Stress Mastery: The Art of Coping Gracefully

Cultivating Body Wisdom

This chapter will focus on acquiring what we call body wisdom. Usually we think of wisdom as having an awful lot to do with the things we say and think. For many it is a measure of how many facts they know or how intelligent they are. Body wisdom, however, is not about how thoughts affect your body but about how your body affects your thoughts. We maintain that the body is intelligent, wise if you will, and that this wisdom can be tapped to improve your health, well-being, and performance.

Midway through graduate school one of the authors made a personal discovery that has guided his work as a therapist, trainer, and student ever since. The story illustrates the central premise of the chapter.

It was the most difficult ...