It's a handy self-care guide, especially for those less familiar with or wanting a reminder of the concept of embodiment.

The tone is gently encouraging and supportive, not judgmental or directive.

The book is a balanced mix of simple, do-able exercises, affirmations, and conceptual explanations that are simple and full. The book also highlights basic and simple fundamental principles, like "my body is me" and "It is never too late to learn how to come back home to myself."

Topics include some basics of embodiment, emotions, trauma and stress, pain and illness, oppression/power, pleasure and enjoyment, and spirit.

The Appendix, a Leader's Guide to using these ideas and exercises with groups, is quite obviously practical. I’ve facilitated many groups and can easily see using these ideas.

I was not familiar with McBride's previous book, but after reading this I will definitely be looking for it. This book may seem small, but it's packed with lots of practices, prompts and questions that dig deep. I highly recommend it if you're looking for ways to build a mind and body connection. I think it'd be a great basis for a group workshop or to work through alone.

This one was a mixed bag for me, but I think it would appeal to a very specific reader.

First, the concept of "embodied" was new to me. The idea is that we often disassociate our "selves" from our physical bodies, and instead consider our true selves to be more tied to our intellectual or spiritual selves. And this occurs in different ways - maybe trauma, but maybe just societal/media ideas about bodies.

So, these are specific exercises to reconnect to one's body. She mentions that she wrote another book about embodied living, and maybe that would be a better starting point if, like me, this is a new idea for you. Because this book is literally mostly exercises to try.

Many of them involve movement, although some may involve touch, affirmations, and other things. Some are as simple as walking outside barefoot, really... but I think part of it is to see what feelings these exercises bring up.

If you know that reconnecting with your physical body is something you need to do, this might be perfect for you! If you are a regular practitioner of yoga, mindfulness, meditation, or the like... you may feel you connect with your body regularly enough with those (or other physical) practices. And if you're new to the concept, you may just want to read about it a bit more before diving straight into the exercises.

This book could be a blog post - it's the editing that makes "Practices for Embodied Living" look like a full-sized publication but in reality there's very little to actually read, and the content only scratches the surface of the subject of embodiment anyway.

Did you love The Wisdom of your Body? This book is almost a companion piece.

Discussing everything from stress and trauma, body image and sexuality, McBride does such a wonderful job of reconnecting our brains with our body.

This is an active book. Read, yes, but there are lots of calls-to-action to help you self-reflect.

I don’t know if I agree with everything she states (can I disagree with a doctor?). For instance, while a lot of what we consider problems and faults with our body come directly from capitalism, and society’s misogyny, sometimes our body DOES malfunction, and I wish there had been more attention paid to those with chronic conditions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press for this helpful ARC.

This is a very thoughtful approach to being mindful and aware of your own body. This title is better suited for an individual to own rather than using a library book.

McBride writes that we learn to experience ourselves as a body through three pathways:

MENTAL: the stories we think and perpetuate about bodies
SOCIAL: the social landscape around us
PHYSICAL: the physical experiences we have

In Practices for Embodied Living, McBride gives us activities to try with our bodies, stories to open us up to embodiment, ways to help our bodies and minds become better friends.

They are simple things, such us:

"Imagine that your nondominant hand is your thinking self and that your dominant hand is your sensing, bodily self. Try holding them side by side, noticing how the distance feels. When you’re ready, experiment with bringing them closer together, clasping your hands and interweaving your fingers. What do your thoughts long to hear from your sensing body? What does your bodily self long to hear from your thinking self?"

But they are important things.

"Complete the following sentences:
'It makes me feel loved when a friend . . .' (try doing that for yourself)
'I long to hear from those I love that I . . .' (try saying this to yourself)"

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for practices to become more embodied. You'll find lots of exercises to try that are easy for any body to do.

My thanks to Netgalley and Baker Academic & Brazos Press.

Not exactly my type of book, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good book. However, I did agree with some points. We are more than just our thoughts. Our bodies are just as much “us” as our brain. Society has done a number on how we view and treat our bodies. We should be more accepting of ourselves and how we look. 100% on board with all of this.

I do think the exercises could be beneficial to someone who is into that kind of thing and who struggles to accept their appearance. There was just way too much touching and rolling around and dancing for me.

Hillary McBride’s work is a must-read for anyone doing embodiment work, and this companion to Wisdom of Your Body is a great book for people looking for practical steps to take. Highly recommend.

“Your body is a voice worth listening to.”

After learning from the absolute brilliance of Hillary McBride’s The Wisdom of Your Body, I am excited this companion is out in the world!

This serves as a practical guide to help us move through exercises to become more attuned to the wisdom of our bodies. What I love most about it is how clear, direct, & simple it is to read, while offering needed insights about how to come back home to ourselves. McBride concisely explains how we become disembodied, how to heal from stress and trauma, appearance and image, getting to know the emotional body, relating differently to pain, illness, and injury, the body and oppression, pleasure & enjoyment, and reconciling the spirit and body divide. It is visually simple and beautiful, with eye-catching graphics that illustrate the concepts she addresses, and has exercises to put into practice.

