Written by Justin Krull, Registered Physiotherapist

Here are some great books to get you going on your mind-body healing journey. We have read and recommend all of these books to our clients. The mental and emotional component of healing and addressing past traumas is key to overall healing even from physical pain. Give these books a read and let us know what you think!

Healing Ancient Wounds - John Barnes

Healing Ancient Wounds, written by our mentor John Barnes, delves deep into the energetic and intuitive nature of healing through the use of sustained pressure Myofascial Release. While weaving personal stories and amusing anecdotes from seminars past with current understanding of physiology, psychology, and the nature of consciousness, he manages to create a clear and concise message that the key to healing is feeling. It is written in a conversational style that is reminiscent of hearing him speak during open discussion sessions at his seminars and is written for both the therapist and patient alike regardless of where they may be on their healing journey and is an absolute must read.

Trauma & Memory - Peter Levine

Trauma and Memory - A Practical Guide for Understanding and Working with Traumatic Memory, is the third book of Dr Peter Levine’s pioneering approach to trauma therapy called the Somatic Experiencing Method (Check out his first book on the subject: Waking the Tiger). Our understanding of how Myofascial Unwinding can at times tap into the bodily experience of the fight/flight/FREEZE response and elicit the same physical and emotional state of arousal as the original trauma is based in his work and observations. This book in particular, addresses the question: Can we trust our memories? It delves into how the body itself stores implicit memory, and how much of what we think of as memory actually comes from our interoceptive bodily sense, and how to understand and adjust our relationship to past trauma.

The Biology of Belief - Bruce Lipton

The Biology of Belief by Dr Bruce Lipton, Is a book about how our thoughts control our lives. It describes in great detail how at a molecular level, our body is impacted not just by the stressors in our environment, but more importantly, by our interpretation of those stressors. The book is fascinating and engaging, with an underpinning message of hope that we actually have a lot more say in our genetic expression and overall wellness than many of us originally thought possible.

What’s In Your Web? - Phil Tavolacci

What’s In Your Web? Stories of Fascial Freedom by talented Myofascial Release Therapist Phil Tavolacci, is a ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ style book about experiences with Myofascial Release, Trauma, and Healing. He weaves personal anecdotes of many different MFR therapists with John Barnes teachings and patients sharing their own stories about their healing journeys with the therapists featured. The book ends up being a fascinating and engaging educational tool that reminds us that we are all simultaneously teachers and students in our own lives and that healing can be messy, but is always rewarding.

The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, is based in the Toltec Wisdom tradition and describes how the majority of our perceived suffering in the world is a breakdown of one or more of four basic agreements with ourselves and our resulting altered perceptions of reality. By doing our best to adhere to these basic tenets and understanding that we can only truly be responsible for ourselves and our actions/reactions, we can take back our sense of control and agency in our own experiences of the world. Be impeccable with your word; Don’t take anything personally; Don’t make assumptions; Always do your best; (and if you check out the updated follow-up book ‘The Fifth Agreement’) Be skeptical, but learn to listen.

The Mastery of Self - Don Miguel Ruiz

The Mastery of Self by Don Miguel Ruiz, offers a road map to reclaiming your authentic self. Ruiz argues that we live in a collective waking dream that we perceive as reality and it is through our conditioning and domestication that we learn how to perceive our existence. He describes how through awareness, understanding, and unconditional love, we are able to free ourselves from the inhibiting beliefs, stories, and ideas that keep us from living our best possible lives.

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