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Desafiar la gravedad
Cómo vivir sin temor. Una obra destinada a convertirse en un clásico de la sanación.Todos pasamos por momentos en que necesitamos sanar. En 'Desafiar la gravedad', Caroline Myss cuestiona el enfoque convencional de la curación. Basándose en sus años como docente y médica intuitiva, Myss comparte casos reales de enfermos que, gracias nada menos que a un milagro, sobrevivieron a su enfermedad.Inspirada por estas personas corrientes que se sobrepusieron a una amplia variedad de dolencias físicas y psicológicas, Myss aplica la sabiduría de los místicos, cuyos escritos aportan una comprensión más profunda de los fundamentos espirituales de la curación. Una obra que nos enseña a ir más allá de los límites y descubrir cómo vivir sin temor, destinada a convertirse en un clásico de la sanación.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2009
229 people are currently reading
1153 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Myss
158 books1,043 followersCaroline Myss was born on December 2, 1952 in Chicago, and grew up with her parents, and two brothers, one elder and one younger, in the Melrose Park, Illinois neighbourhood near Chicago. Caroline was raised a Catholic, and attended the Mother Guerin High School, River Grove, Illinois, run by the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana in 1974, and started her career in journalism in Chicago.
In the course of her career, she interviewed Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., the author of the famous book, On Death and Dying, which inspired her to pursue a Master's degree in theology from Mundelein College, Chicago, which she completed in 1979. She also claims to hold a Ph.D in "intuition and energy medicine", but the degree was granted by Greenwich University, a now-defunct correspondence school that was never accredited to deliver higher education awards by any recognized government accreditation authority.
She started giving medical intuitive readings in 1982 and co-founded a small New Age publishing company, Stillpoint Publishing in Walpole, New Hampshire, where she also worked as an editor in 1983, next she began consulting with holistic doctors, which in 1984, led to her extensive collaboration with Dr. Norman Shealy, an M.D. schooled at Harvard, and the founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, with whom she later co-authored, "Aids: Passageway to Transformation," in 1987, followed by "The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses that Promote Health and Healing," in 1988. Deriving from her practice as a medical intuitive, she started writing books, in the field of energy medicine, and healing, all of which became New York Times Best Sellers.[18] Starting with Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing (1996), which overlapped seven Christian sacraments with seven Hindu chakras and the Kabbalah's Tree of Life to create a map of the human "energy anatomy"; this was followed by Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), which explored the reasons people do not heal through her concept of "woundology." Her next book, Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential (2002) dealt with the issue of finding "Life Purpose," while describing Sacred Contracts as "a set of assignments that our soul had formed around before incarnation". She has since appeared on the The Oprah Winfrey Show numerous times.
By 2000, she discontinued doing private medical intuitive readings, and instead started teaching it, through her workshops, seminars, radio shows and guided tours. She tours internationally as a speaker on spirituality and mysticism, and lives in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago. In 2003, she started the Caroline Myss Educational Institute, with Wisdom University in San Francisco.
Her 2007 book, "Entering the Castle" draws upon the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila, a 16th century Carmelite nun, who wrote her most important work, The Interior Castle, towards the end of her life.
In the course of her career, she interviewed Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D., the author of the famous book, On Death and Dying, which inspired her to pursue a Master's degree in theology from Mundelein College, Chicago, which she completed in 1979. She also claims to hold a Ph.D in "intuition and energy medicine", but the degree was granted by Greenwich University, a now-defunct correspondence school that was never accredited to deliver higher education awards by any recognized government accreditation authority.
She started giving medical intuitive readings in 1982 and co-founded a small New Age publishing company, Stillpoint Publishing in Walpole, New Hampshire, where she also worked as an editor in 1983, next she began consulting with holistic doctors, which in 1984, led to her extensive collaboration with Dr. Norman Shealy, an M.D. schooled at Harvard, and the founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, with whom she later co-authored, "Aids: Passageway to Transformation," in 1987, followed by "The Creation of Health: The Emotional, Psychological, and Spiritual Responses that Promote Health and Healing," in 1988. Deriving from her practice as a medical intuitive, she started writing books, in the field of energy medicine, and healing, all of which became New York Times Best Sellers.[18] Starting with Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing (1996), which overlapped seven Christian sacraments with seven Hindu chakras and the Kabbalah's Tree of Life to create a map of the human "energy anatomy"; this was followed by Why People Don't Heal and How They Can (1998), which explored the reasons people do not heal through her concept of "woundology." Her next book, Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential (2002) dealt with the issue of finding "Life Purpose," while describing Sacred Contracts as "a set of assignments that our soul had formed around before incarnation". She has since appeared on the The Oprah Winfrey Show numerous times.
