Reviewed by DeanOP




In the world of Alternative Medicine there are numerous approaches to healing that involve effecting changes in the body. One important aspect of healing, mentioned in almost all alternative approaches, is the attitude; the intellectual, spiritual, and emotional state, of the person wishing help.

Marc Lerner has written 2 programs, which, if taken seriously and utilized consistently can rewire your brain on all three levels. He calls his program The Life Skills Approach.

Granted there are many such programs already available. For example, there are the writings and lessons attributed to the world’s great spiritual teachers. There are a variety of “recovery” programs with simple steps, which one can apply to almost any situation and can use to change one’s stance in life. So why are Mr. Lerner’s contributions important?

They are important because Mr. Lerner developed them specifically for people who are suffering from disease and/or disabled. Mr. Lerner has worked his way through both disability (visual impairment) and disease (he has MS) to achieve a sense of wellness. He has tested his techniques in seminars and sessions with others and his belief in the efficacy of his approach is compelling.

Using a variety of methods, among them Neurolinguistic Programming, meditation, mindful breathing, and guided visualization, Marc Lerner offers the seeker after wellness a series of exercises that undo old habits of thought and action using what he refers to as the Wisdom of the Body to instill more healthful ways of being in the world. As he states in his introduction:

If you follow the Life Skills Approach for about six weeks, 15 minutes twice a day can change the way your mind is programmed. Learning to trust the Wisdom of your Body will enable you to respond to medical treatments without the limitations caused by your thinking, conditioned mind. You may even find that your illness becomes a blessing, that a health challenge can become an opportunity to evolve into a better person.

The exercises are simple and can be accomplished by almost anyone. One of the earliest allows you to visualize, characterize, and name positive and negative “selves.” These characters are used again and again as one delves further into the work of wellness.

Do not be mislead, though—it is work. Although the exercises are engaging and enjoyable, they require an openness of spirit, commitment, and a willingness to change on the very deepest level—the level of habits so ingrained they may not even be within your initial awareness.

Both of his volumes are available as electronic books and can be downloaded, for a fee, from his web site: http://www.lifeskillsinc.com. In addition to the books, Mr. Lerner proposes to offer his students follow-up in the forms of individual support, coaching, and progress check-ins via email.

A student of Gurdjeiff once noted that our habits of thought become prisons in which we spend our lives confined. He observed that most people are content to beautify their cells rather than take the frightening risk of living outside. For those with the desire for wellness despite disease and disability Marc Lerner's Life Skills Approach could be a ticket to freedom.