"Right now, in this very moment: What is your body telling you? Is your stomach tense with anxiety, or warm with relaxation? Is your forehead furrowed in concentration, or are your eyes wide with wonder? Are your feet happy in your shoes? Is your breathing substantial yet tranquil? Are you comfortable inside your own skin?" Most of us have been trained to feel uneasy in the presence of questions about our bodies. To answer them — and really live in our flesh — may require some new attitudes.
Johanna Putnoi, a somatic counselor and popular workshop leader at the Esalen Institute, notes at the outset: "This book is an invitation for you to come to your senses, to learn to understand your body's language, hear its innate wisdom, and regularly begin to experience your true feelings and sensations, your capacity to feel connected to the earth and all living things." Through a series of down-to-earth body awareness exercises, guided meditations, and deep movement exploration, the author helps us explore the body-mind connection.
The way we view ourselves and the world is often locked into our body musculature. Putnoi discusses the posture of melancholy (poor me), the posture of emotional self-indulgence (me first), the posture of aggression (I'm the boss), and the posture of compliance (don't rock the boat). Senses Wide Open will enable you to become more literate about your body and to heed it many messages.
