Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection through Embodied Living

The Wisdom of Your Body offers a compassionate, healthy, and holistic perspective on embodied living, weaving together research, stories from her work as a therapist, and deeply personal narratives of healing from a life-threatening eating disorder, a near-fatal car accident, and chronic pain. It encourages us to reclaim the wisdom of the body and experience the wholeness that has been there all along.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 288 pages
\n Publication date: 12 October 2021
\n Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
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Many of us have a complex relationship with our body. Perhaps you have been made to feel ashamed of your body or like it isn't good enough. Maybe your body is riddled with stress, pain, or the effects of trauma. Maybe you think of your body as an accessory to what you believe you really are -- your mind. Maybe your experiences with racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, ageism, or sizeism have made you believe your body isn't the right kind of body. Whatever the reason, many of us don't feel at home in our bodies. But being disconnected from ourselves as bodies means being disconnected from truly living and from the interconnection that weaves us all together.

Psychologist and award-winning researcher Hillary McBride explores the broken and unhealthy ideas we have inherited about our body. Embodiment is the way we are in the world, and our embodiment is heavily influenced by who we have been allowed to be. McBride shows that many of us feel disembodied due to colonization, racism, sexism, and patriarchy -- destructive systems that rank certain bodies as less valuable, beautiful, or human than others. Embracing our embodiment can liberate us from these systems. As we come to understand the world around us and the stories we have been told, we see that our perspective of reality often limits how we see and experience ourselves, each other, and what we believe is Sacred. Instead of the body being a problem to overcome, our bodies can be the very place where we feel most alive, the seat of our spirituality and our wisdom.

The Wisdom of Your Body offers a compassionate, healthy, and holistic perspective on embodied living. Weaving together illuminating research, stories from individuals who have experienced disembodiment, and practical exercises, this book provides a roadmap for reconnecting with our bodies and reclaiming our sense of self.

In the first chapter, McBride explores the historical and cultural roots of our disembodiment. She argues that the Western world has been dominated by a patriarchal ideology that views the body as a source of shame and weakness. This ideology has led to a widespread belief that the body is something to be controlled, manipulated, and disciplined rather than something to be celebrated and embraced.

McBride also highlights the ways in which colonization has contributed to our disembodiment. Colonization has stripped Indigenous peoples of their land, language, and culture, leaving them disconnected from their bodies and their traditional ways of being. Similarly, racism, sexism, and ableism have also contributed to our disembodiment by perpetuating harmful stereotypes and beliefs about certain bodies.

However, McBride argues that our disembodiment is not inevitable. We can reconnect with our bodies and reclaim our sense of self by embracing our embodiment. Embodiment is the way we are in the world, and it is heavily influenced by who we have been allowed to be. By recognizing and honoring our bodies, we can cultivate a sense of self-worth and confidence that is grounded in our physicality.

In the second chapter, McBride explores the practical ways in which we can embrace our embodiment. She provides exercises and practices that can help us reconnect with our bodies and cultivate a sense of self-worth. These exercises include mindfulness meditation, yoga, and body-based therapies such as massage and acupuncture.

McBride also emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages individuals to embrace their bodies. This includes challenging harmful stereotypes and beliefs about certain bodies and promoting body positivity and diversity.

In the third chapter, McBride shares stories from individuals who have experienced disembodiment. These stories provide a powerful testament to the ways in which our bodies can be a source of strength and resilience. By sharing their experiences, these individuals inspire us to embrace our bodies and reclaim our sense of self.

The Wisdom of Your Body is a powerful and transformative book that offers a compassionate, healthy, and holistic perspective on embodied living. By reconnecting with our bodies and reclaiming our sense of self, we can cultivate a sense of self-worth and confidence that is grounded in our physicality. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to live a more embodied and fulfilling life.

\n Weight: 274g\n
Dimension: 140 x 215 x 23 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781587435522\n \n