Divining the Body : Reclaim the Holiness of Your Physical Self

Honor Your Body as the Instrument of Your Soul 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 consecration of ourselves as hosts to the Great Beloved. It is a journey of awe and reverence through the sacred terrain of foot and hand, back and breast, heart and brain. The path to peace is the pathway through ourselves, starting with the inward step, the brave, gentle step toward the Divine within. from the Introduction Our view of the human body is always evolving. From the goddess-worship of civilizations millennia ago, to the strict social rules of Victorian England, to the modern feminist movement, the human bodyparticularly the feminine bodyhas always been a point of interest, mystery and contention. Discover an entirely new way to look at your bodyas a pathway to the Divine. Award-winner Jan Phillips takes you on an energizing journey through your physical self, drawing connections between the bone, muscle and sinew of your body and the spiritual teachings of various faith traditions, modern scientific research and her own experiences. You will find yourself empowered to work to transform the world around you and overcome self-defeating thoughts through positive, practical exercises and meditations that show you how to climb back into your body and honor it as the temple of God that it is.

Honor Your Body as the Instrument of Your Soul

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 consecration of ourselves as hosts to the Great Beloved. It is a journey of awe and reverence through the sacred terrain of foot and hand, back and breast, heart and brain. The path to peace is the pathway through ourselves, starting with the inward step, the brave, gentle step toward the Divine within.
-from the Introduction

Our view of the human body is always evolving. From the goddess-worship of civilizations millennia ago, to the strict social rules of Victorian England, to the modern feminist movement, the human body-particularly the feminine body-has always been a point of interest, mystery, and contention.

Discover an entirely new way to look at your body-as a pathway to the Divine. Award-winner Jan Phillips takes you on an energizing journey through your physical self, drawing connections between the bone, muscle, and sinew of your body and the spiritual teachings of various faith traditions, modern scientific research, and her own experiences. You will find yourself empowered to work to transform the world around you and overcome self-defeating thoughts through positive, practical exercises and meditations that show you how to climb back into your body and honor it as the temple of God that it is.

Library Journal

Phillips, a photographer, writer, and multimedia artist, has written an interesting guide to the body, especially the female body, as a location of wholeness and blessedness. She discusses, with some sensitivity, the negative history and anxiety that have informed our perceptions of the body and attempts to counter them, offering exercises, reflections, and meditations. "To love ourselves is an act of faith," she says, and many readers will be happy to agree with her. For most collections. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"What impact can your hands have on the world around you? How can you feel the energy of the earth in your back? What would God see if God saw through your eyes? This joyful and liberating exploration of the human body allows you—whatever your religious background—to delve into the mystery and spirituality of your physical self. Award-winning author Jan Phillips examines the ways we view our bodies and helps you to unmask and embrace the holiness of your physical self, allowing you to walk confidently, speak with authority, and connect with the Divine in new and surprising ways. Divining the Body takes a practical approach to the work of debunking years of societal and religious myths about the human body, leading you step by step through the major centers of the body and offering meditations, writing exercises, and suggestions for group activities along the way. At the end of this spiritual pilgrimage you will find yourself more in tune with your body and the people around you, for when we embrace the Divine within ourselves, it becomes natural to find and love the Divine in others."--Publisher's information Award-winning author Jan Phillips offers a joyful and liberating alternative to the degrading, socially constructed views of the body held by most of us today. She takes the reader on an energizing pilgrimage of their own bodies, exploring each part as a portal through which vital, creative, divine energy is received and released. This book fosters self-love, spiritual empowerment, and social consciousness by allowing readers to see their bodies as channels for expressing the Divine. Divining the Body leads readers into a milieu of reverence, mystery, and delight, helping them discover a redeemed sense of self. Readers will learn to trade self-defeating thoughts and behaviors for actions that are healing for themselves and others. A deep step into God-feet Love of the dance-legs The whole world in our hands-hands No holding back-back Sexuality and the sacred-generative organs The hourglass dress-belly The heart of the matter-heart Praising our own geography-breasts Claiming our voice-throat Let's hear it for the ears-ears Seeing our way clear-eyes A cell in the right brain of God-brain.