Louise L. Hay

Biographical Information
"RECENTLY DUBBED "the closest thing to a living saint" by the Australian media, Louise L. Hay is also known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, Heal Your Body, was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body. Revised and expanded in 1988, this best-selling book introduced Louise's concepts to people in 33 different countries and has been translated into 25 languages throughout the world....

"Louise started what would become her life's work in New York City in 1970. She attended meetings at the Church of Religious Science and began training in the ministerial program. She became a popular speaker at the church, and soon found herself counseling clients. This work quickly blossomed into a full-time career. After several years, Louise compiled a reference guide detailing the mental causes of physical ailments, and developed positive thought patterns for reversing illness and creating health. This compilation was the basis for Heal Your Body, also known affectionately as "the little blue book." She began traveling throughout the United States, lecturing and facilitating workshops on loving ourselves and healing our lives...

"In 1980, Louise moved back to her native Southern California, and it was here that she began putting her workshop methods on paper. In 1984, her new book, You Can Heal Your Life, was published. In it, Louise explains how our beliefs and ideas about ourselves are often the cause of our emotional problems and physical maladies and how, by using certain tools, we can change our thinking and our lives for the better. You Can Heal Your Life reached the New York Times bestseller list and remained on it for 13 consecutive weeks. More than 50 million copies of You Can Heal Your Life have been sold throughout the world. Twenty years later, due to her appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, You Can Heal Your Life was again on the New York Times bestseller list. The first time in that publication’s history that has happened!

"In 1985, Louise began her famous support group, "The Hayride," with six men diagnosed with AIDS. By 1988, the group had grown to a weekly gathering of 800 people and had moved to an auditorium in West Hollywood. Once again, Louise had started a movement of love and support long before people began to wear red ribbons in their lapels. It was during this time that she wrote The AIDS Book: Creating a Positive Approach, based on her experiences with this powerful group.

"Louise now heads Hay House, a successful publishing company. What began as a small venture in the living room of her home has turned into a prosperous corporation that has sold millions of books and tapes worldwide. Hay House authors include many notables in the self-help movement, including Wayne Dyer, Joan Borysenko, and Doreen Virtue, among others. In addition, The Hay Foundation is a non-profit organization established by Louise that encourages and financially supports diverse organizations which supply food, shelter, counseling, hospice care and money to those with Aids, battered women and other crises.

"At 81, Louise released her first-ever film on her life and work You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie. To watch the trailer visit www.youcanhealyourlifemovie.com. She continues to lecture around the world, recently returning from trips to Great Britain, Australia and Canada. When she’s not traveling, Louise enjoys painting, gardening, and dancing at her home in San Diego, California."

"When asked about her favorite teachers, Hay responded, “I was trained by Dr. Raymond Charles Barker and Rev. Eric Pace in New York City. They were brilliant teachers. They opened the doors for me." 

Affiliations

 * Former member of Advisory Board, Women of Vision and Action
 * Watkins Review's 2012 list of the world’s 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People

Related Sourcewatch

 * Jane Duncan Rogers