Lisa G Saw • March 11, 2026

Books and Courses

THE FIRST SET OF BOOKS AND COURSES THAT HAVE HELPED ME ON MY JOURNEY

 

I began this blog series, Living My The Best Life Possible, back in 2022 after a series of events, and a couple of chronic injuries, quite literally stopped me in my tracks. Having followed conventional approaches to try and turn things around, but to no avail, I felt compelled to seek out help from alternative approaches. I opened my mind to the possibility they could help me, taking a more holistic approach to my healing.


Along my journey, I've done some serious soul searching, dug deep to uncover suppressed and hidden trauma, and held a mirror up to myself, realising there were things I needed to let go of and much I needed to change. It's been uncomfortable at times and emotional, but completely worthwhile, as I've worked through things and persevered. Awareness was key. From that I had the power to change my thought patterns and my view of the world. I know all my relationships are better for it, including the one I have with myself, and I wouldn't be where I am today without what I've learned. I've discovered there are many different ways to heal and I've been amazed by what I've learned.


It's been surprising, uplifting and most of all, empowering.


Along this journey I've been led from one book to another, then another, and on it goes. Sometimes the books have been recommended to me by family, friends or health practitioners, other times they've merely been mentioned in passing or in another book, and I've felt as though it was something that could help me further my knowledge and understanding. In many ways, they were like signs guiding me along at just the right moment when I needed them. My curiosity to learn more has led to a voracious appetite to read, which I've never experienced before. I love it! I feel like I'm on a fast train to somewhere, but the landscape out of the window isn't a blur as I whizz by, metaphorically speaking, but a glorious view of the world around me, simply seen from a new perspective.


There is still much I wish to share in this blog series about my experience, in the hope it helps others and not just myself. But, it will take time to write it all whilst I'm still working.  So, in the meantime, I decided to share some of the most significant books that have helped me along the way. It isn't the full list, by any means. For now, I'm only including a brief summary and snapshot of the significance to me, but hopefully this will be interesting and/or useful. Perhaps one of them will grab your attention and be something you might wish to read to help you on your own unique journey.


I will continue to add to this list gradually, and new entries will appear at the bottom of the post, so scroll down if you're returning to this post and go directly to where you left off. You can also see a list of all the books that will eventually be mentioned in this post by clicking on the button below.

Reading List

The Mind Body Bible: Your Personalised Prescription for Total Health

by Dr Mark Atkinson


"Dr Mark Atkinson is one of the UK's leading intergrated medical doctors. He is the founder of the British College of Integrated Medicine, a post-graduate training college for health professionals."


This was the first book I read about the mind-body connection, which opened me up to the possibility that one is affected by the other, supporting the idea that an holistic view of health and well-being is so important.


In the back of the book he describes serveral powerful techniques for "de-activating past emotional trauma and dissolving self-limiting behavioural patterns." This was where I learned about Symptom Dialogue and Emotional Trauma Release.


Reading this book was like opening the door to understanding myself better on a far deeper level than I'd experienced before.

The Mind Body Bible: Your Personalised Prescription for Total Health

by Dr Mark Atkinson


"Dr Mark Atkinson is one of the UK's leading intergrated medical doctors. He is the founder of the British College of Integrated Medicine, a post-graduate training college for health professionals."


This was the first book I read about the mind-body connection, which opened me up to the possibility that one is affected by the other, supporting the idea that an holistic view of health and well-being is so important.


In the back of the book he describes serveral powerful techniques for "de-activating past emotional trauma and dissolving self-limiting behavioural patterns." This was where I learned about Symptom Dialogue and Emotional Trauma Release.


Reading this book was like opening the door to understanding myself better on a far deeper level than I'd experienced before.

The Journey

by Brandon Bays


Brandon Bays bravely and openly shares her personal experience navigating some challenging times, including the discovery that she had a basketball sized tumour in her uterus. She "refused drugs and surgery, instead discovering a powerful direct path to the potent healing power of the soul. Six and a half weeks later, she was tumour free."


The process she used for letting go of trauma, which she explains in her book, has been refined and improved over the years (the first edition was written in the eighties). With practitioners around the world offering the Journey Work, she has helped thousands of people on their own emotional journey.


As I read her book, I experienced strong emotional reactions myself not to her experience, but because of what it stirred within me about my own life. As a result, I was inspired to seek out someone who could help me release my own personal trauma, with amazing positive results: The Journey Work


One of the key concepts she mentioned in the book was the work of Candace Pert, PhD, who discovered the cells of our body hold on to emotional memories. I remember thinking, If our brains can hold memories, why not the cells in our bodies?

The Secret

by Rhonda Byrne


I first read this book many years ago, when it first came out. Then, more recently, it came back onto my radar and I felt inspired to read it again. The Secret is the law of attraction and "how you can have, be, or do anything you want." It might seem a crazy notion, but the more I've read and experienced life with this awareness, the more I believe it's true. The challenge for some people may be in believing there is a mysterious unexplanable infinite power in the universe that will draw to you what it is you wish, ask or pray for. Even if you don't believe it's that easy, it's certainly an interesting concept. It's possible to put it to the test, and see if you can draw into your life something you hope for.


