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The Weekend Healer - Book Review |
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Book Reviews -
Women's Health and Psychology
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Written by Jennifer Thompson
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 The
Weekend Healer: More Than a Dozen 3-Day Plans to Relax, Relieve
Stress, and Re-energize, by Jane Alexander
We live in busy times. We have careers, kids, deadlines and responsibilities.
WouldnÌt it be nice to get away for a long weekend and do
nothing but rest and rejuvenate? Take the time to pamper our bodies
and our spirits? You donÌt have to spend a lot of money or
book a room at a fancy spa. The
Weekend Healer offers do-it-yourself, stay-at-home plans
designed to make the most of a Friday-Sunday. YouÌll find
ideas for nourishing your body, your mind and your spirit, all
in the comfort of your home and for a fraction of the cost of
a retreat.
A weekend, beginning Friday evening, is the perfect amount of
time to break from your busy week to relax and heal yourself and
your spirit. This book offers 17 different weekend plans with
different goals and objectives, so whether youÌre trying
to reconnect with your body, calm your emotions, feed your soul
or celebrate the season, youÌll find something in here thatÌs
just right.
The book is broken down into four parts: Bodycare Weekends,
Mind and Emotion Weekends, Spirit Weekends and Seasonal
Weekends. Each weekend begins with a description of that weekendÌs
focus and what you can hope to gain from it, as well as a list
of what youÌll need. Next you see what to do Friday evening,
Saturday and Sunday. Included in these sections are activities,
questions for reflecting upon and tips that go along with the
spirit of the weekend.
The Bodycare Weekends consist of topics like body awareness
and beauty. The Mind and Emotion Weekends offer plans for
exploring your subconscious and your relationships. In the Spirit
Weekends, you can have a retreat or heighten your spiritual
awareness. And in the Seasonal Weekends, youÌll find
ideas for welcoming each of the four seasons. The book concludes
with instructions and pictures for the Sun and Moon Salutations,
as well as eight recipes and a list of resources and suggested
readings that you may find interesting.
This book is inspiring in its photography and layout and is absolutely
gorgeous. Before I read through it, I must admit that I thought
there was no way that I could actually do any of these weekends
Ò not with a husband, a small child, a dog and a cat around,
that is. But as I read through the various weekends, it became
clear to me that these arenÌt 24/7 type plans. That is, you
donÌt have to be in complete isolation, removed from everyone
and everything, in order to benefit from the suggestions. In fact,
some of the weekends are social. However, the author does suggest
that if you live with other people you should ask if they Ïwould
be willing to help out by giving you peace and quiet when you
need it; by clearing up their mess so you donÌt have to do
it; taking messages for you on the phone; leaving you the bathroom
free for your evening bathing ritual Ò or whatever.Ó
This would be particularly helpful for the more spiritual weekend
plans.
Some of these weekends make me think of having an extended slumber
party with a few of my closest friends. The relationship one would
be perfect to put into play with my husband. I think we could
all benefit from setting aside a special weekend for ourselves
once in a while, to take care of the most important person in
our lives Ò us.
Copyright
2002
This review is available for reprint.
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