Returning Home to Our Bodies: Reimagining the Relationship Between Our Bodies and the World--Practices for connecting somatics, nature, and social change

by Abigail Rose Clarke

For readers of adrienne maree brown, Staci K. Haines, and Robin Wall Kimmerer

A body-based healing model that interrogates what we’ve been wrongly taught about hierarchies of nature and the body—and pushes back against the white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism embedded in modern embodiment practices.

Pushing back against a consumerist, pleasure-centric somatics industry that privileges product over process, Abigail Rose Clarke reminds us that truly meaningful embodiment practice nurtures our relationships among self, nature, and community.

Combining the rigor of the scientific method with the poetry and lyricism of movement and somatic studies, Clarke’s somatic learning system—The Embodied Life Method—centers the body as a guide through today’s most seemingly intractable social and environmental challenges, reclaiming the body as a source of liberatory comfort in times of great uncertainty and yet, possibility.

With tools and practices to help us better understand and dismantle the many ways our bodies are weaponized to serve domination systems, topics covered


With methods honed over decades of inquiry, teaching, and practice, Returning Home to Our Bodies provides a lucid, body-based model of healing and restoration—one that imagines a world beyond systems of domination, marginalization, and isolation to nurture embodied, whole-community liberation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help, Psychology, Spirituality, Nature, Personal Development

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail has a beautiful and poetic way of connecting the reader back to who we are and who we are meant to be. I love that this book combines science (references in the back instead of footnotes) and a grounded methodology.

For those who are interested in a real world somatic or embodiment practice, this is for you.

[Sean Briere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested the arc for this book honestly because the topic interests me. I wish I could say I grasped all that was written, but what I did understand I deeply enjoyed. I believe I now I have ideas of what books to start off with to then circle back around to this one. I believe it has a lot for me to learn in it. I really enjoy the practice of being fluid like a body of water because we are a body of water. That practice resonated with me.

[PATTY TOWNSEND · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Abigail Clarke blends poetry and science to lead us into and through our alive and relational inner and outer worlds. Her poetry and insight guides us to feel and see what is right in front of us!
Abigail skillfully reveals a powerful underlying truth.
Our bodies are nature — and nature is our body.
A recognition of self in the world and the world in self.
Appreciation and love are possible.
Yes, coming home.
Beautiful. Thank you, Abigail.

[Mira Weil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing! Deep concepts made simple with clear language, lots of exciting ideas for how to bring me more into my own body. I’m so inspired after reading this!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Clarke is a beautiful writer and I really enjoyed her thoughts on the relationship and community between our bodies and nature. I'm an atheist/agnostic that considers themselves spiritual, so I did identify with a lot of it. I also appreciated how she kept an eye on how systems like white supremacy, colonialism, and capitalism effect how we move through the world.

However, it was a bit repetitive and does come off as quite cult-y and mystic at times, particularly in the second half. I listened to the audiobook and couldn't help continually imagining I was listening from a future cult city that might someday be featured in a Netflix documentary.

All in all a worthwhile read, though perhaps with a few grains of salt.

[Mokey Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct and poetic, the information feels very accessible. A firm & loving reminder that the wisdom we seek is modeled in our own bodies and that approaching our own internal systems with curiosity is practice for holding the complexity of the external world. Very excited about the audio book, as I know this will be one I go back to often for reminders as well as for enjoyment.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it so much that we made a course about it!
https://advaya.life/courses/returning...

[Shanda Scherdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
A beautiful invitation.

[Tara ☆ Tarasbookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Returning Home to Our Bodies by Abigail Rose Clarke reads like a soft love letter to the body.

Some people might enjoy reading this gentle, repetitive, though somewhat condescending, science-lite, fluffy, self-help book on somatic experiencing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Miska Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this title. It was hard for me to read as a white-passing person of color, who recognizes my own skin color privilege, and I found it hard to relate to the author. I also found it incredibly frustrating that she had footnotes for definitions but no citations anywhere for her “studies” that she did not specify.

I am still learning about somatic therapy (which is highly contested, and still controversial) soI had a harder time following along because I did not feel like her book for clear for the layman. I understand most other therapy models, have taken psychology courses, and am schooled in philosophy using Freud, etc. I am not a novice but somewhere at beginning intermediate understand.

I cannot in good conscience recommend this to anyone. It seems more like rambling thoughts from an altered state of consciousness than actual advice.

[Bill Makley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Rose Clarke's weaving of "somatics, nature, and social change" is a truly original and masterful narrative, with memoir threads revealing her deep sensitivity to the world around her from an early age. She delivers on her title's promise and her end notes have become my reading list for the coming year.

