The Fourfold Path to Healing: Working with the Laws of Nutrition, Therapeutics, Movement and Meditation in the Art of Medicine

The first time I read Dr. Cowan's Fourfold Path to Healing I put the book down thinking it was a bit too far out there for me in terms of how I look at the world and what he was proposing. Several months later on a whim I picked the book up again and read Cowan's explanation of how the heart is not a pump. It shifted my thinking. To understand how 'good' saturated fats can keep our blood pumping is to understand why we have so much heart disease in our fat phobic society. I can understand why those who are religious may have a problem with some of Cowan's insights. However put in perspective, I believe his insights conform to any theologic belief. What I took from the book is that there is a life force, whether that is a god, nature, or some other form, it exists and is an essential element in healing and well being. To reject the book out of hand based on preconceived beliefs, which is what I initially did, is to miss out on some very keen observations. Well done Dr. Cowan.

As a healthcare professional, my bookshelves are over flowing with latest and greatest theories about diet and alternative medicine. This book stands out because it is a reminder of the lost ART of medicine. With all of our modern science, we have forgotten about the laws of nature - indeed, this book brings poetry to healthcare. Dr.Cowan's concepts are understandable and inspiring, and this is one of the most refreshing books I have read in quite a while.

Having just attended the Fourfold Path to Healing Conference in Oakland, CA, (www.fourfoldhealing.com) I feel absolutely inspired to spread the messages of this book. If you are looking for a new approach to health and well-being, yet not "new fad", if you believe in the wisdom of traditional peoples, and you want to help co-create a beautiful world of healthy individuals and societies, this is the book to read. It is very attractive, well-organized, and will definately introduce you to some new ways of perceiving our bodies and bringing them to wholeness. I also recommend the other books by contributer Sally Fallon, especially Nourishing Traditions.

This is a beautifully written book that manages to be both a crystal clear health practitioner's guide and a fascinating philosophical discussion of the nature of disease and health. The Fourfold Path to Healing offers a variety of very specific ways to restore balance to the human body, all of which are gentle, non-invasive, and sensible. Four introductory chapters discuss the "paths" of the title -- nutrition, therapeutics (herbs and whole-food supplements), movement and meditation. Then Dr. Cowan applies these foundational principles to a variety of conditions, from arthritis to cancer to weight loss to heart disease. He invites us to look at health conditions as more than collections of symptoms. He does so skillfully, drawing on the language of myth as well as botany, dreams, the work of Rudolf Steiner, and other insightful metaphors. Each discussion guides the reader into a broader understanding of the ways in which our health reflects our world view, our mental and emotional balance, and, of course how we care for our physical bodies. The Fourfold Path to Healing invites deeper participation in our healing -- and in the maintenance and care of our good health, as well.

This is a brilliant book about healing the physical body through nutrition, the life body through therapy, the emotions through movement and thinking through meditation.It is full of deep insights culled from the work of geniuses like Edgar Cayce, Rudolf Steiner and Weston Price. I particularly loved the knowledgeable and humorous way the heart and its activities are described; the heart is obviously not a pump, but rather a sensitive balancer and regulator of the whole system. I can't think of a better present to give my friends for Christmas.