ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cathy Holt, M.P.H., is a holistic health educator and environmental activist. She co-authored a previous book and tape series, Creating Wholeness: A Self-Healing Workbook Using Dynamic Relaxation, Images and Thoughts, with Erik Peper, Ph.D., and is a contributor to EarthLight magazine.
A graduate of Radcliffe College, she received her Master's in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. As a biofeedback therapist, she has taught self-regulation skills to many clients with stress-related disorders and occupational injuries. She has also taught in hospitals, junior colleges, adult education centers, and JFK University's Graduate School of Holistic Health Studies.
Her activism in the movements for peace, renewable energy, occupational health, deep ecology, and voluntary simplicity spans three decades.
Cathy also assists patients in preparing for surgery and leads workshops on letting nature heal.
Please contact Cathy Holt by e-mail at 
A note to the reader:
This book was organically grown. No pesticides! It evolved
gradually over time from my struggles toward healing. Painful
experiences became rich compost from which paragraphs sprouted.
At first I wrote short handouts to give to friends and biofeedback
clients at the clinic where I was working. When I had a few of
these, I assembled them into a little booklet with the help of
the computer and the xerox machine. New sections would emerge
out of my own life experience. Sometimes a whole new branch would
be added, sometimes it seemed that the roots simply went deeper
or the trunk grew a little thicker. Nature has gently insisted
that I make this book ever mossier, greener, and filled with
bird trills.
Many stories from my life are woven into this book. Personal
stories have always engaged me more fully than abstract statements;
perhaps they speak to both halves of my brain. Our life experiences
are multileveled and rich in meanings. There are stories like
"Alice in Wonderland," as well as many fairy tales
and myths that appeal to both children and adults because they
offer different, important life messages to each. Recording these
personal stories and insights has been part of my healing process
by deepening my level of awareness. What I teach is what I most
need to learn.
One of my intentions in this book is honesty. My aim is to tell the truth about myself without blame or self-judgment, a very healing practice I learned from Angeles Arrien. In revealing more of myself, I'm choosing not to try to look better than I really am. I'm a long way from following all of the wonderful practices that I know are helpful for me. And my healing process is still ongoing. Sometimes I spend several months at a time barking up the wrong tree. It was a great relief to realize that, even though I often overeat and underbreathe, I still have something to offer. Part of my personal song to sing is the sigh of relief!
This is a book about nature: coming home to our true nature,
and letting nature guide and heal us. I hope that some of the
ideas and methods that have helped me may be of use to you.
Cathy Holt
Please contact Cathy Holt by e-mail at
For an interview with Cathy Holt on the Success Talk Channel,
please click here.
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