"Read this book and you will discover that there is only one beauty, and you are that."~Deepak Chopra
How could I resist a book with this quote on the front cover?
I marveled at Deepak Chopra's first book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, published in 1993. Back then I was a new mom, and felt a sense of great possibility nurtured by Deepak Chopra's beliefs and ideas about how we may contribute to our own health and well-being.
In Love Your Body, Love Your Life: 5 Steps to End Negative Body Obsession and Start Living Happily and Confidently, body-image expert, speaker, and writer Sarah Maria, who has trained with spiritual and self-help teachers including Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon, and Wayne Dyer, presents ways to banish negative body obsession (NBO). Sarah Maria decided to write this book because she suffered deeply from NBO, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. She's certainly not alone. In fact, negative body obsession is a modern cultural epidemic, and the statistics for eating disorders are quite alarming. In America alone, nearly 10 million females and 1 million males are battling eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and millions more suffer from binge eating disorder. But there is hope. The author wants us to know that we can move beyond self-loathing, beyond the "Barbie doll-like" images we're bombarded with by the media. She stresses the value of being more gentle and loving with yourself, instead of demanding an unrealistic and unattainable standard of "perfection". Beauty comes in all sizes, shapes, and colors.
Love Your Body, Love Your Life provides a five-step plan to help people learn how to love their bodies and their lives. Without revealing too much of the book, here are the steps in the process, and a few related quotes from the book.
- Set a Powerful Intention ~ "The power of intention is the power of love."
- Identify and Detach from Negative Thoughts ~ "Proactively identify and detach from the negative thoughts that are keeping you trapped."
- Discover Who You Really Are ~ "As nature is, so am I."
- Befriend Your Body ~ "Experience the majesty of your own body."
- Live Your Purpose ~ "You were intended to realize your soul's highest potential."
I definitely recognize the influence of Deepak Chopra's special blend of new-age spirituality and thought on Sarah Maria's work. This book is empowering, especially to women, and counts toward the Women Unbound Reading Challenge. At the very core of Love Your Body, Love Your Life is the importance of changing your thinking--about food, about your body, about your very being. By changing your thoughts, you can change your life for the better.
Special thanks to Paula and Penny from AME for sending me this very positive book.
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