REVIEWS Reviewed by Mel Sorini


Didgeridoo Chakra Meditation Sol Ramana


Audio CD (60 minutes) ____


Didgeridoo Chakra Meditation harnesses the power of two ancient and respected traditions to create a unique recording, one which seeks to heal, balance and align you to your highest possibilities. Combining the spiritual resonance of the didgeridoo with the Sanskrit concept of the seven chakras seems like an ambitious undertaking, but Sol Ramana creates a synergy between the


two that seems natural, effortless and intuitive.


The beauty of this CD is that it gives you the flexibility to choose from several different meditation options. It is split into three extended tracks: the first track is a comprehensive 30 minute guided meditation through the whole of the seven chakras and the second track is a 22 minute version of the same meditation, with the chakras being briefly named and the positive affirmations for each spoken. The third track, free of all spoken word involvement, is a 7 minute instrumental journey into the seven didge tones that make up the album.


The drone of the didgeridoo is hypnotic, and the sacred vibrations draw you deeper into the meditation. Didgeridoo Chakra Meditation is not just unique, it’s an essential addition to your toolkit of recordings for meditation and deep relaxation, and one that will no doubt assume a regular place in your healing playlist.


Wise Mind Living: Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Life Erin Olivo PhD


Hardback 180 pages ____


If I were a car I think I’d be a Honda Civic: reliable, stable, consistent and completely lacking in dramatic flair. There’s a lovely section in Wise Mind Living that suggests the book is an owner’s manual and toolkit for our emotions: it helps us maintain our emotions for optimum efficiency and peak performance, let’s us know what the warning lights are and helps us master our vehicle, so we can be the best drivers we can be.


Saraswati Dreams Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda


Music CD (72 minutes) ____


As a reviewer, I’m meant to have a rich repository of adjectives right at my fingertips, poised to describe the things I am seeing, hearing and reading, but my only thought within the first minute and a half of listening to this CD was ‘Wow’.


Just ‘Wow’. Nothing else.


Saraswati Dreams is one of those rare recordings that grabs you immediately. It’s heavenly. The opening notes are plucked from gentle acoustic guitar. Mellifluous flutes dance and Jaya Lakshmi’s beautiful vocals are a triumph of melody and texture in “The River Song”, the opening kirtan on this extraordinary album.


With roots in India, kirtans are a form of non-denominational spiritual singalong, with lyrics from ancient chants in Sanskrit, from Punjabi and Hindu traditions. Saraswati Dreams brings a contemporary edge to songs drawn from age-old spiritual traditions.


Not only are kirtans a blissful form of escapism for listening pleasure, they are commonly used as a relaxing soundtrack for yoga, meditation, massage and healing therapies. Fans of Deva Premal and Donna Delory will find much to admire.


58 APRIL 2015


If we’re the cars, Erin Olivo PhD is the master mechanic. As a licensed clinical psychologist and assistant professor of medical psychology, Dr Olivo brings her impressive list of qualifications and professional experience to creating this masterwork of self-development. Her goals are to help readers find ways to better health, increased fulfilment and enhanced emotional well-being.


If you are easily overwhelmed or dealing with levels of stress or anxiety that are affecting your relationships and life goals, Wise Mind Living is an invaluable resource that can help us stop struggling with emotions like fear, anger, shame and sadness.


The core principle is about living in balance with your emotions and logic: it’s a pragmatic, forward-looking approach that avoids rummaging through years of emotional history in preference to dealing with those emotions in the now. Focused on solutions, Wise Mind Living lives firmly in the present and is interested in what works, right here.


The conclusion of the book features a six- week-long Wise Mind Living program, a comprehensive guide to mindfulness based exercises and lifestyle skills that change the way we think, feel and behave in situations where stress and anxiety arise.


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