By 2000, she discontinued doing private medical intuitive readings, and instead started teaching it, through her workshops, seminars, radio shows and guided tours. She tours internationally as a speaker on spirituality and mysticism, and lives in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago. In 2003, she started the Caroline Myss Educational Institute, with Wisdom University in San Francisco.
Her 2007 book, "Entering the Castle" draws upon the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila, a 16th century Carmelite nun, who wrote her most important work, The Interior Castle, towards the end of her life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 25, 2013
I recently was able to attend a speaking event for Caroline Myss (and found her book "Sacred Contracts" to be a life changing book). At the event she made the point that absolutely everything changes everything - all decisions you and I make are significant - and every action sets in motion a reaction. I wanted to learn more and bought her book "Defy Gravity". In it, she introduces a model of healing that draws on an understanding of the relationship between our seven chakras, seven shadow passions and seven inner graces.
The point - we have a choice when it comes to how we deal with the truth and whether we are choosing to live in the moment or whether we are anchoring ourselves in the past and/or future. The more gravity anchors we accumulate, the more emotional, psychological and mental weight we take on. Compassion and forgiveness are all you need for self healing, with forgiveness described as an act of release, surrendering the need for an explanation.
This is not about seeking perfection, rather it is a practice we can choose to engage in every day. I liked her message and questions to explore. She has a way of synthesizing the message to make it actionable rather than a theoretical concept.
The point - we have a choice when it comes to how we deal with the truth and whether we are choosing to live in the moment or whether we are anchoring ourselves in the past and/or future. The more gravity anchors we accumulate, the more emotional, psychological and mental weight we take on. Compassion and forgiveness are all you need for self healing, with forgiveness described as an act of release, surrendering the need for an explanation.
This is not about seeking perfection, rather it is a practice we can choose to engage in every day. I liked her message and questions to explore. She has a way of synthesizing the message to make it actionable rather than a theoretical concept.
July 17, 2012
Awesome book! Here are the last 2 paragraphs: Defy Gravity. Live as if you were liberated from ordinary thought, beyond the boundaries of logic and reason. Be bold in your decisions and creative and imaginative in your thoughts. Think and live with the soul of a mystic, seeing the world as a field of grace in which you walk as a channel of light. Live these truths. Become these truths. This is your true potential.
And remind yourself each day of your life, "This day will never come again." You will never see the same sunrise or sunset. You will never sit at the same table twice with the same people in exactly the same way. You will never look upon the faces of the people you love in exactly the same way tomorrow, for you might not even be here tomorrow. You will never walk down the same street in precisely the same way. Such tiny realizations are also the most profound soul awakenings. Live as though you have the power to change the world -- because you do.
And remind yourself each day of your life, "This day will never come again." You will never see the same sunrise or sunset. You will never sit at the same table twice with the same people in exactly the same way. You will never look upon the faces of the people you love in exactly the same way tomorrow, for you might not even be here tomorrow. You will never walk down the same street in precisely the same way. Such tiny realizations are also the most profound soul awakenings. Live as though you have the power to change the world -- because you do.
December 18, 2013
Carolyn is trying to help us see what is necessary for healing. To defy gravity is to transcend the rational logical mind and embrace paradoxical reality. We have grace energy to assist us. Carolyn's writing is direct and intelligent. I've read most of her books and I really liked this one. I walk every day on a remote trail in some wide open spaces and sometimes I take an inspirational book with me. I'll read a little and then let the words settle. This was a good book for that.
November 5, 2014
I purchased and read this book as research for my own book, REMEMBER ME: A LOVE STORY. As I struggled to put into words my main character's own struggle to forgive, I latched onto Caroline Myss' words when she wrote in Chapter 1, "The mind [alone] may never be able to come to terms with forgiveness...forgiveness releases you from an ego state of consciousness that clings to a need for justice built around the fear of being humiliated...forgiveness is essential to healing, because it requires you to surrender your ego's need to have life fall into place around your personal version of justice. She then proceeds to break down those profound statements into smaller bites of practical truths and advice to ultimately help us heal ourselves.
