2022WordGuildAward,CultureandLifeStoriescategoriesGlobeandMailBestsellerList,November2021(Self-Improvement)Manyofushaveacomplicatedrelationshipwithourbody.Maybeyou’vebeenmadetofeelashamedofyourbodyorlikeitisn’tgoodenough.Maybeyourbodyisriddledwithstress,pain,ortheeffectsoftrauma.Maybeyouthinkofyourbodyasanaccessorytowhatyoubelieveyoureallyare--yourmind.Maybeyourexperienceswithracism,sexism,ableism,heterosexism,ageism,orsizeismhavemadeyoubelieveyourbodyisn’ttherightkindofbody.Whateverthereason,manyofusdon’tfeelathomeinourbodies.Butbeingdisconnectedfromourselvesasbodiesmeansbeingdisconnectedfromtrulylivingandfromtheinterconnectionthatweavesusalltogether.Psychologistandaward-winningresearcherHillaryMcBrideexploresthebrokenandunhealthyideaswehaveinheritedaboutourbody.Embodimentisthewayweareintheworld,andourembodimentisheavilyinfluencedbywhowehavebeenallowedtobe.McBrideshowsthatmanyofusfeeldisembodiedduetocolonization,racism,sexism,andpatriarchy--destructivesystemsthatrankcertainbodiesaslessvaluable,beautiful,orhumanthanothers.Embracingourembodimentcanliberateusfromthesesystems.Aswecometounderstandtheworldaroundusandthestorieswe’vebeentold,weseethatourperspectiveofrealityoftenlimitshowweseeandexperienceourselves,eachother,andwhatwebelieveisSacred.Insteadofthebodybeingaproblemtoovercome,ourbodiescanbetheveryplacewherewefeelmostalive,theseatofourspiritualityandourwisdom.TheWisdomofYourBodyoffersacompassionate,healthy,andholisticperspectiveonembodiedliving.Weavingtogetherilluminatingresearch,storiesfromherworkasatherapist,anddeeplypersonalnarrativesofhealingfromalife-threateningeatingdisorder,anear-fatalcaraccident,andchronicpain,McBrideinvitesustoreclaimthewisdomofthebodyandtoexperiencethewholenessthathasbeenthereallalong.End-of-chapterquestionsandpracticesareincluded.
