Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul

Starred review from September 7, 2009
Alternative medicine guru Chopra, author of more than 50 books, argues that the bond between body and soul has been severed; it's his hope that humankind is about to embark on a restoration project that will give the soul the attention it deserves. Chopra presents five “breakthroughs” that address the body and five that address the soul. He also walks readers through a fascinating discussion of how energy affects spiritual and physical health, and includes a scored personal energy efficiency quiz. According to Chopra, when “subtle energy” becomes blocked, awareness can act like an invisible force that turns unhealthy energy around (he also explains how the expression of genes can be altered by lifestyle changes). Chopra encourages readers to follow their inner guidance, to embrace a journey to higher consciousness, to expand awareness through meditation and other methods, to ask for guidance and then wait for it to appear, and to trust their instincts. By accepting the overarching power of the “invisible” or nonphysical world, Chopra maintains that we can begin to nourish a state of wholeness in which there is no longer a disconnect between body, mind and soul. Though Chopra offers 10 “simple steps” to wholeness (including focusing on relationships instead of consumption), this is a multilayered text to savor and study; readers will continue to contemplate the author's message long after the final page is turned.

January 15, 2010
Here are the two latest from prolific and popular healer and motivational speaker Chopra. "Reinventing the Body" emphasizes the longstanding dichotomy of body and soul in our culture and attempts to reinvigorate the notion that the mind is the key and governor of the body. According to Chopra, we rely too readily on empirical science and allopathic medicine; openness to change will bring tangible improvement to the body. "The Ultimate Happiness Prescription" is a much briefer book, a kind of Chopra-lite recipe for self-awareness and personal growth, which, for Chopra, is to be found in body awareness, self-esteem, focus on the present, and similar psychological remedies. VERDICT Chopra's books have less to do with literature or spirituality than with the multimedia Chopra empire; these two, one a loosely knit version of one of his workshops, the other a thumbnail version of his life advice, may frustrate his regular readers but intrigue new spiritual seekers.

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