{"id":2429,"date":"2020-04-12T09:10:06","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T09:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpressmu-418378-1537986.cloudwaysapps.com\/?page_id=2429"},"modified":"2025-03-15T18:55:51","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T18:55:51","slug":"about-book","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/about\/about-book\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Book Essential Wholeness"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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ABOUT THE BOOK<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Essential\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Essential Wholeness, Integral Psychotherapy, Spiritual Awakening and the Enneagram<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

describes what it is to be a healthy evolving human being. And then draws on the great psychological and spiritual traditions to help you realise that wellness.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Both profound and practical, this book integrates cutting edge neuroscience, esoteric wisdom, a heartfelt appreciation of the natural world, and powerfully effective psychological methods. It's genuinely brilliant.\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Rick Hanson, Ph.D.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Author of\u00a0Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Other Great Reviews From Experts<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cA ground-breaking book based on the enneagram. After 40 years of work with the Enneagram system of personality types I am always happy to see new books arriving. But I don\u2019t necessarily find much new material in them. This book goes way beyond the personality types to talk about human development in a holistic sense. Maybe not for everyone, but I found it wonderfully interesting and also challenging (which I like). It\u2019s full of connections to many knowledge traditions while showing how we can all move around the Enneagram, whatever our personality type, using it as a map of change and development. Enneagram charts of the developmental tasks and the hero\u2019s journey lay it out clearly. Although I am a fan of the Gurdjieff work and literature I find Eric\u2019s book to be a significant further contribution (and more accessible) to this area. He demonstrates that yes, the Enneagram diagram can hold and organize knowledge in a powerful way.\u201d \u00a0Peter O\u2019Hanrahan, a core faculty member along with Helen Palmer of The Narrative Enneagram Tradition<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Peter O\u2019Hanrahan<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Faculty member along with Helen Palmer of The Narrative Enneagram Tradition<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"This book is an important contribution to the corpus of Enneagram literature, offering a perspective that is largely lacking, as it offers a more holistic understanding of the Enneagram as something far beyond a simple tool for personality typing.\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Gene Yotka<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
President of The Awakening Institute for Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Direction and Soul Care<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cEssential Wholeness is a brilliantly written and comprehensive book which synthesizes body, mind and spirit from the deep ground of a life's work. It is rich in mythology and Wisdom Traditions, based in sound psychological clinical practice, and goes to the heart of spiritual inquiry. Enneagram is certainly a sophisticated map. Eric invites readers to engage in its territory. One of the best books on Enneagram I've experienced.\u201d\u00a0<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Hoffman\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Jutka Freiman<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Psychotherapist, Hoffman Process teacher and certified Enneagram teacher<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Eric somehow manages to distil a lifetime of experience, spiritual practice and psychological learning into a very accessible, comprehensive model of human psychology and behaviour. Not since Ken Wilber have I read such a concise and useful synthesis of psychology, spirituality and ecology. I find it incredibly useful in my work as a therapist and as a guide on my own spiritual journey.\"\u00a0 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Mindfulness\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Richard Chambers<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
PhD psychologist and coauthor of Mindful Learning and Mindful Relationships<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u00a0\"Profound, accessible, practical and integral: a must read for those interested in the Enneagram. This book brings a unique perspective that combines wisdom from the Enneagram, psychology, neuroscience, ecology and spirituality and delves into the understanding of human transformational processes.\u00a0 It is easy to read, concise and practical. I have found it incredibly useful in my work with clients (as a coach) as well as in my own personal journey.\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Pilar Rueda Garc\u00eda Yakar<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Executive & Leadership Coach and Facilitator - CPCC, PCC, Integral Associate Coach<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cEric Lyleson has written a beautiful and helpful book on living life as a journey of awakening. \u00a0I highly recommend it!\"<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Author of \u2018The Courage to Love\u2019 and teacher of Ericksonian Hypnosis and Generative Trance work and Coaching<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cEssential Wholeness provides a blueprint for understanding and working with the complexity of human nature and behaviour. It is an inspiring and valuable resource for therapists and anyone interested in the dynamics of personal transformation.\u201d <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"psychologist,\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Peter Chown<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Psychologist, Consultant to NSW Centre for Advancement of Adolescent Health; Consultant to World Health Organisation (WHO).<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Essential Wholeness is a living, breathing book that has opened up the vast potential healing impact of my work with clients. Lyleson offers us his life's work, drawing deeply and compassionately from thirty years of clinical work and his direct experience to offer a highly original contribution to the way we understand change and the experiences of being human. This book travails a vast territory, from cutting edge scientific thought to the wisdom traditions, challenging the reader to continually open to deeper and deeper levels of understanding and insight. This book is like no other that I have read and presents a clear way forward in my evolution as a therapist.\"\u00a0 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Justin Denes<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