I especially appreciated the section about feelings. It seems like we ought to know the simple building blocks that make up our emotional selves, but I found it helpful to read about the 7 core emotions & the purpose of each, as well as how we use defenses and inhibitory emotions (shame, guilt, and anxiety) to avoid being with our feelings. This helped me process my emotional response to a difficult situation in real time! I also appreciated the section in which she discusses the connection between body and spirit, which has been (artificially) in western culture.

In my own work with therapists and my spiritual director, as well as in my work with spiritual direction clients, it has become glaringly obvious that many of us suffer from disembodiment, which comes at a price. In spiritual direction, I often discuss with clients the need to practice turning inward& being with our bodies in a compassionate way. The question that always comes up is, “How??” This book is the perfect guide to help us do just that, whether we are just beginning our journey of embodiment or are experienced travelers who need fresh ideas.

I love this book and Dr. McBride’s work with my whole heart! Thank you Brazos Press for my review copy of this lovely book!

As a therapist who’s been working with clients with eating disorders for 20+ years, I’m always looking for resources that truly help people. This one needs to go on every therapist’s shelf. There is so much packed into this book- wisdom about how to see our bodies and ourselves that will transform you, and practices that invite you immediately into a different, gentle, loving relationship with yourself through your body’s wisdom. The author brilliantly weaves together solid research, personal insight, clinical experience, practicality, and immense depth. My own life has been transformed by her work.

I have loved "The Wisdom of Your Body" by Hillary and use it as a resource for myself and my clients. Having the Practices of Embodied Living as a companion has been and will continue to be impactful. This book allows you to use the embodiment skills as you need and want. You can use it daily, weekly, or pick it up whenever. As a clinician in the mental health field, there aren't a lot of these books available that are also written by a person who has researched them and put them in a digestible form.
There appears to be a typo on pg 55 under "Shutting down". I believe the sentence should be "What does the world around me..."instead of "what does the work around me...". I feel it is "world" as I believe the author is asking to externalize our emotional awareness by observing the world around us. Work vs world changes the meaning of the sentence.

Practices for Embodied Living builds on McBride’s previous work in Wisdom of Your Body. It doesn’t require the prior book having been read or its knowledge to apply the practices to life. This is a down to earth guide for getting the mind back in touch with the body.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brazos Press for an ARC of this book.

Well now I can't wait to read the companion piece, The Wisdom of Your Body! I've long believed that we hold trauma and other feelings in our bodies, but didn't know where to start when it came to accessing and healing those emotions -- until this gem of a book came along! McBride offers practical exercises that allow you to fully experience your body. This is a book I'll keep coming back to, and has helped improved my relationship with my mind, body, and self.

First I have to say that the formatting on this ARC did not work out properly so I didn't get the fully experience of this book as it was intended as the drawings came over the words and didn't look the same as I am sure it will in the final version.

All that aside this was a very practical book about leaning into yourself, learning more about your body and living your whole self. It would be best experienced when doing all of the activities as it is a book that you really need to *do* to get the full benefits of.

This book contains hundreds of great activities, journaling prompts and reflection questions for practicing greater embodiment. It is organized by topic for easy reference, and has a helpful leaders' guide for those practicing in a group. This serves as a perfect accompaniment to McBride's book "The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection through Embodied Living" or a standalone resource.

This was such an excellent short resource to follow The Wisdom of Your Body (although it stands well on its own too)! I am such a fan of Hillary McBride's work and research and am so glad to have this incredibly accessible book of practices for myself and to share with others.

In "Practices for Embodied Living," clinical psychologist Hillary McBride builds upon the principles explored in "The Wisdom of Your Body." This experiential guide, enriched with prompts and activities, empowers readers to embody a healthier perspective. Addressing topics like stress, trauma, body image, and more, the book provides practical exercises to restore the mind-body connection and encourages a compassionate understanding of one's own body.

This guide is no ordinary one; it's hands-on with activities and reflection questions woven into the reading experience. There's minimal explanation – just what's essential to aid your understanding of each prompt. While I haven't delved into "The Wisdom of Your Body" yet, it's high on my list now. Considering "Practices for Embodied Living" builds on it, reading them together seems beneficial. I went cover to cover, but the segments allow for a flexible, interchangeable approach.

Thank you @brazospress for the gifted copy of this book 🥰 I’m looking forward to utilizing these practices regularly. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Exploring holistic activities on embodied life
Resisting ultra myths about ideal bodies
Integrating psychological principles into daily practices

Similar to:
The Body Revelation by Alisa Keeton
Breaking Free From Body Shame by Jess Connolly
Sacred Self-Care by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes

Throughout the excellent PRACTICES FOR EMBODIED LIVING, Hillary McBride encourages readers to live from their most grounded, centered, and whole self. Transferring emphasis from only thinking to whole-bodied knowing, the reader is supported in seeing themselves as larger than their brain, words, and culturally imposed ideas of what it is to live a good life. While parts of the book felt repetitive to me, I did enjoy the beautiful visuals and the experience of having my fundamental beliefs about living well challenged. I see this book as being essential reading for counselors, teachers, those who are educators and coaches in all walks of life. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Brazos Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who is feeling disconnected from the body. The exercises that Dr. McBride outlines in Practices for Embodied Living are thoughtful, accessible, and extremely helpful. I highly recommend this for practitioners who work with individuals who have experienced trauma or body dysmorphia, or those who want to connect deeper with themselves.