Book Review: Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

March 26, 2020 Essay Blog

Title: Heal Your Body

Author(s): Louise Hay

Publication Date: January 1, 1984

This booklet is just a repackaged update of Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life. If you have not yet read it and want to cut to the chase, choose this book instead. It’s an excerpt of her original with an added section specifically addressing ailments of the back from the cervical spine right down through the coccyx.

The premise to Hay’s belief system is that for every physical ailment, no matter what it is or how it’s caused, there is an emotional origin that drives the body’s unique manifestation. Getting to the root of the cause via your thoughts and beliefs and changing them could lead to a complete healing. I am saying could but Hay is clear that once thought patterns change, the body will heal.

Legions love Hay and her message though many are critical for what they perceive as her “blame the victim” mentality. It strikes a nerve and that actually is the most interesting part. Whether you agree with her or not, the question is why her opinion should upset people like it does? For myself, I have had a worn copy of You Can Heal Your Life since the 1990’s. I have gotten annoyed and even angry at her airy-fairy attitude. I could never wrap my head around just how unscientific symptoms chart is. I also wonder how she came up with all of it. What was her process? On the other hand when I applied certain physical ailments to myself the emotional attributes made sense. My choice moving forward was not to denounce Hay but to allow for some space around her theory that it might be true. Maybe, just as she believes we sign a soul contract and all consequences therein before we are born, perhaps all that is needed for this to be true is our consent to believe.

BRB Rating: Read It.

Tags | Body Book Review Illness Mental Metaphysical Mind Physical Psychological Spirit