Böcker av Pearl Howie

It takes something really powerful to make you leave Hawai'i (or you know, running out of money). I found myself called back to England by my heart, but not for long. It wasn't yet time to settle, it was time to explore another country I'd once fallen in love with, Croatia and to see if I could find a home, a place to rest and write. I didn't have any idea quite how much more I had to learn, to understand and this journey was going to show me, above all things, the power of forgiveness.

Japan was the beginning of something extraordinary. Much of who I was on that trip has disappeared. Relationships, business, home, beliefs have all gone or changed radically. But Japan was not my trip, this was the escape of a lifetime for a client. I discovered that amazing things don't just happen when you follow your dreams, they also happen when you help others follow theirs. My guidebooks have always been "an escape in a box" a tour you can follow and do yourself - this one is eight nights in some of the most beautiful places (and hotels) in the world. (It also helps if you eat fish and aren't scared to get naked in front of others.)

WARNING – this book contains strong language. Because when you wake up to yourself after forty years “dear me” just isn’t going to cut it. I wrote this to express everything I felt on waking up and as a manual for myself on how it feels to be free (just in case I ever forget).My practice, whatever it is on any given day, is to help people feel alive, to wake them up. The tragic part is that they often wake up for a moment; for one second, for a song, for an hour, for a day or a week, they wake up to themselves and then they disappear again.I don’t want to live like that any more. So this book is for me and it is for you, because I want you to wake up too and stay awake. Maybe you are my beloved, maybe you are my sister, my friend, a stranger who I will never meet, but I want you to wake up. This world is too miraculous for you to miss it.

In June 2016 I decided to sell my house of 22 years and leave my comfort zone. Slowly the Camino de Santiago showed itself and I decided, with no rucksack or hiking experience to start... But that's another story, the one that led to this one.My Camino in Spain taught me to let go of everything I didn't need, to travel light and wash my clothes in the shower, but most importantly it taught me to trust my heart and my feet, to let my journey unfold naturally, instinctively, intuitively.In the words of the theme song from my favourite TV show, "Nobody knows where they might end up" when they follow their heart.Riding high on reaching the true destination of my Camino I raced to the airport to leave a country I had fallen in love with but which I'd had enough of (for the moment). There were two flights out that night; Seattle or Vancouver.Which country would I end up in next?My heart was calling me to Seattle, the Emerald City, the home of my TV family, but it all depended on my cab driver and how fast I could run with a loaded rucksack.

Japan was the beginning of something extraordinary.Much of who I was on that trip has disappeared. Relationships, business, home, beliefs have all gone or changed radically. But Japan was not my trip, this was the escape of a lifetime for a client.I discovered that amazing things don’t just happen when you follow your dreams, they also happen when you help others follow theirs.My guidebooks have always been “an escape in a box” a tour you can follow and do yourself – this one is eight nights in some of the most beautiful places (and hotels) in the world. (It also helps if you eat fish and aren’t scared to get naked in front of others.)

"Love and The Perfect Wave" is Rachel's story. Rachel doesn't really care about perfect waves, she cares about the perfect man. Her only reason for learning to surf is to impress Steve, the guy she has had a crush on for years and has finally managed to get into bed. Now she's trying to cover up the fact that she's been a desperate workaholic for the last ten years, before he notices. Gym work outs, lingerie shopping trips and a serious spring clean are on the cards, but will it all be enough to keep him interested?

With over 250 massages, spa treatments and types of healing tried and tested personally by the author, this is the guide to help you find the right experience for you, whether it's your very first massage or you want to try something a little bit more adventurous. With escapes from Africa, Morocco, The Americas, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Asia, Bali, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, The Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Turkey and the UK this is also a great travel companion for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of international culture.

