Call it nature or nurture, but women are caregivers. We are creative beings; whether it is gestating another life or growing a business. Unfortunately, the last person most of us are encouraged to nourish, is the woman in the mirror. The book, entitled The Way of The Happy Woman: Living The Best Year of Your Life is about to change all that with its simple message that we deserve happiness and loving self care. The book is chock full of ideas for feeding your tummy and your soul. The author, Sara Avant Stover has gathered together all manner of resources for ‘everywoman’ regardless of age, relationship status, education or physical condition. The languaging in the book is simple and straightforward as she endeavors to offer a luscious buffet of options that will have the reader clamoring for more. (What’s with the food metaphors?:)
It took a health crisis in the form of a cervical cancer diagnosis in 1999 to take this young woman who had viewed herself as healthy and active, (vegan diet and yoga practice among her day to day) and have her travel to Thailand, and even farther inward, to turn her life around. What it took, in addition to outward lifestyle changes, was internal exploration about what it truly meant to be a woman. She has unearthed those treasures and lovingly holds them out to be scooped up by her readers and students.
The Way Of The Happy Woman is a guide that will, metaphorically speaking, hold the reader’s hand and lead her through an entire years’ worth of ritual, menu and exercises, including yoga asanas, broken into seasonal tidbits. Measuring our lives by the season rather than the clock is a lost art that Stover is helping to reclaim.
Even those who have never set foot or tush on a yoga mat, will find the line drawings of the postures to be simple to learn and practical to use and the recipes (although I haven’t tried them yet:), sound yummy in anticipation.
With concepts such as The Pleasure Principle (page 136) and Reclaiming Rest (page 237), I found myself nodding and smiling in recognition of what I most need to recall in the midst of my sometimes ‘crazy-busy’ life.
Wanting to savor the wisdom shared by a sister who, like many of us, have been there, done that, got the t-shirt? Then by all means, read this book!
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