As I continued to read her words chapter by chapter, I recalled the echoes of truths outlined in The Course in Miracles (a very difficult read), and in the many books of Joel S. Goldsmith and other such mystics--yet she was able to put those mystical truths into language average readers could more easily understand and thus apply to their lives. Five stars for Caroline Myss, and for how her book will help countless readers to heal themselves, on the deepest level possible.
As I continued to read her words chapter by chapter, I recalled the echoes of truths outlined in The Course in Miracles (a very difficult read), and in the many books of Joel S. Goldsmith and other such mystics--yet she was able to put those mystical truths into language average readers could more easily understand and thus apply to their lives. Five stars for Caroline Myss, and for how her book will help countless readers to heal themselves, on the deepest level possible.
January 7, 2020
Incredible! This was exactly what I needed to hear. So well explained and really is perfect when you are ready to go deep and "own your own shit." She talks about 7 shadows and 7 graces. Very empowering as well as it left me with so much hope. My favorite part is when Caroline Myss states what do we do when something happens in our life that is unreasonable. Life can be so heartbreaking and tragic and she honors that while helping you see ways to see it differently. She emphasizes we can't go through the dark night of the soul alone. We must call on something bigger than ourselves and that is the grace in our life.
February 26, 2018
A great reminder of how the healing process is continuous and a lifetime process.
May 26, 2023
Mi primer 5 estrellas del 2023 🤍
Este libro ha sido una revelación para mi. La verdad no recuerdo cómo di con él en Amazon, pero me encontró y seguí a mi intuición de comprarlo.
Caroline nos explica de manera magistral todo lo que está detrás de la enfermedad y las crisis, saliéndose de la caja y yendo más allá de la razón y la lógica. Este libro no es para cualquiera, así que pienso que, así como a mi, te encuentra cuando estás listo(a).
Ha sido un viaje maravilloso leerlo. He aprendido mucho, me ha volado la mente en varias partes, he conectado con muchas otras y puedo decir que, este libro se quedará conmigo de por vida.
Si tuviera una escuela mística, este libro estaría de cajón.
Es increíble que personas como Caroline estén entre nosotros y nos competan estos conocimientos y, más increíble aún, es que estén a tan bajo costo: solo me costo $98 pesos mexicanos.
Agradecida con Dios, el Universo, mis guías espirituales, etc. por este regalo en forma de libro.
Este libro ha sido una revelación para mi. La verdad no recuerdo cómo di con él en Amazon, pero me encontró y seguí a mi intuición de comprarlo.
Caroline nos explica de manera magistral todo lo que está detrás de la enfermedad y las crisis, saliéndose de la caja y yendo más allá de la razón y la lógica. Este libro no es para cualquiera, así que pienso que, así como a mi, te encuentra cuando estás listo(a).
Ha sido un viaje maravilloso leerlo. He aprendido mucho, me ha volado la mente en varias partes, he conectado con muchas otras y puedo decir que, este libro se quedará conmigo de por vida.
Si tuviera una escuela mística, este libro estaría de cajón.
Es increíble que personas como Caroline estén entre nosotros y nos competan estos conocimientos y, más increíble aún, es que estén a tan bajo costo: solo me costo $98 pesos mexicanos.
Agradecida con Dios, el Universo, mis guías espirituales, etc. por este regalo en forma de libro.
June 14, 2025
A BIG Miss for Myss
Defy Gravity screams "buy me," but please consisder resisting. Despite the compelling title, the A-list reviews, and the track-record from a bestselling author, this book is a big miss for Myss. While Myss has some distracting writing style flaws, her most serious problem is an inability to articulate focused, actionable content in an easy-to-understand format.
More specifically, here's why this book is so very confusing. First Myss organizes the book into five truths. Then she talks about the seven shadow passions and the seven inner graces. Then she presents the four noble Buddhist truths. Then she introduces five mystical laws. Then she talks about the seven steps to defy illness. In between there's talk about chakras and Buddha and Jesus, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avila and other so-called mystics like Abe Lincoln.
Oh my goodness, it's all too much. Way too much. Have you ever gone into someone's house who doesn't know when to stop decorating, buying things or hoarding. It's a mess, and that's exactly what it's like to read Defy Gravity. Nothing holds your interest because there's too much going on. Too many steps. Too many different voices competing for your attention.