Thinking Positively is one of the key issues. As my situation in life was different this second time around of reading the book, something quite significant jumped out at me and resonated strongly. "You don't have to fight to get rid of disease. Just the simple process of letting go of negative thoughts will allow your natural state of health to emerge within you. And your body will heal itself." 'Let go' were the words Caroline Kremer had said to me in one of our sessions, and I knew this was a key for my return to good health and happiness.

The Greatest Secret

by Rhonda Byrne


Reading her first book naturally led me on to reading her follow up book. It was a little more challenging to read, trying to grasp all the concepts, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing! When a new perspective is presented it's tempting to resist it because it doesn't fit in with our beliefs and values. But, if we're able to be curious, open, and consider other possibilities, the new knowledge can allow us to adapt and grow. This book has been part of that journey for me. It some ways, it lay a foundation for later, because some of the things I read then make sense now that I've read and learned more.


One of the key concepts is that we are more than the sum of our parts. We are not just a mind and a body. They are merely the vehicle in which we experience life. We are Awareness. She explains it much better than I could, so it's worth a read if this topic intrigues you. Ultimately, this is a book that tries to help you find a path to happiness.


There were some powerful quotes that resonated with me:

The Journey by Brandon Bays


Brandon Bays bravely and openly shares her personal experience navigating some challenging times, including the discovery that she had a basketball sized tumour in her uterus. She "refused drugs and surgery, instead discovering a powerful direct path to the potent healing power of the soul. Six and a half weeks later, she was tumour free."


The process she used for letting go of trauma, which she explains in her book, has been refined and improved over the years (the first edition was written in the eighties). With practitioners around the world offering the Journey Work, she has helped thousands of people on their own emotional journey.


As I read her book, I experienced strong emotional reactions myself not to her experience, but because of what it stirred within me about my own life. As a result, I was inspired to seek out someone who could help me release my own personal trauma, with amazing positive results: The Journey Work


One of the key concepts she mentioned in the book was the work of Candace Pert, PhD, who discovered the cells of our body hold on to emotional memories. I remember thinking, If our brains can hold memories, why not the cells in our bodies?

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne


I first read this book many years ago, when it first came out. Then, more recently, it came back onto my radar and I felt inspired to read it again. The Secret is the law of attraction and "how you can have, be, or do anything you want." It might seem a crazy notion, but the more I've read and experienced life with this awareness, the more I believe it's true. The challenge for some people may be in believing there is a mysterious unexplanable infinite power in the universe that will draw to you what it is you wish, ask or pray for. Even if you don't believe it's that easy, it's certainly an interesting concept. It's possible to put it to the test, and see for yourself if you can draw into your life something you hope for.


Thinking Positively is one of the key issues. As my situation in life was different this second time around of reading the book, something quite significant jumped out at me and resonated strongly. "You don't have to fight to get rid of disease. Just the simple process of letting go of negative thoughts will allow your natural state of health to emerge within you. And your body will heal itself." 'Let go' were the words Caroline Kremer had said to me in one of our sessions, and I knew this was a key for my return to good health and happiness.

The Greatest Secret

by Rhonda Byrne


Reading her first book naturally led me on to reading her follow up book. It was a little more challenging to read, trying to grasp all the concepts, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing! When a new perspective is presented it's tempting to resist it because it doesn't fit in with our beliefs and values. But, if we're able to be curious, open, and consider other possibilities, the new knowledge can allow us to adapt and grow. This book has been part of that journey for me. It some ways, it lay a foundation for later, because some of the things I read then make sense now that I've read and learned more.


One of the key concepts is that we are more than the sum of our parts. We are not just a mind and a body. They are merely the vehicle in which we experience life. We are Awareness. She explains it much better than I could, so it's worth a read if this topic intrigues you. Ultimately, this is a book that tries to help you find a path to happiness.


There were some powerful quotes that resonated with me:


"The first step to freedom is when we understand that our thoughts create our life. What you think is what manifests."


"It's your thought about a person, circumstance or event that's the source of negative situations in your life, not the actual person, circumstance or situation/event."


"Don't expect people, circumstances, or events to change for you to feel better. To change how you feel in any given moment is always an inside job."


The next book was a good follow-on from both Rhonda Byrne's books as there were similar themes.


"It's not your past that makes you who you are but how you respond to it."


As I've now discovered, there's more than one way to do everything, so it's good to explore the options and find the right approach that resonates with you personally.

The Ultimate Introduction to NLP: How to Build a Successful Life

by Richard Bandler, Alessio Roberti & Owen Fitzpatrick


I'd heard of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) but didn't really know what it was, so I read this book to find out more. It's written like a story, about a man attending an NLP conference, learning about the key concepts, how he was responding to it and the observations he made. Later in the book, there are more examples of exercises you can try to help think more positively - changing the brain and how it's wired to think.


