This book will appeal to the growing number of people who are seeking alternatives to modern medicine and physician-driven therapies. Jennifer Raye brings Ayurveda, somatic studies, restorative yoga, meditation, and ancient Chinese practices to bear in this book designed for people wanting to feel better and be healthier by reconnecting body and mind with the earth through the lessons it teaches us.
The author writes in the Introduction: “Our bodies … need a paradigm that includes the healing power of earth-based medicine and mindful movement — one that helps us feel and understand our body-mind as interconnected with larger natural rhythms and fosters a deep sense of presence and embodiment.”
A radical separation has taken place, between us and what grounds us, Raye explains, and her book aims to help restore the connections.
There is spirituality here, but there is much more than that too. Nutrition, therapy, and training all play a serious part. And the yogic and indigenous practices are often quite detailed. For example, in the chapter on breathing, a section on “Mindfulness of Breathing” — which may feel like familiar territory — is followed by sections on “Viloma 1 Pranayama (Against the Grain Breath)” and “Cellular Skin Breathing” that will probably be new to most.
Chapter 11, “Nourish Center,” offers another good example of this. It begins with a quote on sitting meditation from Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg but then quickly moves into creative, integrative techniques that aim to help readers’ struggles with digestive health. These techniques are at times dietary and at other times are related to balance, movement, massage, and yoga poses.
The amount of information and the level of practice description may overwhelm some readers, but for those of deepest interest this will be a treasure.