A guide to spa treatments and massages, this book includes definitions and descriptions of common massage and spa services as well as the more unusual offerings of international spas in China, Morocco, Tuscany and more.From advice on your first visit to a spa or masseur to ""way out"" experiences for the more adventurous, this is the ultimate spa handbook.If you've ever wondered what Reflexology is like in China, been tempted by Gua Sha, tried to discover how an Ayurvedic Massage differs from the rest, or even heard of Tkissila this is the guide for you.This guide is based solely on personal experience, so, as well as explaining some of the technical differences, the author also explains how each treatment made her feel and her reactions to some of the more unusual massages.The book also includes recommendations for spas where the author has tried the treatment and information on further reading.A must for new spa visitors, as well as spa fanatics and spa professionals.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." So said Franklin Delano Roosevelt in his 1933 Inaugural Address when he first became US President. It was a year when almost 1 in 3 were unemployed in the US, a year when a Jewish pacifist called Albert Einstein left Germany to work at Princeton, a year when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany and opened Dachau, the first concentration camp.The money changers, as Roosevelt called them, had created a Great Depression. "Happiness" he said "lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." Having left Sri Lanka, I was about to explore Malaysia, Borneo, Bangkok and ultimately visit the almost mythical Kingdom of Bhutan, reported to be the Happiest Place on Earth. I was about to confront my own deepest fear.

What is compassion? Something alive perhaps, that can only be understood in practice. So often confused with pity or the self-sacrificing impulse to take on another's burden, to make things better, to fix. It takes strength and delicacy and it doesn't mean giving away your life savings.Self compassion is sometimes the place between pushing through and giving up, the moment we can recognize our true needs, not our desires even if they're for further suffering. Sometimes the moment we find self compassion is the moment we stop and walk away. I had found forgiveness in Switzerland and now I was heading to friends in Rome before taking the leap to South East Asia, to Sri Lanka, to a new understanding of compassion and self compassion.

Anger is like fire. Sometimes it can be useful, sometimes it can be destructive, sometimes it can feel that we just can't get a spark started although we feel like we're sitting on a powder keg. We're all human and we all have anger, whether others see us as angry and bitter or smiling and carefree. This book is written to help you understand your own anger, whether it stems from fear, sadness, resentment, control, self-blame or holding on to old pain. It's written to help those who feel burdened with anger that they just can't express, those who feel the pain of almost overwhelming anger or those who find it difficult to get through the day without one really good tantrum. "To me, you are a hero... You have learned to take something negative in your life and make it a positive... a gift to others. It doesn't get any better than that." Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. author of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway and Embracing Uncertainty

Not just another guidebook. There's no shortage of travel information; guidebooks, the internet, tour firms... This book provides something different; travel wisdom. Pearl Escapes brings you a detailed first hand review of one recommended hotel, one spa, one top restaurant, and one exceptional sight in each of five popular Chinese locations; Hong Kong, Yangshuo, Shanghai, Huangshan and Beijing. Perfect for anyone who wants to be able to relax and enjoy the trip of a lifetime without researching or stressing. Pearl Escapes also gives you unparalleled first hand experience of China's ancient spa wisdom in some of the world's best spas as well as some of the world's simplest. And perhaps most importantly, this book includes the essential guide on where to Go. Each area's toilets have been rigorously reviewed, from where to find the best toilet in the world (Shanghai) and how to avoid the worst (Huangshan). If you've ever dreamed of visiting China, now is the time.

With down to earth, in-depth reviews of dream spas, as well as super cheap (or free) healing, this is your guide to the perfect wellness break. From Tkissila at the Palais Rhoul in Marrakech to a cold stone Jade Harmony Facial at the Tian Spa in Beijing, and not forgetting the hilarious Russian Venik Massage in London, weird and wonderful spa-going is for everyone. If your eyes have ever slightly watered at the cost of an all inclusive spa break, this book also includes recommended hotels so you can mix and match to create the spa break that's the best fit and best value for you.

From Key Largo to Shanghai Pearl has tried it all and lived to tell the tale. Discover the weird and wonderful world of spa treatments in this informative, humorous and down to earth guide, which explains how to spa from the simplest massage to the most unusual treatments. Each experience has been tried and tested by the author so, as well as the definition of the treatment, you'll find out exactly how it feels and what the after effects were. Also includes recommendations for spas with exceptional treatments. A must for spa goers, therapists and spa managers too!