Effectively, they highlight how important good communication skills are, and not just verbally. With greater understanding we can improve all our relationships, whether it be personal, in a work environment, or even when you come across random people during the course of your day.


One of the things I really liked was how they explained we all have a different map of the world and no two maps are the same. This is how two people can share the same event/situation, but the experience will be different and unique for each of them. It's a good reminder that we don't all think the same or have the same beliefs. Consequently, we'll react or respond differently. It's why someone can take what you say completely the wrong way from what you intended. We all see the world with different eyes.

The Ultimate Introduction to NLP: How to Build a Successful Life

by Richard Bandler, Alessio Roberti & Owen Fitzpatrick


I'd heard of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) but didn't really know what it was, so I read this book to find out more. It's written like a story, about a man attending an NLP conference, learning about the key concepts, how he was responding to it and the observations he made. Later in the book, there are more examples of exercises you can try to help think more positively - changing the brain and how it's wired to think.


Effectively, they highlight how important good communication skills are, and not just verbally. With greater understanding we can improve all our relationships, whether it be personal, in a work environment, or even when you come across random people during the course of your day.


One of the things I really liked was how they explained we all have a different map of the world and no two maps are the same. This is how two people can share the same event/situation, but the experience will be different and unique for each of them. It's a good reminder that we don't all think the same or have the same beliefs. Consequently, we'll react or respond differently. It's why someone can take what you say completely the wrong way from what you intended. We all see the world with different eyes.

When someone doesn't respond the way you were expecting, this gives you feedback that you haven't been understood. So, it means you have to change how you communicate. You won't get anywhere if you repeatedly keep saying the same thing in the same way expecting the other person to respond differently. If you want a different response you need to change what or how you're saying it. This was one of the key things that really stuck with me. I certainly tried some of the recommended techniques and found them to be helpful.






More books will be added soon...

February 26

By Lisa G Saw • March 10, 2026
WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS Bob and I have visited West Rise Marsh a few times this month to look for Jack Snipe, but sadly without much success. We did see one, we think, on one visit, but it flew off before we set eyes on it. It's much the same with the Common Snipe, which as their name suggests, we see more of, but they're super skittish and fly off well before we're even close to where they're hiding, around the boggy wet marshes. With so many wet, windy and dull days, plus the fact I still have to go to work, I was starting to wonder if my February Highlights would be virtually non existent, so I was content with photographing and observing a Heron, standing in the water. They can stand motionless for ages, and move very slowly, stealth-like through the water to new areas. Unfortunately, I was just moving into a new position, when it actually caught a fish. I missed capturing that moment when its head quickly and unexpectedly darted downwards and snatched its prey from the water. But, you can see the Heron in mid-gulp (first photo).
White-fronted Goose flying, East Sussex

January 26

By Lisa G Saw • February 7, 2026
WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS January can be a difficult month for many people. I don't usually suffer from the January Blues, but I did notice this year I felt a certain flatness. I think it was largely because there were days when Bob and I would go out for a walk and hardly see anything at all. Well, that is, anything out of the ordinary. There's no doubting it - I get a real lift when nature reveals its beauty to me in its many wonderful and surprising ways. But, it's been a good reminder that even the simple things can give great pleasure if we take the time to appreciate them. Sometimes, it's worth looking with more careful eyes and appreciating even the ordinary. The year actually was off to a great start, when the snow fell early on in the month. I love the snow! I'll leap at any opportunity I have to walk in it! Living close to the coast meant we didn't have any on our doorstep, but Ashdown Forest had a good covering and it wasn't too far away to visit. Even the car park looked lovely, with the sun shining through the wintry trees on this gorgeous sunny day. It might have been crisp and cold, but we were dressed for it and of course had some welcome hot drinks after our walk. The highlight of the day, aside from the snow, was having some brief glimpses of a couple of Crossbills at the top of the fir trees, though not as good as we'd had in December .
Starling Murmuration over Eastbourne Pier

December 25

By Lisa G Saw • January 15, 2026
WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS This is the first post in a new series I'm starting in which I'll be sharing my wildlife highlights from each month, and some of my memorable experiences out in nature. Mostly, the focus is on my outings locally in Sussex, but sometimes Bob and I venture to nearby counties too. I hope you enjoy reading about my outings and seeing the photos. It's amazing what can be found on your doorstep when you look for it, or take the time to notice what might be right in front of you. I was going to start this series with January - you know: new year, new start, and all that - but, December turned out to be a great month for us. I had a bit more time off towards the end of the month, so I thought why not start with the highlights at the end of 2025. Bob and I spend a lot of time walking around the South Downs in East Sussex, as it's so close to home. We can literally walk from our front door and be surrounded by fields within minutes. We know we're very lucky to be in this position. Bob knows 'his patch' very well and I'm starting to appreciate the many gems to be found thoughout the year.  On more than one occasion during the month we chose to walk along part of the Cuckmere River and photograph the Scandinavian Rock Pipits that were very ameanable! The best encounters were usually when I waited for them to come towards me. So, crouching down low, I'd patiently wait. I was very pleased with these first shots when the light was lovely and low.
Show More