A Guide to Body Wisdom
What Your Mind Needs to Know About Your Body
Body Wisdom is the inspiring and informative result of my life’s work as a body-oriented therapist exploring how people live or, more often, forget how to live in their own bodies. I discovered that each body has a unique and powerful way it thinks, communicates, thrives, and heals. Looking at the world from the body’s perspective has introduced me to an assessable and available intelligence that is separate from the mind. But gaining access to the body’s perspective is a new way of seeing, listening and being that requires a roadmap to give readers a way in. Body Wisdom is both your guide and your mentor on this great adventure.
A brief clip with Ann Brode describing her life long work and her new book A Guide to Body Wisdom - What your mind needs to know about your body.
What readers have said about A Guide to Body Wisdom: What Your Mind Needs To Know About Your Body
“New science is telling us that our intelligence lives as much in our bodies as our minds. Feelings are as smart as thoughts. But how are we to learn to make everyday use of this revelation? In this important new book, Ann Brode shows us the way. Read it with an open mind and your intelligent body will sigh with relief."
— Guy Claxton PhD, professor emeritus University of Winchester, UK, luminary in the field of cognitive sciences and learning, author of over 20 books including Building Learning Power and Intelligence in the Flesh.
“While we have learned during the past few decades the importance of emotions and beliefs in health, the body has too often been neglected, or regarded as a mechanical object that sooner or later is doomed to fail. In Body Wisdom, Ann Brode gives the body its due by showing how it can function as a source of wisdom and strength in total harmony with the mind. Brode’s perspective is long overdue, offering a holistic, balanced view of what it means to be human.”
— Larry Dossey MD, internationally influential advocate of the roles of mind in health and spirituality in health care. Author of 12 books, including Space, Time, and Medicine, One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters, and The Extraordinary Power of Ordinary Things.
A Guide to Body Wisdom: What Your Mind Needs to Know About Your Body is an amazing book from the cover art to the back of the book. There is true beauty throughout this book. Not one detail was missed.
This book is divided into nine sections and includes a troubleshooting guide (index), bibliography and resource guide. Each section begins with the author describing what the sections is about. After that, she shares exercises that help assimilate what was just read. Then, she adds an ‘explore this’ section. The exploration dives deeper into the topic. The format of the book allows you to see where you are right now, figure out where you want to go and enjoy your path to deeper understanding and healing.
— Robert Schaer, editor, New Age Journal
“While reading A Guide to Body Wisdom, I appreciated Brode’s knack for picking everyday examples, situations readers' will relate to, simple scenarios we all face and then practices woven into the text along with the official to do stuff to guide us toward full awareness as we embrace this posture of waking up to our mind, body, spirit. I appreciated the use of the activities and within these, the use of the mirror, the use of seeing the self externally from a possible new perspective, see what you are seeing with some understanding then experimenting with putting on a new role (facial expression, posture, movement etc). And the addition of our history . . . ancestors as well as our current selves.
I appreciated the terminology such as stress-0-meter, the shape of our stress . . . stress footprint . . . emotional hygiene . . .
I appreciated the suggestion that change isn't about needing extra time, such a common complaint in our lives, there's not enough time! And here it's stated, it's not about more time it's about awareness and intention.
And I totally appreciated Brode’s stance on slowing down! I'm rather tired of being told I'm too fast, I'm too whatever and here you write so gracefully that "To go slow doesn't mean going too slow, it's about paying attention and getting in sync. If you go too slowly, you miss the mark.”
— Nancy Eichhorn, PhD, Founding Editor-in-Chief, Somatic Psychotherapy Today
Michael Seabaugh, PhD introduces Ann at Chaucers Books, 2018. Photo Credit: Ali Todhunter.
Amazon Reviews of A Guide to Body Wisdom:
“As a nurse for over 40 years I can attest to the fact that 75 - 90% of all visits to a doctor are stress related problems. Contemporary stress is pervasive which makes this book life saving. If we can all learn to listen, our body will give us the information we need to cope with stress, live fully and stay healthy. Seems simple but it is not. Through Ann's extensive experience she has seen the ways people sabotage and ignore their body signals. In the book, she reveals that knowledge and lists suggestions and tools that are empowering and helpful so that we can give our bodies what they need. I think every person living in a body could benefit from this book. You will not find it in doctor's offices because it would hurt their business if the patients heeded Ann's universal wisdom. I will keep it by my bed and refer to it over and over for the tips and reminders that I can provide the conscious care that my body requires.” — Janet L.
“I had the pleasure of experiencing Ann's body and trauma release work after a bike accident. Her knowledge mixed with intuition is unique, special, and almost magical. It is great to see that all of what she offers can now reach everyone through her wonderful book.” — Lori Robinson, author of Saving Wild
“As someone who has experienced Ann Todhunter Brode's healing wisdom first hand, I'm couldn't be more delighted to be holding a copy of her new book, A Guide to Body Wisdom: What Your Mind Needs to Know About Your Body in my hands. While staying in touch with the body and becoming connected with it's various nuances sounds easy, it's really the kind of learning and growth that requires a wise guide. Ann is that guide, who shows the way with humor, wonderful explorations, and encouragement. This book has many gifts for the reader and those lucky folks who get a gift wrapped copy from a loving friend. My body encourages everyone to read this book, wholeheartedly!” — Cheri Clampett Borda
A note from Ann:
I’ve been immersed in the field of mind-body healing since Carl Rogers coined the phrase “human potential movement” in the 1960’s. Since then I have helped thousands of people understand and respect their bodies. Over time it became clear that the body had its own separate intelligence. I’ve now written a book, A Guide to Body Wisdom- What Your Mind Needs To Know About Your Body to show others how to listen to, care for, and enjoy living in a smart, wise body.