The Four Levels of Healing: A Guide to Balancing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical Aspects of Life (Gawain, Shakti)

"When we think of health, or taking care of our health, most of us immediately think about diet and exercise. The physical: things that the doctor can test or measure and give us a prescription or give specific instructions to fix.

As human beings we are far more complex than just the physical. We are more than our bodies. We are our minds, our emotions, and our spirit. Therefore, in order to be truly healthy, we have to look at more than just one aspect. We have to look not only to the physical but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of ourselves.

The Four Levels of Healing is a good place to begin. This book looks at each aspect and describes how it contributes to our overall health. The author also includes some exercises to get the reader started. "
~ Written on 2008-05-16

"Shakti Gawain is Great and so is this book! This is a Fabulous book! A must read for anyone !"
~ Written on 2007-03-11

"Shakti Gawain has been an inspiration to me for many years because of her book, Creative Visualization. With the four levels of healing, she provides another level with which to use and understand the power of the mind and spirit.

It is not as much fun to read as Creative Visualization but it is as good at "breaking new ground" and allowing the reader to use the knowledge and direction that is shared by Ms Gawain."
~ Written on 2006-07-13

"Teacher and best-selling author Shakti Gawain says that "it has helped me greatly to understand that there are four very different aspects of life--the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. Each of these areas needs to be healed and developed in specific, and sometimes very different, ways." In The Four Levels Of Healing, she describes the techniques needed to heal each of those aspects, or levels of life. She starts by defining each aspect and the rewards of developing it. For example, the spiritual aspect is the "inner essence, our soul, the part of us that exists beyond space and time." It's the foundation for the other levels. The mental aspect is the ability to think, the emotional aspect deals with feeling; and the physical aspect is the body. Gawain says that "all four of these levels are equally important. In the long run, we can't afford to neglect any of them." She finishes the general discussion with a simple exercise designed to help individuals determine which of their levels are the most developed and which need healing. Each level then has its own chapter, in which she fully explains what happens when that aspect of life isn't fully developed. For example, many people have learned to fear their emotions, and "have learned, to one degree or another, to hide and deny our feelings--even from ourselves." She says that denial never works. Each chapter includes a discussion of how healing is achieved, and exercises to help accomplish self- healing. Gawain has also written meditations designed specifically for spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical healing. She also provides suggestions for healing through journal writing and sample questions that individuals can ask themselves and answer in their journals. Gawain encourages people to "look at the areas of our lives in which we may be out of balance, and take steps to develop the aspects of ourselves we haven't yet explored or fully expressed." In The Four Levels Of Healing, she provides readers with all the tools they need to accomplish this.

Sandra I. Smith, Reviewer"
~ Written on 2000-09-08

"Ms. Gawain offers insightful information about the importance of balance in one's life, but how many books does it take to deliver that message. Her work is largely redundant. Her obvious arrogance, which she touched upon in a recently updated edition of an earlier book, also wears thin. Contradictions in her work run rampant. It seems, too, running as an undercurrent through this book and her other work, that Ms. Gawain may be trying to work out her own "issues" about having made so much money, and her own life choices. On the one hand, she tells her reader that not everyone is destined to make money in this lifetime. That appears to be fine, according to the author. On the other hand, Gawain states, "There are many people in this world who are highly developed . . . [but] they often have a difficult time developing a successful career, earning money, or handling their finances appropriately. Often, their surroundings are chaotic, or they are somewhat spaced out, having trouble keeping agreements or appointments." If this applies to the reader, Gawain suggests maybe they believe that life on earth is a painful place where needs cannot be met. Many people in the world are extremely "successful" but do not have money. Many artists (writers, painters, musicians, dancers)I know would neatly fit into that "mismanaged affairs" catagory but they are nonetheless productive, creative and isn't it just a bit judgemental to assume they are not successful. If they are following their passion and the reward is in the making of art or dance or poetry, who is she to suggest they might not have achieved success. Many of Gawain's references suggest that money is the measure of achievement. Doesn't that contradict much of her writing which says that money is not a measure of prosperity and certainly doesn't lead us to the inner calm and balance we so desire? I think this woman needs guidance as much, if not more than her reader. While aspects of her work are helpful, the reader must be careful to pick the few delicious pieces of ripe fruit from the bushel basket and leave the abundance of spoil behind."
~ Written on 1999-06-29