Healing through writing is the theme of Writing Away The Demons: Stories of Creative Coping through Transformative Writing edited by Dr. Sherry Reiter. The book is a collection of stories written by those who took up a pen and paper during their crisis -  be it alcoholism, domestic violence, cancer, and addiction.  Informative, enlightening, and inspiring, each story offers encouragement and insight to readers who might be in similar circumstances.

Deborah King suggests that what you hide can hurt you in Truth Heals, a book that focuses on the relationship between the suppression of truth and how this can later manifest into pain or illness. Using her own personal journey as well as client and celebrity profiles, Deborah offers a roadmap for people wanting to learn how to recognize and release emotional baggage.

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• Extroversion
• Openness 
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Neuroticism

So, want to know where you sit on the Big Five Scale?

Then take this free personality test to find out.

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Would you be able to recognize, say for example, a waitress that served you once five years ago? Or  someone at the checkout counter at the grocery store you visited while on holiday in, say, California a decade ago?

If the answer is no, then you are like most of the population that sits in the middle of the face recognition spectrum.

But if the answer is yes, then you are probably a ’super-recognizer’.

It’s a term coined  by Harvard researchers  following a recent study they conducted on face recognition. They administered  standardized face recognition tests to a group of participants and discovered  that some people scored way above average on these tests.

Of course, there are also, around 2% of the population,  those who can never remember a face.

Want to know where you sit on the face recognition spectrum?

Check out these fun face recognition tests.

(image source )

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Elizabeth Gilbert, author of bestselling book Eat, Pray, Love (One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia), thinks so.

In this TED talk, she considers the possibility that everyone has a ‘genuis’ inside them and they just need to find it and let it out.

Watch it. It will inspire you to keep working on finding your genius.

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According to Dr Dossey, those suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia have symptoms ranging from a mild  anxiety to a sense of doom. Seems that some people won’t even get out of bed on friday the 13th. I guess they think it’s safer to pull the covers over their head and make the day go away.

Listen to what Dr Dossey has to say about this phobia at this Bryant Park Project podcast recorded last year.

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But road trips aren’t only about getting in the car and driving off in the sunset. They can also be about looking for change, looking for answers, and clearing the mind.

And that’s really what the book ‘Road Trip Guide to the Soul’ is all about. I can guarantee that by the time you’ve finished reading it and following some of the ideas and action plans, you’ll be feeling as exhilerated as when you got into the car and took off.

One lucky Healthbolt reader will be able to discover this for themselves. The winner of Sadie Nardini’s Road Trip Guide to the Soul is…

Brandlyn

Congratulations Brandlyn. I’ll be sending you out an email with instructions on how to claim your prize.

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Many have tried to answer this question but in the end, death and the possibility of an afterlife, remains a mystery.

The directors of a new documentary The Path are hoping to remove some of this mystery surrounding death, dying, and, in particular,  the afterlife.

It features interviews with 13 individuals – well renowned authors, practitioners and well respected local practitioners in Upstate New York - who offer their their expertise on their own souls path, what they have learned along the way and their knowledge about the afterlife.

You can watch the trailer here.

According to the Michael Habernig and April Hannah, creators of The Path, they hope that people watching this documentary will…

 ”…take away some knowledge about other possibilities of the afterlife [and]  feel empowered to become their own explorers and researchers. We want people to leave the theater feeling like they need to find out more answers for themselves and begin to experience other possibilities as to what may be out there after we die. We are also hoping that the fear of death will subside as our documentary does give hope that consciousness lives on and never dies.”

The Path is due for release 12th Febuary and I have to admit I am intrigued to hear what they have to say.

Healthbolt’s got a copy of The Path DVD to giveaway.

So if you’re interested, all you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you want to see this DVD.

Entries close 11th Febuary 2009 and the winner will be announced on the 12th February 2009.

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So it‘s not surprising that  Sadie Nardini’s book ‘Road Trip Guide to the Soul’ caught my eye. After, the whole premise of the book rested on one of my favorite activities. But once I started reading, I soon realised that this road trip was unlike any other I had taken.

Instead of packing a bag and jumping in a car, it was asking me to unpack, declutter, and remove the roadblocks in my life. Quite a daunting task, if you ask me.

But I was up for the challenge. After all, it was making sense. Life really is like a road trip – it can be good or bad, fun or sad, exciting or scary, adventurous or boring – all depending on how you approach it.

Half way through the book, I suddenly realised that this could turn out to be the biggest, most important road trip of my life. Following this metaphorical road trip had the potential to change my life for the better

As far as self help books go, this one’s a winner. Sounding more like a friend than a self-help advisor, Sadie shares personal anecdotes and advice based on eastern wisdom, western science, and yogic principles.

Remember, travel is not all about the destination. Mostly, it’s about the journey and in this journey Sadie Nardini offers a fun step by step guide to removing roadblocks and re-discovering the adventure of life.

Each chapter highlights pit stops one takes on a road trip, starting with the garage (read excerpt here) and heading on to the gas station, stopping to adjust the mirrors, hitting the carpool lane, and finding the treasure trove. But unlike a real road trip, each of these pit stops offers anecdotes, ideas, and advice on how to revolutionize your life.

You can hear more about these nine steps in Sadie’s own words by watching this series of short videos Sadie has put together.

Sadie (who generously sponsored a Yoga DVD giveaway last year) has offered to give away a copy of ‘Road Trip of the Soul’ to one lucky Healthbolt reader. Just leave a comment and tell us about your best road trip and you could be in to win. This giveaway will run until Thursday 5th Febuary 2009, with the winner announced on Friday 6th February 2009.

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Audrey

Congratulations Audrey. You should be receiving an email shortly with directions on how and where to provide your mailing address.

By the way, I have a sure fire why to avoid stress these holidays.

Hibernate.

Okay, so that might not work for most people.

But remember, when you are getting stressed, the best thing to do is take time out for yourself. Try to relax, treat yourself to a massage or manicure, take a long walk somewhere away from crowds and shops, meet friends for coffee or lunch, watch a funny movie or sitcom, and just sit back and breathe.

And don’t forget, ‘every day is a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

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Mine hand is up. Is yours?

Well, you’ve shown up at Healthbolt at the right time because this next giveaway is aimed at not only relieving holiday stress but also helping you Achieve New Year’s Resolutions.

It’s a CD called Relieving Your Holiday Stress and Achieving Your New Yearʼs Resolutions.

Created by Ronald G. Nathan, Ph.D., a practicing psychologist, award-winning teacher, and co-author of three popular stress management books, this CD is a collection of simple and effective strategies to handle holiday stress more creatively.

It addresses ways to stay focused and relaxed while dealing with holiday related stress such as gift-giving and budget-busting to jammed parking lots and long cashier lines.

There are two guided relaxation tracks on the CD that follow help listeners to trigger the stay-and-play response, counteract the fight-or-flight response, desensitize to the ghosts of holidays past, and strengthen New Yearʼs resolutions.

Dr Nathan talks you through all of this and more, accompanied by relaxing harp music destined to reduce your stresses.

Sounds like something that should be playing on all car radios for the next two weeks if you ask me.

Want the CD?

Then leave a comment by 17th December telling us why you’re so stressed, and you never know, this CD could be heading for your mail box.

Open to US residents.

The winners will be announced on 18th December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘every day a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

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