The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women

by Christine Valters Paintner

Overview

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. 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.

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.

Each of the book’s ten chapters is a mini-workshop designed to lead us to new ways of being in relationship with our bodies. Starting with the senses and shifting toward emotions and desires, Paintner explores their role as thresholds to discovering the body’s wisdom. 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.

Through expressive arts and creative movement, Paintner demonstrates a new a language and way of integrating and sharing our discoveries. 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781933495835
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	03/03/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She earned a doctorate in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and achieved professional status as a registered expressive arts consultant and educator from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She is also trained as a spiritual director and supervisor.

Paintner is the author of seventeen books on monasticism and creativity, including Sacred Time; Earth, Our Original Monastery; The Soul’s Slow Ripening; Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire; The Artist’s Rule; The Soul of a Pilgrim; Illuminating the Way; The Wisdom of the Body; and two collections of poetry. She is a Benedictine oblate living in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Together they lead online retreats at their website AbbeyoftheArts.com.

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She earned a doctorate in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and achieved professional status as a registered expressive arts consultant and educator from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She is also trained as a spiritual director and supervisor.

Paintner is the author of numerous spirituality titles, including The Love of Thousands; Birthing the Holy; Sacred Time; Earth, Our Original Monastery; The Soul’s Slow Ripening; The Wisdom of the Body; Illuminating the Way; The Soul of a Pilgrim; The Artist’s Rule; Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire; and three collections of poetry.

She is a Benedictine oblate living in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Together they lead online retreats at their website AbbeyoftheArts.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Viriditas: Claiming New Body Stories 13

2 Breath: The Gateway to the Body 33

3 Senses: The Threshold and Sacrament of Experience 53

4 Feelings and Desire: The Ocean of Emotion 73

5 Thoughts: The Inner Witness 93

6 Exile and Lament: The Vulnerability of the Body 109

7 Holiness Made Flesh: The Incarnation and Embodied Life 131

8 Ecstasy and Reclaiming Joy: Expanding Our Threshold of Tolerance 151

9 The Greening of the Body: The Earth as Matrix 173

10 Coming Home to Your Body: The Vocation of the Body 189

Conclusion 203

Acknowledgments 207

Notes 209

Additional Resources 213

Editorial Reviews

"The Wisdom of the Body met me where I was and transported me to a place I haven't been in a long time, drawing me across sacred thresholds and inviting me to pause, breathe, and renew my commitment to live life with attention and intention. Thank you, Christine Valters Paintner, for the gift of this book, this vision, this invitation!" —Mary DeTurris Poust, Catholic blogger and author of Cravings

"Christine Valters Paintner is a trusted guide, lighting the way home to body and soul. Sharing from experience, her compassionate voice speaks to us personally and offers creative resources, supportive allies, and wisdom from the great spiritual traditions. This book is a good map for the journey to wholeness. I put it at the top of my list to recommend to teachers and students seeking to embody the joy of spiritual life." —Cynthia Winton-Henry, Cofounder of InterPlay

"Christine Valters Paintner is a stunningly gifted teacher; I am so grateful that she shares her wisdom on women and embodiment in this latest book. Christine's ability to weave multi-faceted spiritual practice with the expressive arts in a sensitive and trauma-informed manner has long inspired me, and I know that many will be helped and inspired through this work. Christine is a true gem, a blessing, and a beacon of light to those of us who are on the path of healing—she is gentle, wise, and challenging in a harmonious blend that comes through in her spirit-filled teachings." —Jamie Marich, Clinical trauma expert and author of Dancing Mindfulness

"Christine Valters Paintner has found gems from the Christian tradition—from scripture, the saints, and the Desert Fathers and Mothers—and combined them with other practices such as dance, yoga, and poetry to create an eclectic, hands-on book sure to deepen your spirituality. A mini-retreat you can take at your own pace, The Wisdom of the Body is inspiring and possibly life-changing for those who struggle with body issues but also meaningful for those comfortable within their body." —Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter columnist

"Christine Valters Paintner is so much more than a truly fine writer; she's a teacher, a guide, and a friend along the way. In The Wisdom of the Body, she once again plumbs ancient monastic wisdom to help solve a contemporary problem: the sad rift between body and soul that too often limits our experience of God." —Paula Huston, Author of One Ordinary Sunday

From the Publisher