Louise Hay

Louise L. Hay (born 1926)–an American motivational author, and the founder of Hay House, a new thought and selfhelp publisher. Louise’s teachings are derived from her own personal journey, having overcome a difficult childhood, a divorce and cancer.

Born in Los Angeles, Louise’s mother was almost fostered out by her mother, who eventually remarried Louise’s violent stepfather. She was raped by a neighbour at five years old, and continued to be sexually abused until the age of 15. Louise left home and gave birth to a girl one year later, whom she adopted out and never saw again. She spent a few years doing menial work in Chicago before becoming a successful fashion model in New York. There, she met and married Andrew Hay, an English businessman, who left her after 14 years of marriage for another woman. Her life changed after a chance attendance at a Church of Religious Science meeting, after which she became a certified church counsellor, got into Transcendental Meditation and became a Minister with her own counselling service. After writing her first book Heal Your Body (detailing metaphysical causes of bodily illness), she was diagnosed with “incurable” cervical cancer. Through a combination of radically changed diet and mental techniques, she was healed.

She eventually moved back to Los Angeles and was reunited with her mother before her death. Besides this book, some of her best-selling titles include Heal Your Body, A Garden of Thoughts: My Affirmation Journal, The Power Is Within You, and Living Perfect Love: Empowering Rituals For Women.