The Intuitive Body is an explanation of Wendy Palmer’s techniques and practices for embodiment. These are an amalgamation of several physical and spiritual traditions filtered through her own experience. The result is a healthy helping of California Aikido with some Buddhism-flavored sauce.
This book is a bit more woo-woo than I usually can tolerate. However, Palmer’s writing is grounded in her own life. Her stories of her upbringing and formative experiences make a powerful backdrop. The personal nature of her practice comes through; even if things are a bit “out there”, they are evidently sincere. And for every thing that is “out there”, there is a grounded simple exercise you can do. This is not just a personal history, but a guide you can follow to walk the same path.
My main criticism of this book is the writing. It is repetitive and meandering. There are numerous typos, misused words, and tortured metaphors. This book needed more editing. I also would have liked more definitions and clarifications of some of the language used; she often uses her own terminology, and some concepts are introduced with minimal explanation. Despite these weaknesses, there is a lot to recommend here. Palmer presents some excellent imagery to better understand the human experience and many straightforward tools for uniting the mind and the body, if you’re in to that sort of thing.