Healing Mantras : Using Sound Affirmations for Personal Power, Creativity, and Healing

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Summary: Worthy of praise!
Review: A thorough, insightful look into the practise of mantras. Interlaced with personal testimonies, this book is a good resource for people seeking a more peaceful reality - at any age or level of experience. Ashley-Farrand instills firm grounding principles for stability.

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Summary: Probably the best beginning guide to mantra for westerners.
Review: After searching for years for information from a western perspective on eastern chants and mantra, I've finally found it. Thomas Ashley-Farrand's new book, Healing Mantras: Using Sound Affirmations for Personal Power, Creativity, and Healing bridges a huge gap for anyone interested in exploring the spiritual power of sound. His ability to portray somewhat arcane knowledge about this ancient practice is wonderful - and he backs it all up with real-life experiences of westerners who have benefited from such work. It has broadened my own practice considerably and best of all: it works! After committing to a 40-day practice as advised in the book, I've been able to completely revamp an ailing career into a wonderful new one, find a way to live on my favorite tropical island, and eliminate many money woes that had plagued me for years. Namaste, Mr. Ashley-Farrand, namaste!

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Summary: Healing Mantras - The Perfect Mantra Primer
Review: I bought Healing Mantras because I was curious after reading Tina Turner's life story. In her book, she says chanting changed her life. And since I think Tina Turner is awsome - why not?

The first thing I liked about the book is that it's clear and to the point. It's well organized. All the mantras are grouped into categories such as: overcoming obstacles, healing, prosperity, etc. It's small, but packed with information. I've seen other mantra books printed on exquisite paper, written in golden script and adorned with cutsie drawings of little huts and birds and Blah-Blah-Blah...all for about 30 bucks. Which brings up another point: the price is nice.

Mr. Farrand includes a brief history of mantras which I found interesting and colorful. His approach to mantra practice is flexible, and he describes both traditional and informal methods. After reading the book, I also bought the CD which really helped me learn the correct pronounciation and rhythm for each mantra.

I've now used almost all of this author's books and tapes. I highly recommend Mr. Farrand's work (and his website for additional info), especially for a beginner or someone who can't find a mantra class.

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Summary: Powerful!!
Review: I came across Thomas Ashley-Farrand's book on healing mantras when I was going through a difficult period in my life. After reading his book, I immediately took on the 40 day decipline to solve my problem. To tell the truth I didn't know what to expct in the beginning, but when I miraculously received the answers to my prayers on the 40th day of my decipline, I must say I was caught by surprise by the power of mantra chanting.

Chanting mantras has definetly changed my life forever, for the better. Now, I have this powerful tool in my hand that I can use any time to solve any problems that I encounter or improve any aspects of my life.

His books are well-written, clear and easy to understand. I highly recommed this book to anyone who desires to improve any aspects of their life. I am sure that anyone can improve their life for the better with these POWERFULL MANTRAS!!

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Summary: Full of Mantras
Review: I looked for months for a new job with no success. On December 23rd I began reading this book and chanting the mantra to remove obstacles. On January 23rd I received a call from someone I barely knew but had worked with seven years ago. He had heard I was looking for a new job and asked me to meet him that day to discuss one he had available. It was even better than what I had been looking for -- interesting work in a field I enjoy, better salary, better benefits, opportunity for advancement, and a great location. I received an offer on January 31st, exactly 40 days after I began the mantra. The advice in this book works!

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Summary: Magic Toolbox
Review: If you look at most affirmations books, they try to impress subconscious mind by repeating logical statements by conscious mind. Here is a higher level of affirmations, because subconscious is much more impressed if you speak its language. The vedic sounds are magical and arouse subconscious readily. I was pumped with so much energy while chanting, it was ridiculous. Clarifies situations, brings calmness to mind and helps me get a feeling I am on the right course. Could not say enough. It is a classic.

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Summary: Sacred Sanskrit teachings are now clearly explained.
Review: Imagine a language made of simple sounds. And these sounds embody what they describe. This is the ancient language of sound called "Sanskrit." When these sounds are assembled into formulas called Mantra or "divine speech" they will, in the words of a Sufi master, actually "knead the flesh of the body with sound." These ancient formulas of divine sounds have been "held in trust and in secret for ages," according to the author, in India and Tibet. With "Healing Mantras," Thomas Ashley-Farrand has created a breakthrough for the West with a work that illustrates, with great clarity, both the symbolic significance and the practical benefits of chanting mantra. Students of the esoteric arts as well as those new to the subject will find this book entertaining, illuminating and, above all, accessible. In fifteen well-organized chapters Ashley-Farrand demonstrates how mantras comprise "our spiritual physiology," how they work and gives specific instructions as to their use in creating abundance and self-empowerment, or mastering health and love. Though there is great scholarship in the book, this is no dry tome, but a manual for the use of ancient and powerful tools. Throughout the book are personal stories which succinctly illustrate how the practice of mantra has benefited the author as well as those he has instructed in its use. Readers will be lured by the practical simplicity of this book to utter the divine speech themselves. And the consistent use of this sound energy may well prove to be transformative, giving those with the intent, the power to change their lives.

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Summary: Reading this book gets you to practice
Review: This book along with Shakti Mantras, by the same author are fantastic. There is a lot of wisdom in many Indian texts. This books extracts those wisdom in a manner that common man can read and appreciate.

But the real benefit of this book is that it just motivates you to practice. The true benefit lies there. The author's approach is transreligious. Though the names of Gods, sounds very Hindu and Indian, it brings out with clarity that those names are labels to various archetypes.

I recommend the beginner to start with this book, and then read Shakthi Mantras as well.

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Summary: POWER OF THE WORD
Review: What a revelation! This book has given me incredible insight and is a joy to read and to study - like magic jumping out of the pages. As a guide for improving one's life, it is unparalleled. A thorough discussion of the background, lore, history and application of sound in healing, together with Vedic cosmology and the views of scientists, as well as pieces on Karma, Astrology and the Chakras. All the important areas of life are covered and the various relevant mantras provided, with phonetic guide to pronunciation and English translation. Throughout, examples are given of healings achieved and problems solved through the use of specific mantras. The author has an engaging style and it's hard to put the book down. I strongly recommend you get the CD at the same time (available here on amazon) as it helps immensely in "getting into" the mantra habit and with pronunciation. It is also very beautiful to listen to. The book has a glossary of Sanskrit and other terms, an extensive bibliography and an index.