Louise Hay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise Hay
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Hay in the 1990s
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| Born | Helen Vera Lunney October 8, 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 2017 (aged 90) San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, Professional speaker |
| Genre | Metaphysics, self-help, motivational |
| Notable works | You Can Heal Your Life (1984) |
Louise Lynn Hay (October 8, 1926 – August 30, 2017) was an American author and speaker. She wrote many New Thought self-help books. Her most famous book is You Can Heal Your Life, published in 1984. Louise Hay also started the Hay House publishing company. She was a strong supporter for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Contents
Early Life and New Beginnings
Louise Hay was born Helen Vera Lunney in Los Angeles. She grew up in a challenging environment. At 15, she left high school.
She later moved to Chicago and worked in different jobs. In 1950, she moved to New York City. There, she changed her first name to Louise. She began a successful career as a fashion model. She worked for famous designers like Bill Blass and Oleg Cassini. In 1954, she married Andrew Hay. They were married for 14 years.
Discovering New Thought Ideas
Around the time her marriage ended, Louise Hay found the First Church of Religious Science. This church taught her about the power of positive thinking. She learned that our thoughts can change our lives.
Hay studied the ideas of "positive thinking" authors. One was Florence Scovel Shinn, who believed positive thoughts could improve life. Another was Ernest Holmes, who taught that positive thinking could help heal the body.
In the early 1970s, Louise Hay became a Religious Science practitioner. She helped people use spoken affirmations. These are positive statements repeated to yourself. She believed affirmations could help people feel better. She became popular for leading workshops. She also studied Transcendental Meditation.
Healing and Helping Others
Louise Hay shared her own health journey. She said she was diagnosed with cancer in the late 1970s. She chose not to have traditional medical treatment. Instead, she focused on forgiveness and therapy. She also used nutrition and reflexology. She believed these methods helped her overcome the illness.
In 1976, Hay wrote her first book, Heal Your Body. It started as a small pamphlet. It listed common health problems. It also suggested possible emotional reasons for them. This pamphlet later grew into her famous book, You Can Heal Your Life. It was published in 1984.
Supporting People with AIDS
Around the same time, Louise Hay started "Hay Rides." These were support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS. The groups began in her living room with a few people. Soon, hundreds of men attended in a large hall in West Hollywood, California.
Her work with AIDS patients became well-known. She was invited to appear on popular TV shows. These included The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Phil Donahue Show in 1988. After these appearances, You Can Heal Your Life became a bestseller. Over 50 million copies have been sold worldwide. It has been translated into more than 30 languages. The book is often seen as part of the New Age movement.
Starting a Publishing Company
Hay House Publishing
In 1984, Louise Hay started her own publishing company, Hay House. Reid Tracy joined the company in 1988. He started as an accountant and later became the CEO. The company grew very quickly. It attracted many different writers.
As of 2015, Hay House publishes books and audiobooks by over 130 authors. These include famous names like Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. Hay House also publishes the teachings of "Abraham" from Esther Hicks.
Other Projects and Awards
Besides her publishing company, Louise Hay also ran a charity. She founded The Hay Foundation in 1985. Its goal is to support organizations that improve life for people, animals, and the environment.
In 2008, a movie about Louise Hay's life was released. It was called You Can Heal Your Life. Louise Hay said the movie showed her life story and her teachings. It also featured other well-known speakers. The movie was directed by Michael A. Goorjian.
In the same year, Louise Hay received a Minerva Award. This award was given at The Women's Conference. In September 2011, Hay and Cheryl Richardson released their book You Can Create An Exceptional Life.
Ideas and Teachings
Louise Hay's main idea was that our thoughts affect our health. Her books, Heal Your Body and You Can Heal Your Life, connect physical problems to negative emotions. She believed that healing emotional issues could also heal physical conditions. For example, she wrote that thoughts could play a role in causing AIDS.
Death
Louise Hay passed away peacefully in her sleep. She was 90 years old. She died on August 30, 2017.
Works
- You Can Heal Your Life. Hay House Inc., 1984. ISBN: 0-937611-01-8
- Heal Your Body: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way to Overcome Them. Hay House Inc., 1984. ISBN: 0-937611-35-2
- The AIDS Book: Creating a Positive Approach. Hay House Inc., 1988 ISBN: 0-937611-32-8
- A Garden of Thoughts: My Affirmation Journal. Hay House Inc., 1989 ISBN: 978-0937611678
- Love Yourself, Heal Your Life Workbook. Hay House Inc., 1990
- The Power Is Within You. Hay House Inc., 1991
- Heart Thoughts. Hay House Inc., 1992 ISBN: 978-1-4019-3720-1
- Loving Thoughts For Increasing Prosperity. Hay House Inc., 1993
- Gratitude: A Way Of Life. Hay House Inc., 1996
- Life! Reflections On Your Journey. Hay House Inc., 1996 ISBN: 978-1561700929
- Living Perfect Love: Empowering Rituals For Women. Humantics MultiMedia Publishers, 1996 ISBN: 978-0-9652851-0-0
- Heal Your Body A–Z: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them. Hay House Inc. 1998 ISBN: 978-1561707928
- 101 Ways To Health And Healing. Hay House Inc., 1998 ISBN: 978-1-56170-496-5
(with David Kessler)
- I Think, I Am!: Teaching Kids the Power of Affirmations
- Mirror Work
See also
In Spanish: Louise Hay para niños
- Raymond Charles Barker
- Emmet Fox
- Stuart Grayson
- Florence Scovel Shinn
