Divining the Body

Doesn't that title grab you right away? Particularly in our culture, who doesn't need to reclaim the holiness of their physical self?

If the title wasn't enough, the bulleted points from the cover of the book really drew me in:

Accepting and loving yourself Connecting your physical and sacred self Feeling the Divine Presence within yourself Listening for inner wisdom Claiming your voice

I've been reading 3 books by Jan Phillips: God is at Eye Level - Photography as a Healing Art, The Art of Original Thinking - The Making of a Thought Leader and Divining the Body - Reclaim the Holiness of Your Physical Self.

I often read several book at once. But, since I like to explore different subjects (and because authors usually write on their particular favorite topic), I've never read 3 books by the same author at the same time.

Jan Phillips writes well on a number of different topics. There is a common thread in her writing - but it's not a single topic - it's love of story!

She shares many of her own stories in this book - some are self-esteem related (her first boyfriend nicknaming her "Horse"), some healing and journey related (one that stands out in my mind is about her healing from being pinned under her own car - sustaining severe burns and other injuries), some are related to "calling" (she "...entered a religious community...to become a nun...and was sent home after two years in the novitiate").

Her stories don't end with the hard part - she goes on to tell what she's learned - inspiring us forward.

She also shares stories from others - among many of these is a beautiful description of dance used in a West African ritual to aid in processing grief. There's even a fable - whose message is "Beauty is what you see when someone is real."

She quotes so many people - from so many different disciplines.

And she shares wisdom from so many other writers (my wish list of books has become scary-long thanks to Jan Phillips - grin).

Jan encourages us in knowing and telling our own stories - she tells us:

and

This is what great writers and speakers do - and what I love about story - they have us saying "yes, me too.." - seeing more of our similarities than our differences.

She shares about how she started Divining the Body, which is a treat because we don't often hear HOW writer's set to work on a book:

The body parts she chose: feet, legs, hands, back, generative organs, belly, heart, breasts, throat, ears, eyes and brain. And the subjects covered include things like dance, sexuality, regaining our voice, healing, community, story, and more.

Each chapter ends with reflection, exercise(s) and a writing suggestion - which bring the book out of being merely a brain journey and into something deeper.

Here's what Jan Phillips wrote in the Introduction: "This book is an attempt to undo the damage we've sustained living in a culture that thrives on our self-hatred. It is a sanctification of our human bodies...a journey of awe and reverence..."

That's a huge attempt - and it works. This book is like medicine - a reuniting potion for the body and soul.