I am sure that every person who is reading this issue of Bellesprit either suffers from a chronic or serious illness or knows someone who does. Jenny Mannion’s book provides great insight to healing.
Review by Rebecca Nidey
Recently I had a wonderful book cross my desk that showed how everyone can transform into the healthier version of themselves. When you read this guidebook, it will give insight into simple exercises and tweaks that will bring healing of mind, body and spirit that will last a lifetime.
To get a better understanding of a book I always find it best to go to the author. Jenny Mannion was kind enough to spare some time for a few questions.
Becca: Jenny, in your book A Short Path to Change… 30 Ways to Transform Your Life, you discussed healing yourself of several chronic illnesses. Can you explain to our readers the catalyst that made you realize you had the power to heal yourself?
Jenny: I am so grateful to be here – thank you! There were a few things that aligned to let me know I could feel better than I had been. I never knew I could heal myself because doctors assured me I would be sick the rest of my life and in a wheelchair in as soon as a year.
First, I met a new friend…she saw me as Jenny, not “sick Jenny.” I would take a painkiller (I did not like to take them) to get myself out for a walk with this new friend and not be in pain as we talked, and I finally felt like “Jenny”- not mom, daughter, wife, etc. The time with her put me in the right frame of mind to watch the movie, The Secret a year after it was recommended to me by another friend.
In watching the movie two things became evident; 1) I was concentrating on my diseases and every symptom I had. The movie said that where we put our attention expands. I decided to forgo doctor appointments for a while and start listening to myself and telling myself I was feeling better and concentrating on the parts of me that didn’t hurt…even if it was just my little finger. Sometimes I would concentrate all my energy on my little finger and say to myself, “If there are healthy cells in my finger my body must be able to make healthy cells.” It was a lot more empowering than saying, “Ow, I am in so much pain.” 2) Gratitude – when you are sick it is easy to become a victim of your own mind and the circumstances your illness has created. I began to pay attention and give gratitude for things in my life in the morning when I got up and before bed. Those were usually times of extreme pain for me and negative thoughts about what I would not be able to do that day or did not do. By switching to gratitude I began to sleep better and felt better waking up in the morning.
Becca: You shared many exercises and methods of healing yourself. As individuals, we will all find the ones that ring true for us after reading your book. What ones did you feel helped you the most?
Jenny: I feel there were a few that helped me the most.
1) Gratitude-Gratitude was the number one tool as I was so used to saying what was wrong-really feeling the gratitude for a person or thing in my life or ability in myself that I was still able to do. Maybe I couldn’t chase after my kids that day but I COULD read to them!
2) Negative Self Talk-Paying attention to my negative self -talk and beginning to gently try and change it up.
3) Attention Shifting – as I mentioned before – concentrating all my energy on that little finger – to the things that were going right in my life.
4) Goal Setting – I was told I would most likely be in a wheelchair and under intense physical therapy and on pain pills. I was not setting goals or looking forward to my life as the doctors were predicting. Once I realized I could still set goals for myself – physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally in relationships – it made a difference and didn’t have me feeling so self-defeated
5) Self-Love – When you begin to listen to yourself and the negative self-talk it can become easy to beat yourself up even more. I was loving to myself, knowing that discovering these patterns was the first step in turning them around.
Becca: You have packed so much pertinent information in such a small book and it is all very easy to understand and put into use. Do you advocate for the readers using the methods you outlined in your book to create a personalized healing and wellness program for themselves?
Jenny: Absolutely! This book can be used in many different ways and I feel a personalized healing program with the tools that resonate deeply with them is one of them. Also, as a handbook to go to when things get a little uncomfortable as they sometimes do in life. I would recommend going through each exercise once – even or especially those that meet some resistance. We will often resist what needs the most attention. I have asked the readers to read my book intuitively. Some people have read it cover to cover and gone back for the exercises. Others have skipped around. I do feel it is good to begin with the first section as it helps you get rid of some of the old stuff – after that – it is really up to you how the book will work best for you.
Becca: I applaud your generosity in citing many books and methods that helped you heal and influenced you to shape your life into a healthier balance. Would you mind discussing a little bit about the books and teachers who helped you the most?
