cover image The Secret Wisdom of a Woman's Body: Freeing Yourself to Live Passionately and Age Fearlessly

The Secret Wisdom of a Woman's Body: Freeing Yourself to Live Passionately and Age Fearlessly

Pat Samples. Llewellyn Publications, $15.95 (196pp) ISBN 978-0-7387-1159-1

In this guide to health through self-awareness, author, speaker and ""transformational educator"" Samples (Body Odyssey) parses advice and exercises while sharing her personal story, and others', who are aging gracefully by listening to and learning from their bodies. Experienced with a variety of bodywork and creative disciplines (dance, storytelling, etc.), Samples takes a straightforward, cumulative approach to teaching readers how to recognize, utilize and appreciate ""the emotional brilliance"" of the aging body, not an easy habit to pick up in a society obsessed with youth. Chapters follow a consistent structure, beginning with short sections and plenty of sign-posts, followed by innovative exercises (""Stillness Watching,"" ""Feeling Your Grief""), ideas and direction, including writing assignments and points to ""Observe and Reflect"" (""Imagine you were going to play the role of yourself in a theater play""). In three broad parts, Samples addresses waking, healing and creating, covering specific topics like stress, trauma, addiction and chronic pain. Though aimed at women, it's a suitable guide for open-minded men as well, though a dollop of new age spiritualism may be off-putting to some. An exercise index, chapter notes and a list of helpful websites round out this encouraging look at flourishing through midlife and beyond.