REVIEWS
A DEEPER LIGHT
THE JOURNEY AFTER LIFE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE
Cyndi Dale Paperback 313 pages
The thing that intrigued me most about this book was the subtitle. “What Happens When We Die”. Full stop. No question mark. The Journey After Life makes a huge promise to the reader, a promise to explain the essential mysteries of death, the afterlife and beyond; to make the ‘unknowable’ known.
Is there life after death? Is there a Heaven and a Hell? Do ghosts, entities and angels exist? Are we reunited with loved ones after death? Is reincarnation possible? What happens before, during and after death?
These are just some of the ideas explored in this ambitious and intriguing book, the work of psychic and intuitive healer Cyndi Dale. Depending on your upbringing and spiritual beliefs you might fi nd the ideas in this book confronting, and possibly controversial. It certainly requires an open mind to engage with some of the ideas put forward here.
Dale opens by outlining the energetic anatomy of the body/soul/spirit, followed by a fascinating step-by-step guide to the stages of dying and the choices that the soul has on leaving the body. The second half of the book is devoted to an explanation of the 12 Planes of Light and their role in the evolution of the soul, concluding with a guided meditation.
Am I personally convinced by Dale’s thesis? Overall, I’m not too sure, but I certainly appreciated the depth of detail she provides to support her viewpoint. Ultimately, I think I am too attached to the idea that some things simply can’t – or shouldn’t – be known by the human mind, which is more my failing than hers. I do believe her, however, when she says that life does not end with death.
Deva Premal and Miten (with Manose) Music CD (approx. 60 minutes)
Opening track Om Kumara Mantra (Innocence) undulates with a sensual groove reminscent of Sade’s best work and I am immediately hooked. What follows is an hour of blissful soul mantras characterised by Premal’s trademark fusion of contemporary beats with ancient Sanskrit mantras. Like Sade, Premal sings of the restorative, healing power of deep spiritual love and this carefully curated set of mantras is dedicated to themes like healing, wellness, refuge and devotion.
For those unfamiliar with her work, Premal doesn’t ‘chant’ in the typical sense. There is no dry, mechanical repetition here. Instead, Deva Premal not only sings her mantras, she inhabits them; caressing each syllable, lingering over sounds and infusing them with melody and light. Listening to her sing can be a deeply soulful and ecstatic experience, and the sinuous, supple purity of her vocals can be trance-inducing. It is no surprise that her recordings are heard in yoga studios, ashrams and meditation rooms around the world, and that she has cultivated a dedicated global audience of fans who eagerly travel to far-fl ung locations to see her perform these mantras in the fl esh.
Premal’s vocals may be the obvious star but it is the hypnotic, compelling music that tempts you back for repeated listening; equally vital because it provides the contemporary, dub-inspired backdrop that helps bring these ancient words to life, making them relevant and accessible to a modern audience. It is indeed a gift that Deva Premal and Miten have dedicated their lives to preserving, cultivating and sharing these mantras with us. ‘A Deeper Light’ defi nitely deserves to be heard by a very wide audience.
SIZZLING AT SEVENTY: VICTIM TO VICTORIOUS
Lyn Traill Paperback 178 pages
When Sizzling at Seventy: Victim to Victorious landed on my desk as a review copy I immediately put it aside with no intention of even looking at it. Seventy? Not even close, thanks.
Despite that, my attention kept being drawn to Lyn’s beaming smile on the cover. I wondered what she might say about that kind of attitude, because I’m pretty sure that a published author doesn’t get where they are in life by saying ‘no’ to things. I eventually picked it up, and I’m glad that I did, because her story is remarkable – and universal.
Lyn Traill is a childhood and domestic abuse survivor, and this book is part memoir, part self-development guide. Sharing the strategies that have taken her from ‘victim to victorious’, her story opens with a poignant account of growing up in suburban Melbourne, the child of a distant father and a mother with mental health issues.
Throughout the book she shares compelling personal anecdotes to illustrate ontological themes; the dynamic inter-relationship between the language we use, the emotions we live in and the role of the body. Her warmth, humour and fl air for story-telling bring the subject matter to life and she invites the reader to participate and refl ect on their own lived experience through questions, activities and tools for self-analysis provided at the end of each chapter.
Dealing with resentment, anxiety and resignation through to self-compassion, acceptance and wonder, this book is great source material for anyone looking to improve their life or deal with dysfunction, no matter what age or what stage you are at. Lyn’s inspiring example proves it is never too late to sizzle.
40 march 2014
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48