Full Body Presence: Learning to Listen to Your Body's Wisdom

by Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, D.O. John E. Upledger (Foreword)

Many teachers stress the importance of living in the present moment. Few give the actual practices to make it attainable. This book teaches you how to return to the incredible navigational system of the body and more fully inhabit each moment.

For over twenty-five years, Suzanne Scurlock-Durana has masterfully taught her step-by-step practice of present moment awareness through her own combination of bodywork and CranioSacral therapy. The practices of Full Body Presence help you find a deeper awareness in the moment, even in the midst of chaos, family and work demands, or the pressure to perform. This deeper awareness also brings a fuller sense of trust and confidence in yourself and in the world. Full Body Presence is filled with concrete, life-friendly explorations and instruction clearly presented in both the book and the free accompanying downloadable audio files.

Genres: Nonfiction, Personal Development, Spirituality, Health

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Hello! I’m Suzanne, and I’m one of the world’s leading authorities on conscious awareness and its transformational impact on the healing process.

For more than 30 years I’ve empowered people just like you with practical tools to experience joy in each moment without burning out. These skills help improve every aspect of your life, from health and well-being to relationships, careers, creativity, even the growth of your business.

I created the comprehensive Healing From the Core training curriculum in 1994. Today it includes a robust selection of international workshops, webinars, speaking engagements and audio programs.

I’m also the author of both Reclaiming Your Body: Healing From Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom (New World Library, 2017) and Full Body Presence: Learning to Listen to Your Body’s Wisdom (New World Library, 2010).

Enjoy your reading!

Reviews

[Jeff Maziarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The classic self-help book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle provides convincing evidence of the critical importance of focusing our attention in the present, for it's the only time we experience that is actually "real." In Full Body Presence Suzanne Scurlock-Durana takes Tolle's excellent work a step further by providing very practical tools to assist you in becoming more "present" in your life (as opposed to the common human tendency to constantly ponder about either the past or the future).

When you purchase this book, you also gain access to three free down-loadable audio "Explorations" to assist you in the process. The first is called "Opening Awareness", the second is "Grounding and Filling", and the third is "Healing the Internal Resistance to Life". I've used all three of them for several weeks and they are very powerful audios. The author has a lovely voice and the audios give the impression that she's sitting there right with you coaching you through the exercises. As such, I highly recommend this book (and the audios) as a spiritual growth resource. Here's one of my favorite passages from it:

"Another common form of resistance is to secretly, nor not so secretly, wait for the someone or something of one’s dreams to come along to finally make one whole and truly happy. This behavior patterns shows itself in various forms – a fear of rejection, impossibly high standards, a fear of commitment or of entrapment, for example. In whatever form, this pattern limits use because we disconnect from our internal experience and dissipate our energy focusing outside of ourselves, looking for that other person or situation that is going to solve our internal distress or loneliness. In this pattern, we once again unknowingly relinquish our power. When we stop waiting and we take back the responsibility for our happiness, our power returns as well. Opportunities come to us when we are at home in our power, open to receive what we desire."

[Shaunaly Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a gift from a client of mine and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is a quick read but it is filled with a plethora of step by step techniques to help one obtain a more meaningful life of conscious awareness and a deeper understanding of self-realization. Living in the moment, appreciating everyday experiences, forgiving your most vulnerable self as well as understanding your presence and your perception of that are all valuable tools that this book will help the reader to comprehend and fully accept as long as they're open to the experience.

[Robert Bucur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains some of the most powerful techniques of healing, grounding and removing blocajes. I recomand it to all who had tried other alternative healing methods that didn't worked for them. In my case it had a tremendous succes.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Listen… your body is speaking to you.”

In a world where degree of success seems to determine our personal value, the great majority of us find ourselves stressed, pushing ourselves physically beyond healthy boundaries, and trying to stay ahead of the game. We want to win no matter what the cost.

We seem to believe that the end will justify the means. When our body cries out in pain, we ignore it. If something doesn’t feel right, we convince ourselves that we are being silly. The thought never occurs to us that maybe we need to slow down, listen to our body, and find out what would really make us happy.

Full Body Presence looks at the importance of listening to our body to find the answers to our life. This work is based upon five principles: trust the existence of nurturing life energy, feel the presence of life energy in your body, integrate life energy throughout your entire system, expand your perceptual lens, and choose nourishing resources moment to moment. Accompanying the text are three downloadable audio explorations so that you can begin your own investigations or to support you through difficult transitions. Essentially, the goal is to learn to listen to our body, allow life energy to flow freely throughout, and to understand what is most important in our lives.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple, clear set of instructions on learning better body and energetic awareness without any religious or overtly spiritual trappings. Much of this is familiar to me as a Buddhist and bodyworker, but it was a good reminder and a solid way to practice self care.