[Reader Hubler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very poetic, sometimes long winded and repetitive. Her prose is beautiful but I struggled to stay engaged. To me, this was a prime example of beautiful language making the message a little hard to get to. After many chapters of words and words, prose upon prose, flowery colorful language, I couldn’t figure out what exactly she was saying. There is a point where beautiful prose can skew the message and that was my experience with this book.

[Harmony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It's the medicine we need right now to feel ourselves and the ways we are connected, to have tools to navigate the challenges of life these days, to find joy and healing and remember who we are. Cannot recommend highly enough.

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

the magic is in the living!

[Claire Makley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Abigail Rose Clarke's work for some years now and was eagerly awaiting this book's arrival. I dove into this book with anticipation (and admittedly high expectations, Abigail's work has floored me many times before), only to find a world more beautiful and vast than I thought possible.

"Dove into this book" is the right term to use since the prose used to describe our anatomy is as beautiful as a coral reef. More than that, it invites you to swim around, explore your mental/emotional/physical depths, maybe even scare yourself a little before coming up for air. Just don't be surprised if you want to stay in this world for a while...who knew our bodies were so awe-inspiring? (Abigail did).

If the writing is deft, the structure is sound. Returning Home to Our Bodies weaves an intricate web of questions, practices, and criticism that allowed me to honestly examine my personal somatic practice and inherent privileges and help me relate both to our broken social systems and structures without judgement. She powerfully threads the tricky needle tying somatics, nature, and social change together.

While this is a book I will return to again and again for new insights into my own somatic practice, Returning Home to Our Bodies is also exactly what the somatics wellness industry as a whole needs at this very moment in time. All too easily can we be consumed by whatever our algorithms are peddling us that day; this book liberates us from chasing snake oil by centering our own body (particularly our beautiful bones, blood and guts) as an agent for personal + systemic change and offers us the tools to reclaim that power.

Writing this review only makes me more excited for the epiphanies other readers will have. I look forward to being in community with you, future readers. Enjoy!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

"we know this kind of love because this is how cells love"


in reading this, i kept thinking about how i didnt know how to love my body for so long... and i learned that my body loved me the whole time anyway :') it protected me from illnesses, and every symptom was a response to its needs, and a call for me to do love better, because it knew how to love me back, and because we work like one, we are one

i wish i had science teachers that described the body like this... poetry woven into our cells hearts and bones, the messy and wet bodies that carry us through the world - i loved the normalizing description. magic! cells are magic! bones are magic! gravity and our blood are magic!


"at the very least, a few million cels in your body have been born and died, you have breathed a few thousand breaths, your heart has moved the blood through your bidy a distance that could travel the moon and back a few hundred times." - magic!!!

i want the words of this book pasted into my brain.

and "because in a world made of so much ancient stardust, how can we think the past is not currently alive?... how could we possibly imagine that the past and future arent also here with us in the present?"

a book about relationships: the relationship between our cells, muscles, nerves, organs, senses, environment, people, past, present, future, nature... relationship between us and our body, and us and the world

i feel holistic

im giving five stars for the feeling this book left me with - awe at the body based on the poetry of our biology.

i, however, have not criticized the stance and privileges ideas of the book, and as of now, have no review no that - would be curious to hear others'

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Rose Clarke has written a book that is beautifully written, backed by science, and deeply needed for the challenges we face today.

Reading her words was a full body experience. It put me more in touch with myself as I read it and created the conditions to not just think about the concepts but actually experience them.

I think there's a false belief that for a book to be taken seriously it must be written in a particular tone with specific language and I bristle at the characterization of this book as fluff. The foundation of this book is backed by research. And Clarke happens to have a beautiful way with words. I found the combination compelling, enjoyable, and memorable.

If you're interested in connecting more deeply to yourself, to other people, to the world around you, and to ways of being that are nourishing, nuanced and responsible (without bypassing), I recommend you add this book to your library.

[Kayaleya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really love the way Abigail weaves body awareness, earth connection and social causes together in this book. She comes from a beautiful, embodied perspective and her writing is almost poetic, while also incorporating recent research.

Personally I love learning more about my body from an interdisciplinary lens. It helps to inform my understanding of the world and when I can look to my organs for life wisdom, well... that's my favorite.

Her descriptions are very similar to how I see and talk about the world (and our bodies), and I can TOTALLY SEE how both Robin Wall Kimmerer and adrienne marée brown are mentioned in reference to the vibe of this book.

A gorgeous book that I'm grateful is now in the world.