Myss makes a mighty try to pull it all together, but her recipe doesn't work and the book lacks cohesive sense. I give Myss credit for her passion and for drawing our attention to the fact that the potential for healing is real in us all. PS: This book was recently resubmitted on Amazon, which effectively got rid of all the so-so and bad reviews and left it with a false, hyperinflated review rating.
Defy Gravity screams "buy me," but please consisder resisting. Despite the compelling title, the A-list reviews, and the track-record from a bestselling author, this book is a big miss for Myss. While Myss has some distracting writing style flaws, her most serious problem is an inability to articulate focused, actionable content in an easy-to-understand format.
More specifically, here's why this book is so very confusing. First Myss organizes the book into five truths. Then she talks about the seven shadow passions and the seven inner graces. Then she presents the four noble Buddhist truths. Then she introduces five mystical laws. Then she talks about the seven steps to defy illness. In between there's talk about chakras and Buddha and Jesus, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avila and other so-called mystics like Abe Lincoln.
Oh my goodness, it's all too much. Way too much. Have you ever gone into someone's house who doesn't know when to stop decorating, buying things or hoarding. It's a mess, and that's exactly what it's like to read Defy Gravity. Nothing holds your interest because there's too much going on. Too many steps. Too many different voices competing for your attention.
Myss makes a mighty try to pull it all together, but her recipe doesn't work and the book lacks cohesive sense. I give Myss credit for her passion and for drawing our attention to the fact that the potential for healing is real in us all. PS: This book was recently resubmitted on Amazon, which effectively got rid of all the so-so and bad reviews and left it with a false, hyperinflated review rating.
November 22, 2020
It’s been a while since I read a Caroline Myss book. As usual, Myss posits some thought-provoking and innovative ideas about healing which challenge one to re-think the deep-seated, often unconscious, preconceptions we hold. In Defy Gravity: Healing Beyond the Bounds of Reason her message of love and forgiveness is, at times, diluted by a black-and-white approach. Tough love can go too far and fail to take into account that not all souls are super-confident warriors. Worth the read though, as the questions she asks do bring insightful, if uncomfortable, breakthroughs.
As always with Caroline Myss, her insights and ideas are thought-provoking, unfortunately expressed in a somewhat over-assertive way. But then I suppose being a pioneer in your field requires a certain warrior-like personality. My late husband, Dr Beric J. Croome, was a pioneer in taxpayer’s rights in South Africa & had that same dogged determination and focus on his ideas; however, in his case this was coupled with a gentle grace rather than an aggressive style of expression; perhaps that’s why I found the ideas in "Defy Gravity" excellent but the style made me think of being in a school headmistress’s office. The book is still worth the read though - an inspiring book!
As always with Caroline Myss, her insights and ideas are thought-provoking, unfortunately expressed in a somewhat over-assertive way. But then I suppose being a pioneer in your field requires a certain warrior-like personality. My late husband, Dr Beric J. Croome, was a pioneer in taxpayer’s rights in South Africa & had that same dogged determination and focus on his ideas; however, in his case this was coupled with a gentle grace rather than an aggressive style of expression; perhaps that’s why I found the ideas in "Defy Gravity" excellent but the style made me think of being in a school headmistress’s office. The book is still worth the read though - an inspiring book!
September 18, 2013
This book is a wonderful guide for moving through times in life in which you question your own sense of spirituality. It also is a support when moving through the healing process. Here's a quote that for me contains the essence of the book: "Healing is about your capacity to engage in your own transformation from fear to courage, from holding on to the past to letting go, from living in illusion to embracing truth. Healing is an invitation to enter your own mystical awakening." This awakening defies gravity. With this book, Caroline Myss has created an epic exploration into the spirituality of the 21st Century and discusses how healing fits into our belief systems. Honest and revealing. A good support for those in health recovery.
September 17, 2012
What can I say? 20 years and going strong, Carolyn Myss is a wise, powerful, and insightful force among us. For those serious about healing - not bullshitting themselves with pat explanations and justifications, but willing to walk the talk and take a fierce look at the responsibility of healing - this is a must read. Get ready to be challenged and validated at the same time, in only the way Carolyn can deliver...A+.
