Book Review: Embody

I recently finished reading the book Embody: Learning to Love Your Unique Body (and Quiet that Critical Inner Voice!).  The book is by Connie Sobczak, co-founder of the non-profit organization The Body Positive.

Embody is a beautiful book, woven with heart-wrenching stories and inspiring quotes, that teaches the five competencies of the Be Body Positive Model.  The competencies are:

1. Reclaim Health
2. Practice Intuitive Self-Care
3. Cultivate Self-Love
4. Declare Your Own Authentic Beauty
5. Build Community

I loved this book.  In my experience, the ability to appreciate your body is often a rate-limiting step to rejecting the diet mentality and committing to a Health at Every Size® approach.  I highly recommend this book to anyone with a body!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Worrying too much about anything – be it calories, salt, cancer or cholesterol – is bad for you… living optimistically, with pleasure, zest and commitment, is good.” – Robert Ornstein, PhD and David Sobel, MD, Healthy Pleasures

“Reexamine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul.” – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

“Everything in moderation, including excess.”

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – The Buddha

“We are, each and every one of us, a physical miracle… and gratitude is a healing force.”

“Your body allows you to be here on Earth, which is an excellent reason to celebrate it, care for it well, and give it love as often as you possibly can.”

Listen to your body, love your body, and choose to see the beauty in yourself and in others.  You only get one life to live, and one body in which to live it.

See more of my top recommended books.

Health At Every Size and HAES are registered trademarks of the Association for Size Diversity and Health and used with permission.