The Body Myth

"A young teacher living in a fictional Indian city becomes romantically involved with a sick woman and her husband"--

Long ago the ancestors of the Greeks, Romans, and Hindus were one people living on the Eurasian steppes. At the core of their religion was the "shamanic trance," a natural state but one in which consciousness achieves a profound level of inner awareness. Over the course of millennia, the Indo-Europeans divided and migrated into Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The knowledge of shamanic trance retreated from everyday awareness and was carried on in the form of myths and distilled into spiritual practices--most notably in the Indian tradition of yoga. J. Nigro Sansonese compares the myths of Greece as well as those of the Judeo-Christian tradition with the yogic practices of India and concludes that myths are esoteric descriptions of what occurs within the human body, especially the human nervous system, during trance. In this light, the myths provide a detailed map of the shamanic state of consciousness that is our natural heritage. This book carries on from the works of Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell to show how the portrayal of consciousness embodied in myth can be extended to a reappraisal of the laws of physics; before they are descriptions of the world, these laws--like myths--are descriptions of the human nervous system.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “This riveting and beautifully written tale has profound implications for all of our lives, including the practice of medicine and mental health.” —Bessel van der Kolk, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score “Wise, sophisticated, rigorous and creative: an intellectual and compassionate investigation of who we are and who we may become. Essential reading for anyone with a past and a future.” —Tara Westover, New York Times bestselling author of Educated “The Myth of Normal is a book literally everyone will be enriched by—a wise, profound and healing work that is the culmination of Dr. Maté's many years of deep and painfully accumulated wisdom.” —Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus “Gabor and Daniel Maté have delivered a book in which readers can seek refuge and solace during moments of profound personal and social crisis. The Myth of Normal is an essential compass during disorienting times.” —Esther Perel, psychotherapist, author, and host of Where Should We Begin From our most trusted and compassionate authority on stress, trauma, and mental well-being—a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing. Gabor Maté’s internationally bestselling books have changed the way we look at addiction and have been integral in shifting the conversations around ADHD, stress, disease, embodied trauma, and parenting. Now, in this revolutionary book, he eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their health care systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health? For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. In The Myth of Normal, co-written with his son Daniel, Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society, and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. The result is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.

You know what's good for you, right? WRONG. Find out the truths behind the biggest health and body myths of our time. Every day we're bombarded with new rules on what we should or shouldn't eat or drink, how much exercise to do, and how to stay healthy. No wonder we're confused. Enter Myth-Busting Your Body. Using the latest scientific research, it reveals the truth behind the biggest "wellness" myths of our times. Find out why most vitamins are useless, juicing is just a fad, and clean eating can be dangerous. It also debunks scaremongering health headlines, such as "everyone should avoid gluten" and "don't eat fats." Enhanced with lively infographics and color illustrations, this book challenges everything you thought you knew, provides holistic insight into human biology and the complexities of the body, and gives scientifically proven guidance on how to make real positive changes.

Have you ever had an ache or pain, and wished your body could talk to you and tell you what was wrong? You're not alone! Master storyteller Nancy Mellon, author of Body Eloquence, has guided scores of people through the process of giving their bodies a voice. Drawing from mythology, medicine, biology and energetic healing, she finds the essential stories that characterize each organ of the human body, and trains us how to use these resources to identify the messages that our organs are communicating to us. The heart, for instance, is not just a durable pump, sending oxygenated blood to every cell. It's also a representation of goodwill; a heart-to-heart connection, or an open-hearted friend, are universal stories we can all identify. But a hard-hearted person is one we all avoid. These archetypes are found in mythologies from Native American traditions to Scandinavian tribes to Greek history, and are woven together in a fascinating matrix in Body Eloquence, showing how our organs are part of our psyche, our history, and our collective mythology.

Clinical psychologist Margo Maine has been successfully helping adult women overcome eating disorders and body image problems for over twenty years. In The Body Myth, she explains the toll these problems can take on women’s lives and provides healing insights and proven techniques for reclaiming readers’ lives from the debilitating belief that a woman’s self-worth and her worth to others are derived from how she looks, how much she weighs, and what she eats–the Body Myth. Using poignant real-life stories, Dr. Maine explores the complex emotional, social, and cultural forces that perpetuate the Body Myth. A unique and invaluable source of information and inspiration, this breakthrough guide equips readers with the knowledge and tools to escape the clutches of the Body Myth and live a more balanced, fulfilling life.

The bestselling classic that redefined our view of the relationship between beauty and female identity. In today's world, women have more power, legal recognition, and professional success than ever before. Alongside the evident progress of the women's movement, however, writer and journalist Naomi Wolf is troubled by a different kind of social control, which, she argues, may prove just as restrictive as the traditional image of homemaker and wife. It's the beauty myth, an obsession with physical perfection that traps the modern woman in an endless spiral of hope, self-consciousness, and self-hatred as she tries to fulfill society's impossible definition of "the flawless beauty."

Proven solutions for a better night's sleep, from the "sleep guru" to elite athletes--rest for success in work, sports, and life One-third of our lives--that's 3,000 hours a year--is spent trying to sleep. The time we spend in bed shapes our moods, motivation, alertness, decision-making skills, reaction time, creativity...in short, our ability to perform, whether at work, at home, or at play. But most of us have disturbed, restless nights, relying on over-stimulation from caffeine and sugar to drag us through the day. The old eight-hour rule just doesn't work, and it's time for a new approach. Endorsed by leading professionals in sports and business, Sleep shares a new program to be your personal best. Nick Littlehales is the leading sport sleep coach to some of the biggest names in the sporting world, including record-breaking cyclists for British Cycling and Team Sky, international soccer teams, NBA and NFL players, and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Here, he shares his proven strategies for anyone to use. You'll learn how to map your unique sleep cycle, optimize your environment for recovery, and cope with the demands of this fast-paced, tech-driven world. Read Sleep and rest your way to a more confident, successful, and happier you.