THE ENERGY SECRET Practical Techniques for Understanding and Directing Vital Energy by JANE ALEXANDER Thorsons ($24.95, hardcover) reviewed by Steve McCardell The Energy Secret is an introductory book, guiding the reader into the basics of energy. Its focus is not on explanatory texts, though, but on exercises to help the reader learn through experience. This is not to say that the author neglects the foundational ideas behind such exercises; but as with any introduction, there is only so much one can say. Rather than entering deeply into the mysteries of energy, Ms. Alexander seems to realize that we must experience an idea to understand it — then we can legitimately enter further in. Appropriate to the book’s focus, the author introduces the reader to simple exercises through which she or he can experience energies within the body, listen to the body, and learn some breathing techniques. She then discusses the basics of auras and chakras. Her thoughts on seeing auras are necessarily simple, and that always risks making a joke of something legitimate; but if one takes the purpose here, it’s easier to accept this coverage. She talks of the colors of auras and their general meanings, and this can certainly be applied to her follow-up discussion of chakras, complete with exercises to help heal each one. She wraps up this portion of the book by covering other healing therapies for the body, including a talk on the energetic power of food. Later parts of the book look to the more subtle energies, specifically, emotional and sexual, environmental, and spiritual energies. The author gives techniques for working with unwanted emotions and for shielding against negative energies. She gives simple ways to use tantric energy for partners, covers the basics of Feng Shui and the elements in our lives, and even teaches how to bring spiritual energies down to Earth through the Tree of Life. Importantly, she has one chapter devoted to "Honouring Dark Energy" — one aspect of things that is too often overlooked, especially in introductory works. Interestingly, this book has almost no illustrations, but feels as if it has many, for there is good use of color throughout. This makes for a warm-feeling book that I was glad to spend some time with, and one that I believe many will find to be an honest introduction to energy.