"Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body" (Hilary L. McBride)

TITLE: Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body 
AUTHOR: Hillary L. McBride
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2024, (160 pages).

Our experiences do not define us. Our real selves do. Our bodies are not simply what we have but they are who we are. We are more than mere subjective people. We are valued for who we are and not what we do. All that we encounter in this life, the highs and the lows, can all be experienced in the very bodies we have. Unfortunately, many people still have not learned how to appreciate their bodies. In doing so, they fall victim to lies and myths that throw negativity to their physique or biological selves. Lies such as the need to subdue our bodies because they are inherently evil; that some bodies are better than others, or fat bodies are unhealthy, etc. As our bodies get devalued, we become disembodied beings. Disembodiment separates our physical selves from the rest of our mental and emotional faculties. Embodiment brings all of them together. More importantly, we are called not to learn or relearn what our bodies are or represent. We simply need to remember that. These and many more underline the premise of this book, which is to bring back a healthy appreciation of the bodies we have so that we can live well. This also means we need to see personhood in a holistic manner: Emotionally, Mentally, Physically, Socially, and even Spiritually. Besides helping us address lies we tell ourselves, this book also looks at the violence on our bodies, such as stress and trauma; illnesses, injuries, and pain; oppressive forces; self-esteem; etc. 

As a book on how to remember our whole selves, author Hillary McBride provides us many different practices that we can use. On stress, we learn about the implications of stress, both positive as well as negative parts. What is important is to learn to see the beauty of our created selves, and not let uninformed world opinion shape us into what we are not meant to be. This book thus counters such disembodied philosophies in the hope that we can stop them from tearing us further apart. McBride does this by:

• Guiding us toward healthy narratives about ourselves;
• Helping us to feel at home inside ourselves;
• Feeling positive about ourselves as we navigate the spectrum of emotions;
• Processing our pains constructively;
• Learning to deal with the five circles of sexuality (sensuality, sexual identity, intimacy, sexual health & reproduction; power & sexualization);
• Resisting guilt when embracing pleasure;
• Embodying prayers;
• ...

Gradually, she leads us toward seeing and experiencing our bodies holistically, reconciling both body and spirit together as one. 

My Thoughts

This is a unique book about bringing back a semblance of self-respect and appreciation for who we are, what we have, and how we should treat ourselves. McBride addresses some of the underlying issues of flawed self-perceptions. This is made worse by societal expectations that often rub us the wrong way. The list of lies that the author highlights are not the only ones that damage our self-perceptions. With technology use on the rise, it is so easy to spread falsehood and misinformation about people. Just look at how Deep Fake technology is wreaking havoc on star personalities. All it takes is a little tweak or a sinister photoshop and the end result is a dramatic devaluation of a person's body and worth. Like it or not, technology through social media is a potent force for disembodiment. Tempted to look good to others in public, we become sensitized to nasty public comments. One thing is for sure. We can never be able to stop the torrent of public opinion. We need a healthy understanding of self-worth and personal value so that we do not sway or unwittingly accept unhealthy criticisms. 

One of the questions I ask is this: In an already hyper-individualistic world we live in, do we still need a book to feel good about ourselves or our bodies? My answer would tilt toward a marginal yes. Why yes? That's because God has created us good. For a sinful world, God has sent Jesus to this world to redeem us from our sins. Our world has been badly corrupted with falsehood and deceptions. The way forward is to redeem what is good while rejecting what is evil. Plus, the world we live in today is seriously broken. Like the saying "hurt people tend to hurt other people," a broken person will tend to break another person. This book brings a good dose of healing for those who have been deceived by lies, hurt by false accusations, discouraged by ugly comments, or simply disillusioned by the dizzy world of changing expectations. The exercises mentioned justify the title of the book. Why "marginal?" That's because the individualism in society still looms large. Just as there is low self-esteem that plagues many people, there are also unhealthy levels of pride and self-deception. What is needed is Truth. The tilt toward a "yes" is because this book works like a reset button to help us see ourselves afresh. 

Hillary L. McBride (PhD, University of British Columbia) is a registered psychologist, an award-winning researcher, and the host of the Other People's Problems podcast. She has a private practice in Victoria, British Columbia, and is a sought-after speaker and retreat leader who specializes in embodiment. McBride's work has been recognized by the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association. She is the author of The Wisdom of Your Body and Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image, and coeditor of Embodiment and Eating Disorders. Learn more at www.hillarylmcbride.com.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.