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A review by readwithbre
The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living by Hillary L. McBride
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
The only reason I’m not giving this 5 stars is that I first heard of this book when the author was a guest on a radical Christian theology podcast (A People’s Theology hosted by amasen Menega) so I was expecting it to be a bit more theological in nature.
Outside of that, WOW! This book transformed my world and relationship all bodies, including my own, in more ways than can fit in this tiny review box. In the intro, Dr. McBride invites the reader to just read the words on the pages and take in head knowledge, but to really thoughtfully engage with the bodily sensations happening as you read. In other words, bring your fully bodily self to the text as you engage with it. Just in that short intro, I realized how foreign a concept it is for me to do something as simple as reading with my entire body.
Throughout the book, Dr. McBride weaves a tender thread of ideas grounding them in her understanding and practice of embodiment. Not only does she gently and tenderly deconstruct cultural assumptions and myths about bodies that have lead to us relating to ourselves as bodies in such unhealthy ways, she also shares several concrete practices in each chapter to invite us back into our bodies without shame or judgement. In other words, she doesn’t just “wage war on the toxic culture” as many of these texts tend to do. She leads us into hope. In fact, the entire book is grounded in that endeavor and her language choices make that clear throughout.
One thing I especially took note of is how often she cites the work and words of black & indigenous women and LGBTQ+ folks, both theologians and non-theologians. They are quoted all throughout the chapters and endnotes. This told me I could trust that she was really serious about using this work as a tool to set us free from all different cultural oppressions and to expose how necessary our stories about bodies are to accomplishing that.
All in all, Dr. Hillary L. McBride produced a deeply transformative work that I am so much better for having encountered. It’s sure to be one I return to consistently and share with everyone I know who desires a healthier relationship with their bodies and the bodies of those around them.
Outside of that, WOW! This book transformed my world and relationship all bodies, including my own, in more ways than can fit in this tiny review box. In the intro, Dr. McBride invites the reader to just read the words on the pages and take in head knowledge, but to really thoughtfully engage with the bodily sensations happening as you read. In other words, bring your fully bodily self to the text as you engage with it. Just in that short intro, I realized how foreign a concept it is for me to do something as simple as reading with my entire body.
Throughout the book, Dr. McBride weaves a tender thread of ideas grounding them in her understanding and practice of embodiment. Not only does she gently and tenderly deconstruct cultural assumptions and myths about bodies that have lead to us relating to ourselves as bodies in such unhealthy ways, she also shares several concrete practices in each chapter to invite us back into our bodies without shame or judgement. In other words, she doesn’t just “wage war on the toxic culture” as many of these texts tend to do. She leads us into hope. In fact, the entire book is grounded in that endeavor and her language choices make that clear throughout.
One thing I especially took note of is how often she cites the work and words of black & indigenous women and LGBTQ+ folks, both theologians and non-theologians. They are quoted all throughout the chapters and endnotes. This told me I could trust that she was really serious about using this work as a tool to set us free from all different cultural oppressions and to expose how necessary our stories about bodies are to accomplishing that.
All in all, Dr. Hillary L. McBride produced a deeply transformative work that I am so much better for having encountered. It’s sure to be one I return to consistently and share with everyone I know who desires a healthier relationship with their bodies and the bodies of those around them.