[Isaiah Minick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to my own body is becoming more and more important in my process of healing. In order to be able to tap into the wisdom of my body I need to be in touch with it, to feel all the signals that my body is communicating to me. I feel most alive is when I feel most connected with my body. It's a peace of being able to be present with whatever is coming up in the moment, accepting it all.

This book mainly talks about 5 principles of Full Body Presence, when we are able to access we are able to live a fuller life - physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The five principles are:

1. Trust - the existence of nurturing life energy
2. Feel - the presence of the life energy in your body
3. Integrate - this life energy throughout your entire system
4. Expand - your perceptual lens
5. Choose - Nourishing resources moment to moment.

All of these principles are intertwined, and when I feel disconnected I can turn to one of these to bring myself back to a presence of living fully. The three that stand out to be helpful for me are feeling, expanding, and choosing.

We first need to be in tune to what our body is feeling. So much of my living experience is putting meaning behind the feeling - assigning stories to make things fit. This is limiting experience. I can be swayed by the stories, by others emotions, by my patterns in my life. Instead I want to dive into feeling exactly how my body feels with different external and internal changes.

Then Expanding is very important for me. It resides in seeing things clearly, releasing expectations and my limiting beliefs, opening to a more full life. Sometimes our limiting beliefs are so ingrained in our psychology that it feels like the truth. One line that stood out is : "Notice what you assume about the other person when they don't act like you expect them to act. Can you expand your perceptual lens and include a world where their action is different from the way you were raised?" Talking with a professional can help expand your lens of what is possible in the world, as can truly talking with others to understand their perception of reality.

Choosing is the last principle that really stands out to me. Once I start feeling into my body, expanding my perception of possibilities, I can start choosing better options for me - the whole of me. This will take time - and courage. To start choosing nurturing habits that will bring me inner peace. How can I stay grounded through my day. How can I say no to things that I will enjoy but not be healthy for me holistically. As I start to make these healthy choices I realize that I can continue to do this the rest of my life. Creating a healthier life where I am peaceful, grounded, and in tune with my body.

The last point I took from this book(among many more) is that as we become more aware of our bodies and more in tune to our feelings we might start being more aware of unhealthy and unpleasant habits and behaviors in us. It may feel like we are going backwards - I suddenly feel sad, anxious, tired. But these are just feeling too - and feelings are just indicators for what we need. It's OK and human to feel the full range of emotions. And I know that I have been blocking these less than pleasant emotions by chasing happiness without letting the other parts of my body to feel.

So, take courage when you start diving into feeling into your body. It's not always going to feel like its good. Just how working out isn't always pleasant, the rewards are worth it. Learn to tune into your body and trusting what it is telling you.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although monotonous and repetitive for most of the book, there is some deep natural wisdom here that reminds us all how to reconnect with healthy grounding habits. The author talks about how we can build that mind-body connection, broaden our perceptual lens, and tune into our bodies and minds to heal ourselves fully and independently. It read a bit empty and vague at times I’ll admit, but as someone who believes there is a magic to how our body can heal itself, I was invested enough in the book. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend.

Take away quotes:

“Healing happens in your own time, in a way you can integrate. Sometimes healing comes quickly in a rush of energy. Other times, it slowly moves in, until one day realize you are not struggling anymore.”

“Julie realized her work was actually the back off, let go of the goal, and let her softening awareness just be there, without trying to do anything”

“Whenever you start feeling doubtful, fearful, or empty, let those feelings be a signal to you. Let them remind you to feel your feet, to connect to the rich energy of the Earth, to take a slow, deep breath, to say a prayer, to take a walk, or to do whatever nurtures and fills you up and healthy way.”

[Zuzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable, pleasant and simple read for bodyworkers and anyone interested in building a self-awareness. I'm adding the guided explorations included as a part of daily routine. I think that, in a longer run, they can make me much more present in my body, more content and calm. But the effects are visible already, also in my yoga practice. I had a few light-bulb moments with the insights from the book. Recommend an audiobook version read by the author.

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

not sure why i hated this so much

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is valuable. I have to think more about how I feel. This had some good insight, but I haven’t finished all the explorations yet.

[Ken Mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thought provoking book in helping individuals find internal peace and healing