A debut self-help guide addresses common illnesses and habits that impede readers’ abilities to connect with their own spiritual powers.

Skarvellis sets this book apart from the very beginning by discussing the physical manifestations of stress and how anxieties and tensions can wreak havoc on the body’s muscular and immune system. The work moves from pointing out these problems to thoroughly exploring practices and habits to help people link to their calm, creative centers. Discussing the seven chakras and their individual roles, the author encourages readers to spend more time learning the state of their bodies—from head to toe. Discovering imbalances, he posits, is the key to returning everything to its original, stable state. For example, Skarvellis discusses the fact that Western society has emphasized right-handedness so much that it has elevated the hemisphere of the brain that is the most widely used—the left one, which is connected to the right side of the body. The author encourages readers to expand their mental abilities by using the left hand and foot just as often to combat the dominance of the left brain. Equally important in the book are personal beliefs. Skarvellis is quick to point out that beliefs that are limiting and self-defeating actually slow the body’s energy, lower body temperature, and cause fatigue, illness, and decreased performance. The author asserts: “We need to become aware of our self-chatter and choose wisely regarding what we think about every day. Collectively, every day builds to every week and then every month, forming negative attitudes that attract negative actions toward us, affecting us with many mood swings.” While the occasional negative notion might seem harmless, it can adversely affect the networks of thoughts that form people’s inner worlds and the attitudes they project. To fight this, the author suggests “Destressercise,” a practice that uses breathing, body awareness, and the altering of thoughts to return an individual to a state of harmony. On the whole, the book provides powerful, upbeat ideas. While some theories would be more effective if they were backed by research or study citations, Skarvellis delivers a compelling and credible manual.

A valuable read for anyone seeking balance, positivity, and a re-energized approach to life.