May 13, 2012
Carolyn Myss speaks with clarity and wisdom for our age of chaos. She is able to see the big picture and bring it back to us in language we can digest and integrate. Change can be terrifying, but with Carolyn's ability to communicate, we can find the tools back into our Mystical past that will aid us in finding our way through the depths and reclaiming balance for riding the waves of these tumultuous times.
March 7, 2012
I found this book extraordinarily helpful in coping with several recent emotional experiences. I recommend buying it rather than getting it from the library, as it is a book that works best when you take some serious time to go through the meditations and exercises.
May 9, 2016
I used to get a lot out of Myss' books, but the last few haven't held any interest for me. This one wasn't quite a blatantly jump-the-shark as the last archetypes one (the one that was tied into the third party website), but it just fell flat for me.
December 15, 2017
I had high hopes for some enlightenment. Not the case.
Read anatomy of the spirit- There was an abundance of verbiage that caused confusion rather then clarity. Would not recommend this book.
Read anatomy of the spirit- There was an abundance of verbiage that caused confusion rather then clarity. Would not recommend this book.
June 5, 2025
This must be one of the first books on mysticism I’ve read. I came to know Caroline Myss a few years ago because she was the favorite author of my favorite yoga teacher at my yoga studio. This girl was a legend back then before she got married and moved to the states with her husband. Her classes were always full and her presence itself is like a drug. She had admitted that she was once in a cult before she got married, but eventually left it. I thought it was so interesting.
I asked ChatGPT:
Why are the hottest, most magnetic, most spiritually electrifying yoga teachers always former cult girls? Why not the mid ones?? Why is it always the legends?
And here’s the answer it gave me:
Because true magnetism—not the Instagram kind, but the kind that makes people cry during Shavasana—is born of liminality.
These people have:
• Flirted with divine madness
• Touched the edge of the void
• Projected their trauma onto a false guru
• Transmuted that into presence
They’ve been spiritually raw-dogged by the universe and survived.
What you’re feeling in their classes isn’t just good sequencing.
It’s initiated energy.
Now how is all of this related to this book? Because it’s a ✨cult detox in hardcover form✨ Highly recommend after a spontaneous solar eclipse cord cutting ritual or something.
I asked ChatGPT:
Why are the hottest, most magnetic, most spiritually electrifying yoga teachers always former cult girls? Why not the mid ones?? Why is it always the legends?
And here’s the answer it gave me:
Because true magnetism—not the Instagram kind, but the kind that makes people cry during Shavasana—is born of liminality.
These people have:
• Flirted with divine madness
• Touched the edge of the void
• Projected their trauma onto a false guru
• Transmuted that into presence
They’ve been spiritually raw-dogged by the universe and survived.
What you’re feeling in their classes isn’t just good sequencing.
It’s initiated energy.
Now how is all of this related to this book? Because it’s a ✨cult detox in hardcover form✨ Highly recommend after a spontaneous solar eclipse cord cutting ritual or something.
December 17, 2017
I got a lot out of the journal exercises. I will be working with the material I unearthed for a while.
However, when it came to the mystical laws there were a few places where she lost me.
The main piece I took issue with was in her description of illusion, when she writes, “No one has done anything to hurt or reject me. That is an illusion. It can look and feel that way, because of my own personal needs, but I am in charge of my needs. So, I forgive all these people who I believe deliberately hurt or rejected me. That too was an illusion. They never plotted to reject or hurt me. I projected expectations onto them based on my own desires and they failed to live up to my imagined plans for them.”
I think this gets dangerous in terms of abuse and also in terms of social injustice. Yes, I can work to forgive my partner or friend for a perceived slight that is, in the end, not that important. However, I don’t think this is black and white and when we get into areas of discrimination and oppression, as well as abuse, this could slide easily into victim shaming and even excusing perpetrators. I don’t think this is helpful.
However, when it came to the mystical laws there were a few places where she lost me.
The main piece I took issue with was in her description of illusion, when she writes, “No one has done anything to hurt or reject me. That is an illusion. It can look and feel that way, because of my own personal needs, but I am in charge of my needs. So, I forgive all these people who I believe deliberately hurt or rejected me. That too was an illusion. They never plotted to reject or hurt me. I projected expectations onto them based on my own desires and they failed to live up to my imagined plans for them.”