[Selina Streahorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tethering between science and poetry is so beautiful in this book. You feel so much more as you read when you understand the deep intentions being set with her words.
To tend to the self, to love fully the body we are given no matter it's state or capability. That the body is not transactional as we've been made to believe by modern society.
But rather something fluid, flowing, earthly and so beautifully natural. (Her words slightly summed up). I cannot do justice to how profound this writing is, it's mesmerizing and magical.
All I can say is read it, and take your time absorbing it. Even if you don't understand it all that's ok. Human biology is so complex, but I hope you'll come to see it as astoundly beautiful by the end of this book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ Returning Home to Our Bodies provides an unique perspective of the human body and its connection to nature. I found the exercises sprinkled throughout to be refreshing and allowed for the reader to view their body, not as a machine as so much of society tells us it is, but as an organic being with deeper meaning - a reclaiming of what our bodies are at their core, not what they provide for society.

Unfortunately, much of the book felt disjointed and like it was trying to do to touch on too many topics, so I was frequently pulled out of, what felt like, the core of the book and it's purpose. However, it was still quite good and I enjoyed thinking of my body in a different light.

[Caroline Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is entirely possible to fall in love with a book. When that book guides us into reconnecting with, or discovering for the first time, the wisdom of our bodies, we find a spaciousness within that can change the way we relate to ourselves and our world. With awe and curiosity we find new possibilities for how to navigate great despair and grief. The outcome is a reclamation of our bodies, an understanding of our connection to nature and to each other, and the dismantling of systems designed to keep us oppressed. Beautifully written, and with profound insight, Abigail Rose Clarke's lyrical style, offers an empirical resource for healing and inspiring change for all.

[Oran Stainbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed ARC's meditative exploration of the human body. I was raised in a culture that emphasized hard work and self-sacrifice to such an extent that in order to prove myself a 'real man' I felt compelled to ignore pain and injury and see my own body as a disposable tool to be used and abused. This book helped me to reflect on my relationship with my body and to see it as something worthy of love and respect, in need of care and attention. ARC writes beautifully and straddles disciplines that are not often connected by other medical practicioners, poets and naturalists.

[Jessica Keeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the first half of this book. In the second half, there is a whole section where the author continually refers to the body as queer and then defines queer in a way other than you would in defining sexuality. It felt like she co-opted the word and inadvertently was diminishing the identity of folks that actually identify as queer. It just felt like an odd choice, especially considering how careful she seemed to be about NOT doing this everywhere else in the book. If it hadn't gone on and on, I may not have noticed it but it was just very heavy handed.

[AnnSophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to explore somatics in therapy and how our bodies hold emotion and memory. Some of the breathwork exercises were hard to follow at first, but that’s kind of the point. When I did try a few, they actually helped me slow down and notice what I was feeling. The writing is poetic yet grounded in science, and it’s so readable that I didn’t realize I’d reached the end. It tries to cover a lot...race, gender, equality - which means not everything goes deep, but it’s still a really thoughtful and interesting read.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep work that weaves together a scholarly understanding of anatomy, philosophy, and essential social justice concepts into a poetic and enjoyable read. Generous writing, too, as I am familiar with some of the teaching Clarke references and am amazed at how accessible she's made it! I look forward to returning to this book ongoing, and using some of the prompts for reflection in my own facilitation practice.

[Kimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight to listen to the brilliant author, Abigail Rose Clark, read her own book! As a longtime practicing yogi, there are times where I lost touch with my body. Abigail’s poetry anatomy and stance on returning home to our bodies is about the body, but truly so much more. Embracing softness, remembering our bodies are communicating and showing up for us, and sweet stories of our collective bodies in action are just a few lovely nuggets I gleaned from this book.

[Kindred Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reminder to consistently work on the relationship with our bodies is so deeply needed. I was grateful for the thorough explanations in this book of how to improve this relationship. There is so much material packed into this book but Abigail Rose Clarke’s style of writing is enjoyable to read even with information that was over my head.

[Kate Hyde]

DNF at 36%. Too much science talk. The message just got old - lots of metaphors about how our bodies teach us to be mentally healthy. The explanations were very complicated and long-winded. However, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, when the author talked about trees and nature and how patterns in nature mirror patterns in our bodies.

[Aaryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book both beautiful and approachable. As a yoga teacher turned therapist I've been interested in somatics for a long time and this book was a great entry point. Blending research, poetry, and practical wisdom, Clarke guides the reader through the foundations while providing practical guidance on how to get started. Can't wait for her next book.

[Desirae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the author wrote this book to… write a book.

Probably some people will appreciate the very *of this moment* rhetoric, but some readers might find themselves excluded.

Also, I found a typo within a few minutes of reading, which is kinda disappointing.

My suggestion is to check this book out from the library instead of buying it.