive and understated way of making connections between people and places, all of which have a realistic feeling. The characters are well rounded. have depth and exploring their journey is a delight. Her delicate handling of the spiritual essence in this story is enjoyable, and it is to be hoped that the next two books reach the same high standard of writing.

  • The Ecology of the Soul

    The Ecology of the Soul

    ‘A Manual of Peace, Power and Personal Growth for Real People in the Real World’

    If you are seriously into making changes within your lifestyle, within yourself and the way you see the world about you, this is definitely the book for you.

    Billed as a guide for the ‘real people in the real world’ it is a bit like a course to rediscovery, focusing on what Walkers considers the Seven Powers; those of ‘Nature, Creativity, Endurance, Love, Communication, Focus and Connection’, or in other words, ‘Soul Consciousness’ and how to get there.

    From the beginning he recognises that everyone reading this work is not going to agree with every point made, with every philosophy discussed and every though expounded. This immediately sets the tone for an enjoyable read, which will, if you allow it, definitely make a huge difference to the way you do eventually look at life.

    Part 1 deals with the explanation of what, why and how all the many aspects of  ecology, human spirit, the  power of the mind and  most of all habit, play a huge part in how we live our lives and the expectations we have placed on ourselves in the ‘triple bottom line’ world we existing within. That most or many of us search for a better way, a better understanding, and more acceptable and enjoyable understanding of our roles on this earth, we more often than not fail in our search. Walker looks into why we do so and then offers a different , more simplistic way of making changes, thereby ‘rediscovering a more gentle and peaceful way of being’.

    Part 11 is when you really start to get into the Seven Spiritual Powers. Each of the powers stands alone in its own chapter and rightly so, as each one is specific and needs to be explained with clarity and guidance. Each one should be studied individually and not as a job lot in the rush to find the answers. By doing so the understanding of each of the Seven Powers is far easier to comprehend. As this is a very in-depth, powerful and comprehensive component of the entire philosophy, it perhaps needs to be undertaken almost as a course of study.

    Part 111 titled Power Seeds is a collection of mini-meditations that can be used on a daily basis, are simple and easy to remember but have a powerful energy, a trigger to create, enhance and change your actions.

    Walker encourages you to aim for the highest possible result on the pathway to enlightenment but along the way to remember that you are all too human. You will get it wrong but he encourages you to progress on your journey as the more you get right, the more you understand, the happier you become, which is all based on sound philosophes and principals. The ‘60 powerful seconds of daily, active meditation’ seeds to be used each day are there to reinforce, encourage and enjoy.

    What have you got to loose; nothing? What have you got to gain; so very, very, much!