The Power of YOU

Renowned author and spiritual healer ANNE JONES is committed to her mission to bring healing within the grasp of everybody, writes SHANTINI SUNTHARAJAH

ANNE JONES’S pretty navy blue dress and delicate pearl necklace are in delightful contrast to her short, spiky silver hair. Despite the striking all-silver strands it’s hard to believe that Jones is 65; she radiates the high energy and joie de vivre you’d expect from a 20-year-old. “I’m cheerful, upbeat and I guess—adventurous,” she reveals, with a wide smile.

There is, however, an unmistakable undercurrent of gentle calm that flows through Jones’s palpably positive personality. She speaks at a relaxed pace that is at once energising yet soothing, and her direct gaze holds no hint of challenge. Jones is one of those rare people with the wonderful ability to make anyone she talks to feel like the only person in the whole world.

These are traits that are especially essential for someone who does what Jones does—help people heal emotional pain. “I channel energies that uplift and clear old imprints and memories that cause fear and pain. I also teach people to manage their emotions, thoughts and spiritual aspirations,” explains Jones. To those unfamiliar with the concept, her spiritual healing methods are likely to be hard to fathom and might even seem a little difficult to believe but some of what she does is rooted in science.

It’s a well-known fact that all elements and compounds are made up of molecules that vibrate and give off energy, which means we are all constantly surrounded by vibrations and energies. Jones believes these energies greatly impact our lives and certain types of pure energies, when channelled correctly, can have a tremendous, positive effect on the recipient. “High-level energy is the same vibration as unconditional love and will uplift spiritually, emotionally and physically.”

Like almost everyone else whose work crosses into the realm of the intangible, Jones has attracted the attention of two kinds of people: devotees and detractors. However, it appears that those who believe in her far outnumber the ones who do not. Jones is a successful author who has written six well-received books that detail the philosophies behind her spiritual healing practices and guide readers on how to use the information in their own life situations. The spiritual healer has a single clear intention that inspires her to write her books. “I want people to feel like they have some control about how they feel in their own lives. What I’m trying to do is to give them tools to help themselves.”

In her latest book, The Power of You, Jones discusses the innate power that resides in all of us. “The book is a guide that defines personal power, how we are when we lose touch with it, what prohibits us from utilizing it and how we can reconnect and activate it.”

Jones felt compelled to write the book after she endured two unsettling personal experiences. “My 90-year-old mother fell ill and became virtually disabled. Then my stepson became obsessed with ‘conspiracy theories’ he found on the Internet. He had a psychotic breakdown and ended up in hospital for an extended stay.” Jones found herself losing grip on her trademark composure. “At first, I felt completely overwhelmed. Then I discovered that I could regain my inner strength and empower myself by following a meditation that took me into my heart. Once I expressed my feelings and realised I had choices again, I felt good.”

Jones was contacted by a publisher to write a follow-up to her earlier book called Healing Negative Energies. “Gill Bailey of Piatkus approached me to write the book, so I looked at all the things that take away our power and how we can regain this incredible force that runs through us.” The result was The Power of You. “It’s there for us all—this personal power—but if we are in fear we are unable to activate or utilise it.”

The Power of You is a very personal project but it’s not the author’s favourite in the series of books she’s written. “The Ripple Effect is my favourite because it’s about personal spirituality. I love the idea of creating your own journey and making spirituality a personal experience.”

Although her books are found on the shelf marked “New Age,” Jones would rather they were stocked in a different section of the bookstore. “I prefer to think of my books as self-help, simply because ‘New Age’ tends to have whacky, far-out connotations.” Jones, who is British and resides in the UK, is more than familiar with this negative, usually Western, viewpoint although she’s begun to notice a welcome transformation.

“I believe that we are all moving personal spirituality and healing into the mainstream—so many people now accept or have tried Reiki, reflexology, aromatherapy and other alternative therapies,” she says. “Yoga and meditation are now commonplace in the West and many of my readers keep my books by their bed for guidance when they are troubled.”

If popular belief maintains that we’re likely to find spiritual healers with their heads in the clouds, Jones is proof that this stereotype is a misconception. Her regimented approach to writing makes all writers—save seasoned authors—appear somewhat frivolous.

“When I have a book to write I am very disciplined. I block off at least four hours at a time and decline invitations to travel for a few months.” Her strict schedule certainly works. Jones finished writing The Power of You in an astonishingly short period of time. “I took about four months, off and on, to write it, including editing time.” For her next book, the disciplined spiritual healer has moved away from the self-help genre. “I am in the middle of writing a novel that introduces ancient wisdom and symbols that I use in my healing.”

Jones is also a valued speaker who regularly gives talks and conducts seminars on healing energies and how they can be channelled to improve every major aspect of life such as relationships, work and emotional health. Her seminar destinations are as diverse as they are fascinating and she flies regularly to Norway, Greece, Mexico, Hong Kong and South Africa. Malaysia, which is on her regular seminar circuit, holds a special place in her heart. “I lived here for five years and I have many dear and close friends,” she explains.

In fact, Jones experienced what she describes as a spiritual awakening while she was in Malaysia. “I was relaxing on my bed one day when I heard a voice telling me to start healing.” Hearing a voice out of the blue might have frightened others but Jones felt like she had been waiting for that moment all her life. “I was a little in awe but very uplifted and excited about the prospect of healing. It felt very right—as though something that I had always wanted was given to me.”

The experience marked the start of a personal transformation and eventually changed the course of her life. “I am a more peaceful person now—I used to be an adrenaline junky!” confesses Jones. “That experience gave me a purpose, a focus and tremendous possibilities for fulfilment. There’s nothing like helping others to make you feel good about yourself. I feel positively alive and have had the most amazing connections to spirit that have given me so many answers to why things happen and the purpose of life.”

Jones has a recommendation for those who are curious but can’t shake of their doubts about the universal energies she works with and writes about in her books. “Keep an open mind, don’t dismiss it until you’ve tried it,” she advises. “If there is something I say that doesn’t resonate, then put it to the back of your mind—maybe one day it will be useful.”

Ultimately, the spiritual healer believes that overcoming past pain is a deeply personal issue. She has a philosophical attitude towards those who dismiss her work as nothing more than wishful thinking. Her message to them is simple: “Bless you, you will find your own way. I am here when and if you ever need me.”

Reproduced from the July-September 2011 issue of Quill magazine