Seeds of Light: Healing Meditations for Body and Soul

Spiritual healer Elizabeth K. Stratton, M.S. provides detailed descriptions of how to use meditation for self-healing in her latest book, Seeds of Light: Healing Meditations for Body and Soul. The title reflects her philosophy that "healing meditations are like seeds of light planted within your soul." Nurturing that light will lead to self-healing. Readers can use Seeds of Light either as a complete program or pick and choose meditations relevant to their immediate needs. A healer, teacher, and pastoral counselor for more than twenty years, Stratton also wrote Touching Spirit: A Journey of Healing and Personal Resurrection, and founded the Touching Spirit Training Program. Stratton believes that each of us has a healer within ourselves. The innate healer is a powerful combination of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy. Her goal is to help awaken that inner power and stimulate mind, body, and soul healing. She organized her book into five sections: Healing the Body; Forgiveness; Psychic Self-Defense; Creating a New Life, and Helping Others Heal. Each section is divided into chapters, including ones on deep relaxation, pain relief, dealing with loss, and coping with change. The exercises are simple, but most require two people, with one person reading the steps to a second person. Someone working alone can either purchase Stratton's coordinated audio tapes, or record the steps for themselves. Then "all you have to do is pick a meditation, sit down, and close your eyes." Different kinds of meditations meet various needs. Stratton recommends starting with a deep relaxation meditation as it "stills the rational mind and creates a state of deep calm." Opening meditations help "the flow of subtle energies within" the body. Insight meditations encourage communication. "Paying close attention to whatever you are feeling or doing in the moment" is a part of mindfulness meditation. Clearing meditations release "unwanted emotions, thoughts, or energies." Use strengthening meditations to help "experience yourself as stronger, healthier, or more powerful." Affirmations accompany the meditations. Affirmations are positive statements used to help change negative beliefs. Psychic self-defense affirmations include statements such as "I approve of myself and all that I am" and "I have all the strength, integrity, and courage that I will ever need." Stratton believes that "healing is a lifelong process." She wants to help people become more aware of their inner lives and innate healing powers. Beginners will find her detailed instructions easy to follow. The final chapters of Seeds of Light offer advanced techniques for th