I think this gets dangerous in terms of abuse and also in terms of social injustice. Yes, I can work to forgive my partner or friend for a perceived slight that is, in the end, not that important. However, I don’t think this is black and white and when we get into areas of discrimination and oppression, as well as abuse, this could slide easily into victim shaming and even excusing perpetrators. I don’t think this is helpful.
June 2, 2021
Here's another one of my Corona books. Which means books that I did not have time to read when they came out, but which are still highly relevant.
Heal Yourself Through the Power of Grace, is the challenging subtitle of Caroline Mys' book.
We are constantly in our ego that grabs our attention. We can master this through the insights that Caroline Myss conveys.
Most of us struggle with and get stuck in trauma or old wrongs that we refuse or have a hard time letting go of. By being creative, bold and imaginative in our thought patterns, we can get through thoughts that grind and refuse to let go. Being present in the present and letting go of the old makes our lives richer. This is how we build a new life.
Instead of remaining in pain, we can choose the power of grace. Many of our physical and mental problems can be answered through the writings of the ancient mystics. These are the ones that Caroline Myss communicates, so that we can have more harmony and gain insight into ourselves and why we live.
By defying the law of gravity, we get rid of the negative thought paths we are stuck in, which make us feel bad and that our mind constantly weighs us down.
Heal Yourself Through the Power of Grace, is the challenging subtitle of Caroline Mys' book.
We are constantly in our ego that grabs our attention. We can master this through the insights that Caroline Myss conveys.
Most of us struggle with and get stuck in trauma or old wrongs that we refuse or have a hard time letting go of. By being creative, bold and imaginative in our thought patterns, we can get through thoughts that grind and refuse to let go. Being present in the present and letting go of the old makes our lives richer. This is how we build a new life.
Instead of remaining in pain, we can choose the power of grace. Many of our physical and mental problems can be answered through the writings of the ancient mystics. These are the ones that Caroline Myss communicates, so that we can have more harmony and gain insight into ourselves and why we live.
By defying the law of gravity, we get rid of the negative thought paths we are stuck in, which make us feel bad and that our mind constantly weighs us down.
July 23, 2023
Here is a collection of talks Caroline gave over time. I listened to them and I listened to them again. Each time I gain more and more insight. One time you will do the same where the knowledge will cause a little shift. Then the next time it will shift even more. Then you can read her series Entering the Castle which will take you to a whole new level! After years of listening to Caroline's work I will say I understand more! I get why we need to do all the inner work which I will admit I didn't want to do. It will lead you to grace. You will forgive, release and love. You find yourself (if it can be put that way) moving beyond so many things. When people ask me about myself, I find it hard to answer this question in a way they can understand. If you don't speak about wounds, TV, background most people are lost. I recommend this book and her work on healing yourself if you are starting the inner work. It will set the right tone for your work.
December 14, 2020
I really enjoy Caroline Myss's books. She has a lot of wisdom and experience that I appreciate reading. Although she doesn't practice or preach any particular religion, she is fully grounded in Catholic tradition which makes some of her vocabulary a little confusing for me. In this book she talks about "graces" by which I think she means forms of love? I'm not sure as she never really defines it in anything but a religious context. She also talks about "power" by which I think she means "energy" but sometimes also means other things. She's a brilliant woman, so I'm sure these terms are clearly defined in her own mind, but outside of religious context are a bit vague. Other than some confusion, I found the book to be insightful and thought-provoking.
November 22, 2020
I like Caroline Myss' intellectual depth and writing style but that quality can also be to the detriment of a book like this - which claims to be about spiritual experience, but then the intense descriptions almost prevent that intuitive side of it coming through. The irony is the author talks about exactly this - how our logic and our intellect are the biggest obstacles to our spiritual connection - and yet clearly this is the obstacle in the writing style itself! However, I have heard we tend to teach what we most need to learn - so this would explain why the book is the way it is. And, it is very well-written.
July 5, 2022
Spiritual Consumerism
An old expression is fit here, I suspect. "Spirituality can not be taught, it must be caught". It is the same with mysticism and contemplative life. On the bright side, all one has to do is to choose to be present, let all obligations of mind and ego ("edging out God") go, and allow Holy One to do Her work within your Center. Expect nothing. For in nothing one receive everything. Small group Centering Prayer with a facilitator is one way to begin. Simply be present, practice patience, love and forgiveness for yourself and others.... You'll " catch it" !
