Description
A guided tour through the body’s innate healing powers
Many of us have learned to ignore, deny, or even mistrust the wise messages our bodies give us. The result is that when trauma strikes, a time when we need every aspect of our beings to master the challenge, we may find ourselves disconnected from our greatest strengths. Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, who has spent thirty years studying the gifts of the body and teaching thousands how to reclaim them, began to recognize this strength, which she likens to a GPS, when she herself experienced a life-threatening trauma. Here she walks readers through different areas of the body, revealing the wisdom they hold and how to reconnect with that wisdom. As she shows in this warm, compassionate book, the body’s abilities are always available; we must simply reconnect with them.
Christine Allison (verified owner) –
I’m the first to admit it: This review is completely biased — because it has my pleasure to have worked for the last 7 years with the inspiring individual who wrote this book.
I watched her write it. Observed the the early mornings and late nights she spent pouring over notes and research, and writing, and later giving careful consideration to feedback from trusted colleagues and friends.
Suzanne does not do anything half-way. I watched her pour her being into this, her second book, to make it as full and accessible as it can be to as many people as possible, so that these concepts and practices can help as many of us as possible to get a leg up (pun intended!) on reconnecting to the quiet wisdom of our own bodies — a native instinct that we’ve collectively droned out and taught ourselves to ignore on a cultural level, to the point where most of us aren’t even aware these powerfully wise resources within us are even there.
This woman practices what she preaches. She writes from her own grounded, full body presence, and the result is a down-to-earth style that speaks directly to us and meets us where we are. The stories she offers are real and relatable. Her clear, thoughtful descriptions of the practical exercises of this book — known as Explorations — are simple enough for those new to her work to begin and see immediate results, and deep enough for her most dedicated students to sink their teeth into.
These are not fly-by-not practices, but ones that she had made a part of her daily life, connecting with her own fully body presence during quiet moments and leading others into theirs, multiple times a day.
How do I know this? I see it. I see it every time she stops to take a long, slow and deep breath between calls, meetings and appointments. I see it when I walk in early on Monday mornings — her personal time, her slow time, much of it she spent writing — as she looks out over the lake, her back straight and face relaxed, fueling her being from the resources around her. I see it when she leads clients and good friends into their being, and that same day leads groups of students, or halls full of people. This is her life, absolutely everyday.
It’s why I love working for her. And ultimately, it’s why I highly recommend her work, particularly this new book. Suzanne knows something instinctive to us all that we’ve conveniently culturally forgotten. She’s made it who-she-is, what-she-does, and her life is about showing it to others. Everyday, all day, this is her mission: Awakening everyone to their natural inheritance, their full body presence within.
This mission is at the core of Reclaiming Your Body. If it speaks to you, check out what Suzanne has to say. See if this work is right for you. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made.
Sharon Desjarlais (verified owner) –
I got an advance copy of this book and I’m very impressed. The author’s 30+ years of researching, practicing and teaching these concepts comes through in such a clear and elegant way.
Personally, I have long believed the body can communicate a ton of valuable information to us — as long as we’re in a position to hear it.
What I didn’t understand was how different parts of the body actually send us different kinds of messages. And when you fully understand the specialization of each of these “wisdom areas,” you can get a depth of information I never knew was possible.
I also love the explorations the author guides us through to get to a state of full-body presence. I can tell you, from having worked with the author’s processes in the past, this alone is life-changing. When I get into this state, I’m literally able to perceive things I never could before. It feels grounding and nourishing and powerful. And I LOVE the warm and moving stories that bring the concepts to life in the book.
If you’ve suffered any kind of trauma — or help clients who have — I highly recommend this book. It’s a gold mine.
Henry Reed (verified owner) –
Do you remember the old book, The Wisdom of the Body, by Walter Cannon? It was first published in 1932. What have we learned since then? As the author points out, feelings and especially imagery are excellent tools for communicating with the body’s wisdom. The use of imagery was not well known back in Cannon’s day. It was in the late 60’s and early 70’s that labs began to discover that imagery, rather than verbal suggestion, was capable of influencing bodily functions. In Reclaiming Your Body the author goes way beyond Cannon’s premise to specify the kind of imagery that works best with various components of the body. She also provides specific healing strategies for various ailments. Throughout the book, she reminds us that as we learn to reconnect with the wisdom of our body, we are learning to reside in our true, intuitive selves. What could be better than that? Best to keep the book around for reference.
Hope (verified owner) –
This book is full of practical, actionable information to help us all feel more at ease in our bodies and in our lives. Whether you’re working through significant trauma or simply overwhelmed by the fast pace of today’s world, the concepts and explorations in this book will be helpful to you. The writing is clear, approachable, and free of dogma.
I use Suzanne’s work daily, both for myself and with my clients. This is a book I highly recommend.
Kate, PT (verified owner) –
This was a highly anticipated book for me after reading Full Body Presence and studying with Suzanne. The book did not disappoint. It gives practical ways to listen to the different parts of our body and the messages each of these area are sending us. I love the downloadable audios that give the practical guidance to carry out what Suzanne describes. The book does what tittle says – I can reclaim my body!`
Cyrus Webb<span class="a-icon a-profile-verified-badge"><span class="a-profile-verified-text"></span></span> (verified owner) –
I’m grateful for books like this one by Suzanne Scurlock-Durana that remind me of the importance of taking care of myself.
In RECLAIMING YOUR BODY she gives us examples of individuals who were putting themselves last and how she was able to help them correct the path they were on and start living a more enjoyable life. This book has many layers for me, and one of the most important ones is to realize how what we carry can affect us. Suzanne reminds us that we have to be willing to recognize the things around us that might be causing us harm and then to take the steps necessary to change. That will probably be the most difficult thing for some as we are used to just going on and not carrying so much about ourselves until it’s too late.
If you are willing to do the work and recognize the trouble areas for yourself this book can definitely help you to heal and and live a happier, healthier life.
Paige Oldham (verified owner) –
If you have chronic aches and pains or other ailments, can’t seem to get your passion project going, or feel blocked in any area of your life, this book can help you to find what’s been missing. It can help you identify what doctors can’t find in tests, what your mental blocks are and what you need to feel whole. I love the downloadable audios the author has on her site that complement the book. Highly recommend!
L. Sellers (verified owner) –
Love the book, as a CST it came in handy of my 1st session after reading it. I plan to reread asap.
Marcia Bamber (verified owner) –
This book gives clear ideas and exercises and has helped me feel more comfortable in my own skin, literally!
lehag (verified owner) –
Very clearly and concisely explained. I love the way it’s made so accessible and doable. Lots came up for me and it took me a while to work through the pain I’ve been experiencing. Lots more to do but a great way to help increase and trust intuition. Better than other intuition books I’ve read as it gives basis. Thanks
Basilo (verified owner) –
Ongoing use of explorations to support grounding while applying therapy for clients during massage therapy treatment.