Awakening Somatic Intelligence

The Art and Practice of Embodied Mindfulness

By: Risa F. Kaparo PhD, Rick Hanson PhD - foreword, James L. Oschman PhD - foreword

Narrated by: Margo Trueblood

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

“A detailed operating manual for healing pain and awakening embodied joy” through body-oriented Somatic Learning practices that incorporate mindfulness, breathing, and more (Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain)

Awakening Somatic Intelligence offers a guide to Somatic Learning, an innovative body-oriented approach that incorporates mindfulness, visualization, breathing exercises, postures, and stretches. Developed by author, psychotherapist, and award-winning songwriter and poet Risa Kaparo, PhD, Somatic Learning is based on leading-edge research demonstrating the power of the mind to activate physiological, mental, and emotional healing. Kaparo has successfully used her approach with patients suffering from chronic pain, high blood pressure, and mood disorders including depression and anxiety.

Recounting her own struggle with chronic pain, Kaparo begins with a moving description of her journey from crippling pain to renewed health and aliveness. Kaparo introduces the concepts and characteristics of Somatic Learning, a method that grew out of her personal healing experience. Incorporating the latest brain research in mindfulness and neuroplasticity, the book presents breathing exercises; postures and stretches for morning and bedtime; instructions for integrating mindfulness practice into one's daily life; and ways of deepening the practice through touch and caring interaction with others. Enhanced with over 100 detailed instructional photos and illustrations, the book includes inspiring case stories and the author's own expressive poetry that illuminate the healing power of this practice.

©2012 Risa F. Kaparo (P)2016 North Atlantic Books

Critic reviews

"Dr. Kaparo has a genius for both the body and its language. With the nurturing guidance of a great therapist, she offers a detailed operating manual for healing pain and awakening embodied joy." (Rick Hanson, PhD, best-selling author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom)

"Risa Kaparo opens doors to a magical realm where we joyfully discover how small shifts in our awareness can have enormous impact in our relationship to aging and pain. This breakthrough book does for somatic intelligence what Daniel Goleman's book did for emotional intelligence. It offers practical methods that will benefit all readers because they make us feel more alive and attuned to what extraordinary beings we are." (David Surrenda, PhD, CEO of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health)

"Dr. Kaparo has gone further than anyone in tapping into the intelligence of mindful awareness and discovering how this informs the functioning of each person's unique bodymind. Her newfound knowledge allows us to effortlessly retrace the pathways that lead to optimal physical, emotional, and spiritual health." (Peter Fenner, PhD, founder of Timeless Wisdom)

Brilliant!

I see that the reviews of this book are quite polarized, either people love it or hate it, which I can understand. I happen to love it. But that is because of where I am today. Perhaps if I listened to this book 10 years ago I would not understand it at all. But because I know so much more about my body today than I did 10 years ago I find meaning in every sentence. So from that basic knowledge that I’ve gained through yoga and psychology, I can take in what the author is trying to explain quite well. And to explain something so very subtle as somatic awakening, she does exceedingly well.

I find every sentence chock full of meaning. The author goes into great detail explaining what somatic awareness is and how it can affect every part of one’s life. This is the kind of book that can be read over and over again to gain greater and greater understanding. It is certainly not a quick fix, as the author explains. It requires constant practice to develop the greater awareness that the author demonstrates is available to us. I look forward to developing my own practice using the exercises described in this book.

By the way, I find the reader very good. Her voice is soothing and easy to listen to. I don’t hear breathiness as some reviewers mention.

the best book on Somatic Intelligence I've read.

I have listened over and over again. the author is brilliant! I also bought the physical book as there is so much content to absorb. I did not enjoy the reader, but the content is worth acclimating.

probably a great book

but I can't tell through all the forced, frantic sucks of air just before the start of every other sentence. like listening to the upstairs neighbors kick their shoes off over and over and over. I can't hear the words through all the huffing and puffing. whose idea was it to interject so many breaths? very distracting. sorry but that's my honest opinion.

One Long Advertisement

This book contains almost zero substance.
It sounds like one long advertisement for her therapy services. I did not learn about the topic of Somatic Intelligence from this book.