The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

  A Book Review by Debbie Rosas.

An international best seller, The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream, by Brazilian lyricist, novelist, and member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, Paulo Coelho de Souza; inspired my own researching, writing, curriculum designing, and lesson planning for Nia, Art of Self.

First published in Portuguese in 1988, Paulo Coelho’s book is not new, nor is the subject of transformation new. What may be new to most every reader is the psychological, spiritual, and metaphorical story of pursuing inner gold through spiritual alchemical transformation.

This short and sweet read offers a new perspective on the relationship between mind, matter, self, and world. It inspired me to explore levels of attachment, avoidance, and identification, all of which helped me restructure my own self actualization. Living as an alchemist, in what I call “pure being,” has helped me navigate living in a modern world with balanced Yin and Yang energies.

What I did not expect from Coelho’s book was the theme of alchemy at the center of many areas of culture and society, including; medicine, art, religion, mythology, commerce, education, culture, society, and even my own research and writing, The Body’s Way. Whether external or internal, physical or psychological, or spiritual you’ll find a part of yourself in this story just waiting to be fully awakened.