Jenny: When I was healing there were a few teachers that were integral to me knowing I could feel better. Sark was the first. I began writing in her playbook. I had always liked to journal but tended to write about the negative stuff. Sark had exercises to help me write gratitude lists and fun stuff. I loved reading her inspirational material and having it inspire me to write. Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer were integral as well. I listened to Wayne Dyer’s PBS 2 ½ hour special on Intention and it did help me see I needed to focus on what I wanted instead of what I didn’t want. Dr. Chopra helped me with his guided healing meditations and with his writing on the mind/body connection. So many of his quotes, as well as Dr. Dyer’s, seemed to go right to my heart and resonate as truth. I knew there was more and I was more and I could feel better than I had felt. The previous were the key authors when I was in the thick of healing that helped. Since then there have been so many others, Eckert Tolle, Carolyn Myss, Cyndi Dale, Steve G Jones, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Gregg Braden and so many more wonderful people who had a tremendous influence in my life.
Becca: If there is one thing you would like the readers to take to heart from your book… the essence of your message… what would be?
Jenny: The main message is that we can always bring positive change into our lives. Not only can we bring change into our lives but it does not have to be hard and take years – it can be easy and happen very quickly! So many times we can feel stuck and we really just need two things. 1) Self-love/self-worth – knowing we are worth that change and giving ourselves permission to take a step 2) Some tools to help jump start that change. I have provided 30 quick tools and the internet is a never ending resource of tools you can bring into your life to help you NOW.
Becca: I know our readers would like to know more about you and your activities. Could you please give us information on your Facebook Page, Twitter, Website and any other method we can use to learn more about your work? Do you have plans for any future books?
Jenny: I love to connect with people! I can be reached via my website at www.jennymannion.com or emailed directly at jenny@jennymannion.com.
I can also be seen on these social media sites:
www.facebook.com/JennyMannionAuthor
www.twitter.com/jennymannion
www.linkedin.com/in/jennymannion
I treat people intuitively and work on helping people overcome many different challenges, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, in relationships or spiritually. I use tools such as energy work, reading/clearing the Akashic Records and mind/body mentoring to help people create fast change in their lives. I offer the first chapter of my book free as well as consultations when you subscribe to my site. It has been an honor to be here with you and your readers today. Thank you so much!
As I read this book, I recognized negative habits I had fallen into in my own spiritual, mental and physical life. The information provided in the book, most especially the exercises, were easy to understand. Some of them I tried while reading A Short Path to Change… 30 Ways to Transform Your Life, and am continuing some that seemed especially effective for me. I am trained in an energy healing modality called Healing Touch and found elements of it as well as some more and less well known. Jenny’s explanation of chakras and their impact on our energy and physical bodies was excellent. Even better are the suggested affirmations provided in each chapter. By using them or adapting them to our needs as Jenny suggested, we give power to our wish to transform our lives.
I found that this book is a fantastic guide to metamorphosis, a way to change our thinking from ‘can’t’ to ‘can.’ A Short Path to Change… 30 Ways to Transform Your Life is a book that will feel comfortable for those new to healing and those who are trained in any of the different forms. If I were to give stars for this book, on a scale of 1 to 5, I would gladly give it a 10! Please read this book and learn how to make yourself the glowing, healthy person you deserve to be! Thanking you for sharing your journey to health with us, Jenny Mannion.
About the Author:
Through her work on the investigative team for the Crawford County Illinois Ghost Hunters, Rebecca Nidey has an understanding of the paranormal, spiritual, and metaphysical worlds and how they work together.
Rebecca has trained in the Healing Touch technique (a form of energy healing). She is a certified Psychic Medium trained by Belle Salisbury, and she is a certified Paranormal Researcher.
Rebecca is the associate editor for Bellesprit Magazine and also writes a column titled Everything I Need To Know I Learned In A Haunted House. She has been a co-host of several radio programs for the Haunted Voices Radio Network and HeyZ Radio Network highlighting the Paranormal, metaphysical and literary fields.
To learn more about Rebecca or to schedule a reading you can contact her at https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.nidey.
