It’s well known that being in nature can combat stress, lift a low mood and help us feel so much better in body and mind – but how many of us actually take the time to pause our busy lives and connect properly with our natural surroundings? Designed to help you get a shot of natural wellbeing into your everyday life, this book offers 21 daily practices to connect you with the healing, nurturing power of the Earth, even if you live in the heart of a city.
All you need to practise these rituals is an open mind and heart. No religious belief is required, and supporting evidence is given for every ritual to explain exactly how it works and why. From cloud-watching and moon-bathing to bringing out your inner animal and simply breathing in fresh air, these rituals will make you feel healthier, happier and full of wonder at the world.
Theresa Cheung is an internationally bestselling author and public speaker. She has been writing about spirituality, dreams and the paranormal for the past 35 years, and was listed by Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in 2023. She has a degree in Theology and English from Kings College, Cambridge University, frequently collaborating with leading scientists and neuroscientists researching consciousness.
Theresa is regularly featured in national newspapers and magazines, and she is a frequent radio, podcast and television guest. She hosts her own popular spiritual podcast called White Shores and her own weekly UK Health Radio show: The Healing Power of Your Dreams.
21 Rituals is bestselling author Theresa Cheung's new self-help guide and I was quite taken aback by how thorough it was; it's both perfect for those brand new and looking for a reliable introduction to the spiritual world and those who are familiar with everything but would like to dig a little deeper and before you know it you've become enthralled and well and truly fallen down the rabbit hole! As a spiritualist with an interest in dreams and the paranormal she really knows her stuff when it comes to paring everything back and going back to basics. It's highly informative but fascinating with it and is very accessible as Cheung explains and addresses matters in a clear and concise fashion leaving no room for confusion of any kind. This is more the type of book you dip in and out of rather than peruse from cover to cover; it could even pass as a coffee table book.
Let Theresa Cheung bright a little light and love into your life in this difficult global situation and by following her guidance. Many thanks to Watkins for an ARC.
I've read a few of this author now and as usual an interesting way to connect with a topic; this time nature. There are ways to connect with nature both indoors and outdoors and it covers way to deal with self created obstacles to doing so. It's really straightforward, does what it says in the title and overall is an enjoyable read
I was sent a copy of this e-book by the publisher through NetGalley.
I asked to receive this book because I am very interested in getting back to nature, but often lack ideas of how to do so. In this regard, this book is an excellent source of ideas of methods for incorporating more nature into our lives.
There is a good mix of small, manageable tasks and larger, more involved tasks. I also like that the "roadblocks" sections offer accessible alternatives for those who may not be able to take part in the task otherwise, particularly in terms of physical restrictions.
I enjoyed the author's focus on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits linked to each ritual. I also enjoyed the anecdotes, as this provided a real-life illustration of the ritual in action.
The layout of the book is good, however I did find the sections somewhat repetitive and hence found myself skipping over some parts, for example the "do it" section seems unnecessary as it is repeated in the summary box in a more concise way.
I did find that some of the sections included what I would call "filler", such as the excessive description of the phases of the moon. This came across as an attempt to boost the word count.
I like that the author included a substantial and organised list of references at the end of the book. This bolsters the scientific validity of the claims made in the book.
If I'm going to nitpick (which apparently, I am!) there were a few spelling errors/grammatical errors, but I'm not sure if this has since been rectified.
Finally, there was one sentence in the book that really irritated me: "You may want to stop and rethink your priorities"! I found this sentence completely condescending and not at all encouraging. It really smacks of privilege - whilst I'm sure in an ideal world everyone would love to prioritise these rituals over day-to-day responsibilities, we just aren't all in that position, and to say that in such a condescending way is really quite offputting.
However! I have given this book four stars because overall it was an enjoyable read and offers some sage advice.
I pick a word of the year each year and my word for 2020 is "wild." My goal is to connect more with nature and to spend more time outdoors. So when I saw this book, I knew I was going to have to read it.
I knew nothing about the author and didn't read much of the blurb either, so I had no prejudices going in. This book has 3 sections of 7 rituals each. Each ritual has the science behind it, an anecdotal story, and then the "what to do" as well as some thoughts to journal. All of them are relatively basic and simple but powerful exercises. If you go into this book thinking it will be new, complicated or unusual ideas, you will get disappointed.
Most of the ideas are things that involve your senses or intentionally being aware of the nature around you. Trees, birds, water, sun, etc. They might seem simple, but for me, they were the exact reminder I needed that there are really small things I can do each day that have profound effects in my life. I loved almost all the ideas in here.
Most of the ideas in the book are very tangible but there are a small handful of ideas that may or may not resonate with you depending on how you feel about psychic energy. Those didn't fully resonate with me but it didn't deter from the power of the overall book, for me.
I cannot wait to do these rituals again and again.
with gratitude to netgalley and Watkins Publishing for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about nature and how I feel better when I am around it. So this would be my 2nd or 3rd book on nature in a short amount of time. I liked this one the best out of them so far. Some ideas come very naturally when I try to think of new things to do but this book is an excellent source of ideas to add more nature into everyday life. At the end of each chapter, we are presented with roadblocks that could affect the current assignment and the author shows alternative ways to finish what she has asked you to do. The book has three sections and in each section, there are 7 rituals/assignments to give a try...some are indoors and some are outdoors but that could be done indoors with a little effort on your part and none of them are difficult. All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that is wanting to spend more time out in nature and needs a little push to come up with ideas.
It was better than expected. I read the introduction and saw there were some guest writers talking aout crystals... I didn't think I would like the book but to be fair, the fast majority of the advice is actually sound and based on science. It's just a couple of chapters which are a bit... dubious. The advice provided to spend more time in nature, grow something, etc... was sound and I liked that it was backed by genuine scientific studies.
7 ritual per section (3) and set up the same. Each author writes a ritual. Nice rituals and going from being indoors to completely outside. Good for those who wants to bring some sort of ritual or thing to do with nature.
An interesting read to help the read to connect with Nature. The rituals are well described and interesting and I think it could an interesting path to follow. Recommended. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Theresa Cheung made it actionable and easy means to connect with nature in 21 rituals and three settings. Her insightful benefits, anecdotal evidence, challenges and prognosis of each ritual shall blow you away and empower you to connect with nature instantly.
I really enjoyed this book. I took my time reading through it. My favorite section was about earthing and walking outside barefoot. I love to do this and so does my 2 year old. We've been trying to get outside more, especially with the warmer weather and all of the ideas in this book are great.