MGT, BSW, MAASW<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"Eric definitively captures the essence of integration in this treatise on psychotherapy and spirituality. This impressive work well demonstrates the many layers of understanding and experience that are necessary for psychotherapists attempting to navigate the challenges inherent in working wholistically. Eric expresses the deep appreciation of the human condition that can only come from many years of self-reflection, learning and practice as a therapist. Anyone fortunate enough to encounter Eric, either as a reader of this enthralling work or as his client in psychotherapy will undoubtedly benefit in significant ways.\"\u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Lionel Davis<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Psychologist, educator and founder of the Australian College of Applied Psychology<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Book Review from\u00a0Australia and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy,\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>by Yvonne McDonell

\n\nEssential Wholeness\u00a0by Eric Lyleson uses an extensive range of philosophy, psychology and spirituality to describe us as people and to broaden our role as therapists. We discover how our favourite theories inform our practice with clients and impact how we live in the world. One thing that excited me was the way in which the book whets my appetite to learn more about each of these areas. For instance, the bibliography is so informative and interesting, that it is as if Lyleson is opening doors through which to explore the familiar and unfamiliar.\n\nThe book is not without its challenges, and it took me some time to comprehend the concept that Lyleson calls\u00a0essential wholeness. He defines it as what Buddhism refers to as\u00a0emptiness. However, he says that the emptiness of being is not nothing, but also not a thing \u2013 and earlier: \"We are taught as children that we should know who we are, however when we look within to find ourselves, there is nothing permanent there\" (p. 11).\n\nIt seems that he sees\u00a0essential wholeness\u00a0as a need to accept the complex and the circular nature of things. To explain this, he calls on philosophy, systems theory, Bateson\u2019s cybernetic theory, chaos theory and homeostasis. Rather than being frightened off by the breadth of knowledge contained in this book, I found a thrill in becoming reacquainted with old friends like Maturana, Bateson, Erickson and Kauffman, as well as being introduced to new ideas.\n\nI wondered whether the understanding that I am actually taking away from the book is exactly as Lyleson intended. Perhaps that does not even matter, since it certainly has had me thinking deeply about my life and about the lives of my clients. I am attracted to the definition Lyleson presents of a therapist as someone \u2018who will help their clients trust in their innate ability to transition from one stage of life to the next\u2019 (p. 79). He proposes that effective psychotherapy helps people to be honest with themselves and to tune into their unconscious wisdom (p. 9). He sees his role as a psychotherapist as an agent of change, since he proposes that much of human suffering comes from the inability to cope with change.\n\nIn addressing\u00a0What it Means to Be,\u00a0he looks at humanity in a way that includes body, mind, soul and spirit, while at the same time being embedded in, and dependent on, the rest of creation (p. 7). He looks at the writings of Bateson and juxatposes them with Buddhism and Christianity, with the idea that inner space and outer space are the same \u2018beingness\u2019.\n\nLyleson sees the process of evolution as our coming to view ourselves as separate from the rest of creation, and spirit from matter (p. 37). He explains this by showing us a picture of human experience from the earliest development of humans, exploring theories of how life developed on earth (p. 54). The book looks at the way in which people change to freedom from suffering; how control vs. cooperation has been achieved, and even how our society uses meditation to enable people to mechanically function better (p. 33). He explains separation and anxiety: \"Anxieties, frustrations, insecurities, resentments, or even the simple discontent that drives most people\u2019s lives, are caused by the separation from our essential nature that occurs by the holding onto a solid, permanent sense of self\" (p. 10).\n\nThen, in order to achieve a sense of self \u2013 \"the living in harmony with our own true natures in order to live in harmony with nature\" (p. 1) \u2013 he uses the Enneagram. The nine personality types are explained in great detail. Each type is explored in terms of its essence in a way that makes sense and is correlated with qualities of being that Lyleson calls \u2018faces of love\u2019. The Enneagram is used to assist us to recognise the types in clients and to understand how people make sense of their world as a way of being and living. He offers us suggestions for ways of working with each personality type (p. 113) and actually presents questions to assist people to facilitate change and move towards wholeness in their favourite type (p. 137).\n\nThe stunning thing about the book is the positive way in which each type is presented. Lyleson claims that everyone is right, has some important pieces of truth, and that all of these pieces need to be honoured. In supporting this idea, he references Ken Wilber (2000,\u00a0Collected Works of Ken Wilber, Vol VIII, Shambhala Publications, Boston, p. 3). He also deals with the personality types as a whole \u2018like white light composed of colours\u2019 (p. 142). A client, David, is seen in terms of eight of the nine personality types, which demonstrates this point.\n\nOne of the more unusual chapters looks at the development of each person from the womb to 12 months old. We are presented with an extraordinary and detailed description of birth from a baby\u2019s point of view, positioning each stage with the Enneagram, and again the Enneagram is used to reach\u00a0essential wholeness.\n\nLyleson explains that having to hold on to and validating a self\u2010concept is only necessary if we have a negative self\u2010concept. Whereas an unconditional acceptance of the way things are can be achieved if we do not define ourselves in a static way. This would enable us to be free to respond to life in whatever ways are most useful (p. 10).\n\nIn conclusion, I call on Eric to define the concept of\u00a0essential wholeness\u00a0in this most extraordinary book: \"We are not our compulsions of personality; we are spiritual beings experiencing the ever\u2010changing nature of creation. The more we open to our true nature, the more we utilize and demonstrate the full spectrum of qualities represented by the Enneagram\" (p. 388).<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Family\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Yvonne McDonell<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Australia and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedIn\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABOUT THE BOOK Essential Wholeness, Integral Psychotherapy, Spiritual Awakening and the Enneagram describes what it is to be a healthy evolving human being. And then draws on the great psychological and spiritual traditions to help you realise that wellness.\u00a0 “Both profound and practical, this book integrates cutting edge neuroscience, esoteric wisdom, a heartfelt appreciation of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":252,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2429","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2429"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4966,"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2429\/revisions\/4966"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentialwholeness.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}