There are also suggestions for blessing each of the senses through eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. Simply opening the window to the sounds of birdsong can represent sound. Her invitation is to create a special place at home, which could be an altar, where there are symbols for each of the five senses. I particularly appreciated the chapter entitled 'Senses: The Threshold and Sacrament of Experience.' The senses are doorways into the holy as Paintner points out. Bridget of Kildare and Amma Syncletica, one of the Desert Mothers who went out into the deserts of Egypt and Syria 'to find a different way of life in intimacy with God.'

There are allies along the healing, contemplative journey, including Hildegard of Bingen (whose visions appeared to her in mandala form) Sophia the Unnamed Woman from Song of Songs Eve St. I appreciated that reminder as I engaged in the creative art practices such as a drawing a mandala and putting together a collage. 'Central to the expressive arts is an emphasis on process,' Paintner points out. She has been trained in the practices she shares such as yin yoga and the expressive arts.

She writes from her own lived experience so that readers know they are not alone when it comes to the tendency to ignore the needs of our bodies as we push through a multitude of tasks. 'This book is rooted in the conviction that our bodies offer us the deepest wisdom-wisdom that can guide us through the river of life,' Paintner says in the introduction to the book. Each of the ten chapters ends with a 'BodyPsalm' written by Celeste Snowber who is a professor of arts education in Vancouver, British Columbia. They really help to create a community of other women getting in touch with the wisdom of our bodies. Some of the poetry is from women who have followed Christine Valters Paintner's live and online versions of the material. It's a dance that is 'inner directed and improvisational.') Artist Karen Newe created lovely drawings to help clarify the yoga poses. (Conscious dance is a practice of meditation and awareness without prescribed steps. The variety of practices are drawn primarily from desert, Celtic, and Benedictine monastic traditions with body-based practices from conscious dance and yin yoga. There are passages to read, questions on which to reflect, visual art practices, movement suggestions including yin yoga poses, and poetry to inspire.

The Wisdom of the Body has been a welcome addition to my morning practice. By exploring the lives of women in the Bible and in the Christian tradition-including Eve, Mary, Hildegaard of Bingen, and Amma Syncletica-Paintner introduces us to companions that accompany us on our journey. Through expressive arts and creative movement, Paintner demonstrates a new a language and way of integrating and sharing our discoveries. She draws from Christian tradition to offer principles and practices such as stability, hospitality, and gratitude to lead us on a journey that ends with a sense of deep peace and self-acceptance. Starting with the senses and shifting toward emotions and desires, Paintner explores their role as thresholds to discovering the body’s wisdom. In The Wisdom of the Body, Christine Valters Paintner focuses on the true meaning of the Incarnation-God became flesh-and points to the spiritual importance of appreciating the bodies God gave us.Įach of the book’s ten chapters is a mini-workshop designed to lead us to new ways of being in relationship with our bodies. Christine Valters Paintner, popular author of nine books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, draws from Celtic, desert, and Benedictine traditions to help women connect with their bodies through writing, visual art, and movement. The distorted view of the perfect female body created by popular culture, television, movies, and the media often causes women to become uncomfortable with their own bodies.

Amma syncletica desert mother