Louise Hay is an American author who founded Hay House publishing. Over 30 years ago, she noticed how illness and negative circumstances controlled people's lives. She believed this stemmed from negative thoughts, so she wrote a pamphlet linking thoughts to medical conditions. Her book You Can Heal Your Life explored how limiting beliefs formed in childhood can impact health and life outcomes if not changed. The presentation outlined exercises for examining beliefs, releasing resistance to change, controlling thoughts through affirmations, and listening to the body's messages.