Interesting concept. I liked the writing as well. I would recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a wonderful read and I would definitely recommend this to my friends and family. It is a great read to remind us what really matters and simply closing our eyes and disengaging in our everyday duties.

I really couldn't get into this book. I tried 3 different times and just never got it under my skin. Maybe I am just not yet in the correct mindset for it

I highly recommend this phenomenal book about the real inner work that we can do simply by closing our eyes and using our imagination. I have long had my own "inner sanctuary" and have been closing my own eyes and going within to visit it for over 30 years. But I have never seen or heard the experience so beautifully and coherently described before now. The concept of Mana Gardening was inspired by an ancient Hawaiian practice and part of its power/magic for me is that I don't have to spend long amounts of time in my own inner garden/sanctuary. I can imagine myself there for just a few seconds at a time, or longer if I have the time. What I am finding most interesting is how whatever I imagine myself doing there, inside, has a powerful effect on my life in the realm of "reality." I highly, highly recommend this beautiful book.

Most of us think of mana as bread in the Biblical sense of "mana from heaven". In traditional Hawaiian beliefs, mana is the consciousness, or spiritual energy, that exists within all beings. Can you imagine living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, yet finding yourself unhappy, or even depressed? Drs. Michelle Shine and Keti Kamalani, two top-rated research scientists, found themselves in this situation. In Mana Gardening, they share their experiences in the quest to find true happiness.

In their search they discovered the Hawaiian concept of the inner garden; i.e., the belief that we all have an inner power that provides guidance and wisdom. We simply need to find our inherent garden and tap into it. They learned to imagine relaxation, happiness, being better at something, and found it worked. This reminds me of a book and technique called "Imaging" that was popular in the 1980s; and it is scientifically proven that imagining or visualizing ourselves doing something well creates memory pathways that support us when we actually do those things. Those things can be anything from hitting a golf ball to successful public speaking; anything we want to do well.

The authors recommend 20 minutes a day of meditation, or imagining, but found that "entering their gardens" for as little as a half-second, improved their feelings of wellness. They share many of their own experiences, as well as those of others they encountered.

One thing that especially stands out for me is the suggestion that, first, instead of pushing children to compete and excel, we teach them to view a problem along. Second, ask them to come up with a solution they can manage on their own. I believe I will start mining my inner garden right away. How about you?

A lovely book using the imagination to help navigate through life's twists and turns more smoothly. I think the two authors have made a wonderful synergetic team which has enabled them to explore and expand the technique together. Using the imagination is so powerful and developing your own garden is such a nice and loving way to do it. I have used a similar technique before so I am familiar with developing and expanding a personal haven. There is a system called Mindstore by Jack Black which uses a similar method with guided meditations to start you off, but it all starts with developing your own ideal house to use in your imagination. Mine had a wonderful garden too.. The mana garden is particularly good because it is intertwined with the authors life stories and examples are given as to how they used it. I think this is a very good system for women because it is so simple and can be used anywhere, right in the middle of chaos ! The other good thing about the book is that you start practising right away. I feel as though I got to know the women and felt for them through their difficulties. I think the fact that they are from a scientific background also added weight to their credibility. I think they can develop it further and will look forward to seeing more from them both. Thank You