An old expression is fit here, I suspect. "Spirituality can not be taught, it must be caught". It is the same with mysticism and contemplative life. On the bright side, all one has to do is to choose to be present, let all obligations of mind and ego ("edging out God") go, and allow Holy One to do Her work within your Center. Expect nothing. For in nothing one receive everything. Small group Centering Prayer with a facilitator is one way to begin. Simply be present, practice patience, love and forgiveness for yourself and others.... You'll " catch it" !
January 8, 2025
This book is deep and heavy and one I will probably re-read as I’m certain I’ve missed some of the concepts on the first go ahead.
It was slow going for me in the first half. I enjoyed the last half a lot as it flipped more into application. I’m also in the mood for quick reads these days and this book is not that.
It’s filled with life changing concepts and the change of pace to slow down in my reading is probably a blessing.
If you are in the mood for reading something deep around healing, forgiveness, and grace this may be a great read for you. If you want a quick read save this one for another day. Happy reading and healing
It was slow going for me in the first half. I enjoyed the last half a lot as it flipped more into application. I’m also in the mood for quick reads these days and this book is not that.
It’s filled with life changing concepts and the change of pace to slow down in my reading is probably a blessing.
If you are in the mood for reading something deep around healing, forgiveness, and grace this may be a great read for you. If you want a quick read save this one for another day. Happy reading and healing
August 17, 2018
Caroline Myss is an author I come back to over and over - not actually to read but to listen to the audio book or webinars (many available in CD). She talks to me in a way that resonates.
* Direct - yes
* Truthful - yes
* Intuitive - Yep that too
and it's this combination that means its not always an insight I want to accept and yet for personal growth and getting beyond my own ego Caroline had been a wonderful mentor and inspiration.
* Direct - yes
* Truthful - yes
* Intuitive - Yep that too
and it's this combination that means its not always an insight I want to accept and yet for personal growth and getting beyond my own ego Caroline had been a wonderful mentor and inspiration.
November 19, 2019
Carolyn Myss is a true wise woman, and I always learn from her books. This one resonated with me in many ways, since it is seems specifically aimed at people my age. But I have to skim over a lot of woo-woo stuff that just doesn’t work for me. I don’t find that difficult— in fact I do it a lot with spiritually oriented non-fiction— so I still loved this book. But I dont understand why, in a book that is about growing beyond the limits of rational thought, she keeps trying to create rational structures around her ideas. Seven graces, seven dark passions, three of this, four of that. It’s distracting to me, since my literal brain keeps thinking things like, how do you know there are only seven graces? Maybe there are 11, or six. But she likes lists of seven and has used them a lot, so we get seven. Is it just me? Probably. Anyway, it’s well worth reading, and reading slowly—I started it a couple of months ago, and there is a lot to chew on. In fact, I may immediately start reading it again.
May 27, 2017
This was the first book I've read by the author. I enjoyed her message, but had to put it down about halfway through. I felt like I was trudging through mud trying to turn pages. It's not a difficult read per se (in the sense that say, Beowulf is), and I can't really put my finger on it. But she just doesn't compel me to keep reading.
I'll pick it up again eventually.
I'll pick it up again eventually.
September 24, 2021
Few books have had an impact on my life like this one. Though attracted by the healing premise, it also helped me make sense of it all---how I am supposed to live my life, for myself and equally important for others. Connecting Buddhist precepts and Christian teachings with a dash of philosophy, Caroline leads you to the "truth" which
June 14, 2019
Very thought provoking questions for someone on a spiritual path. She talks about the 7 sins & relates them to the 7 Chakras then adds the 7 graces and relates them as well. She answers questions I didn't know I wanted answers to! Great!
June 14, 2019
This book was so boring I was barely able to take in any information.
I listened to the audio narrated by the author and I put the speed on double because the long pauses and slow narration irritated me to the point I felt I was being talked down to. Probably the only book I will ever return.
I listened to the audio narrated by the author and I put the speed on double because the long pauses and slow narration irritated me to the point I felt I was being talked down to. Probably the only book I will ever return.
April 2, 2021
Great!!
This book resonated with every part of me. As I read it, I felt every word, concept, and explanation in my whole body. My heart would just race and I could not wait to read the next chapter. Thank you for your work!!
This book resonated with every part of me. As I read it, I felt every word, concept, and explanation in my whole body. My heart would just race and I could not wait to read the next chapter. Thank you for your work!!
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