In my opinion as a holistic therapist, everything begins by understanding the concept of reincarnation. Each of us has a soul, indestructible eternal energy that resides in a physical body, and we are born and die over and over again. For example, one may have been a Persian prince in 1512, an Indian woman in 1298 washing clothes in the river, American salesman in Chicago in 1837, aspiring actress in Hollywood in the 30's, and a Nazi officer, somewhere in between. These are only a few of their lives.
  "Just a moment", you may ask, "how many times do we incarnate? And what for?"
So here it is: "how many times?" - depends on the individual learning pace of each student in this school called "life". Good students will learn quickly and easily, continuing to the next level, and stubborn fearful students (most of us) will repeat the same course till they get it. As for the "what for?" The purpose of it all is to balance our traits. . The more balanced we get, the more peaceful and happy we become. "Hold your horses, Orly. What is it you're saying? Life is a school and we are the students? And it is our choice to learn or not, finish the courses or not?" Indeed, that is correct.
  The main tool in life is free will, the opportunity to choose between several options. You can choose to be a serial killer or a nurse, a good mother or a cruel one. In any given moment there are many options to choose from. What is the right decision? Each one has his own considerations, and the level of spiritual evolution he is in. for example: many women had suffered in a miserable marriage for a long time, till they got courageous enough to divorce. When they finally divorced, they said to themselves:" It's a shame I didn't do this earlier". Back then they thought: "I have no choice, my kids are too young. I have to stay with him". Mistake. There is always a choice. The option of divorcing did exist earlier .They CHOSE not to use it. It's for our consideration to use our options/opportunities or not. That's what life is all about. Free will.
  So what is life? - A school
Who created it all? - God/nature/the source/the creator.
Who are the students? - We are = eternal beings in a disposable body.
What do we study? - To balance our traits using free will.