"Don't Water the Stick is a valuable insight into the majesty and mystery of the psyche and its role in healing.” - Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Power of Premonitions, 2009.


"Someone to point you in the right direction is what many people seek in life. "Water Your Roots: Walking A Spiritual Path" is a guide to finding a spirituality teacher in life and using the lessons one can gain in many aspects of life no matter what they are. Accepting oneself in the course of one's life is worth much peace of mind, and Bernard Willemsen outlines spiritual growth very well. "Water Your Roots" is a fine addition to spirituality collections."  - Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review.


"Readers who have found enrichment by reading James Redfield's best-selling book, The Celestine Prophecy, may well find these two books enlightening as well.” - Ruth E. Maier, American Eagle News about Don't Water the Stick and The Spirit and I.

 

"I am enriched and challenged, as though I've opened doors to a new world realizing there is much I did not deeply understand, much I want to remember, e.g. 'there are many routes to personal growth..'   The metaphor of tree repeated and expanded is powerful for me, brought me to the wisdom of the title. To 'allow time ' rather than waiting for something to happen is insight I want to keep with me.  'Knowing how far I can reach out' is something I hope to achieve.  The writing is smooth and interesting.  Each chapter has its own charm of composition, so this kept the reading interesting throughout. Thank you to both of you for offering so much wisdom and experience in this slim volume.”  - R. Mass, poet and author about Water Your Roots.


"Water Your Roots sets forth the essentials of a spiritual journey, rooted in personal growth. The result of Ben's lifetime travelling this path, it is also the legacy of millennia. This extraordinary work is comprehensive, practical and profound. While it describes one spiritual path among others, it also rings with compassion and universal truth.”   -  Daniele Allard, Ph.D. (languages)

 "Don't Water the Stick is a provocative and personal exploration of what it is to be human. The basic premise of this book is the idea of ourselves and our bodies as energetic beings; and that the energy associated with the human body is part of a universal energy system. Meticulous in his coverage of the many different aspects of our beings, Willemsen allows us to travel with him in his exploration of the relationship of the physical body to the 'psyche self.' ”- Sydney L. Murray, Vision Magazine


"I gained a lot from reading Don't Water the Stick and can recommend it to anyone who is struggling to sort out the physical, emotional and spiritual issues of life.” - Anna Olson, The Aquarian


"For all of us on a healing journey, Ben Willemsen has responded to many of our questions with simple, yet powerful answers.” 

- Issues magazine

 

"Water Your Roots offers a detailed and comprehensive view of a unique spiritual path. Beautifully written, with a natural flow that delivers profound insights in a simple way, it provides a framework in which the most fundamental questions about our human existence can be brought forth, while presenting some of the common pitfalls encountered by the spiritual seeker.”  

-  Gretta Taylor, M.D.


"Although I am not one of Ben's students, I am a spiritual seeker and have known Ben for more than 40 years. The beauty of Ben's books are that he writes from his heart and from his personal journey. Truth and wisdom resonate in his words. The book is interdenominational and crosses religious divides, addressing itself to faith and belief concerns dealing with psychology, psychotherapy, teaching, and meditative practices. It is written in an informal, intimate manner, allowing the reader to peruse it superficially or to delve into more complex sections for deeper reflection. The reader is guided through ten chapters to a gradual discovery of self knowledge and personal growth. Of particular interest are four guided exercises in the appendices which outline a spiritual discipline to guide and foster one's own growth. This is not a book to be taken lightly, but rather, like a good wine, to be savoured and appreciated fully and deeply. A journey most worth taking!”   -  Victoria Miller, B.A., B.Ed., M.(Ed.)  about Water Your Roots.


"Water Your Roots is packed with stimulating ideas and encouragement to help readers on their spiritual paths. The Appendix details four exercises that the reader can try, either alone or with others. Read all three of Willemsen's books to follow the development of an amazing life and spiritual path.”

-  Anna Olson, The Aquarian


"What I really enjoy is the manner in which theory is gently taught and beautifully illustrated through the living metaphors of his own life experiences. [The Spirit and I] really makes for a good read.”    -  Stephanie Vohra for WHOLifE Journal


"I found many of your observations and discussions as affirmations of what I consider to be fact and other ideas definite food for thought and reflection. ... Many years ago, I read The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm and for the first time came to realize that love of self is fundamental to our well being. Although this was close to forty years ago, I still consider the book made a significant impact on my life. I often mention to people that they must love themselves before they can expect others to love them. If you consider yourself unlovable how can you expect anyone else to love you. ... I have a similar feeling about your books and have felt compelled to tell others about various snipets from them. The other night I was meeting with a friend who was discussing a situation and I found myself suggesting that she not water a stick.  Thank you for three great books.”     -  M.G. Hill

 

"[Water Your Roots] is a well written largely western account of how to follow a spiritual path. It is clear and easy to read, a decent book for those starting a process of spiritual discovery. It blends self-therapy with a 'new age' type of blend of ideas. My feeling is that ultimately it will not lead someone beyond their ego, but it will allow them to more easily change and therapeutically heal and/or expand the ego.”  -  John Verdon, Visual Bookshelf on Facebook


"Each chapter [of Don't Water the Stick] is beautifully laid out and easy to follow with a useful question and answer format at its finish..  Obviously a natural teacher, Bernard Willemsen has translated the course into a great book of basic spiritual/psyche thought for anyone, anywhere on the 'path'.”

-  Melva Armstrong, WHOLifE Journal

 

"An increasing number of people in the Western world have turned to the pursuit of new ideas about being and healing. The quest has led beyond accepted knowledge to less well-known Eastern as well as Western ideologies. These, however, have not always fulfilled their needs.   In this provocative and very personal experiential understanding of spiritual growth, Ben Willemsen puts forth a model of the relationship of the physical body to the 'psyche self,' the intellectual/spiritual aspect of human beings. In so doing, he offers an option to readers who are not satisfied with traditional answers and other current alternatives.” -  Joan B. Townsend, Ph.D., Anthropologist

 

 
 

It's not so much the object of our thoughts as the way in which we think that reflects our spirituality.

Ben Willemsen
Don't Water the Stick