The Art of Wayfinding: Discover Your Inner Guide On & Off the Mat

by Meadow DeVor

Discover an exciting new way to connect to your inner compass so you can create lasting change in your life. Author Meadow DeVor shares simple hands-on meditation and contemplative exercises, along with complementary yoga poses, to help you connect to the four different inner voices that guide you through life--the mind voice, heart voice, body voice, and soul voice.

In this book, the yoga poses are designed to help you listen to and integrate your inner wisdom for deeper connections to your loved ones, to who you really are, and to life itself. The Art of Wayfinding shows you how to fine tune your inner-listening skills and chart a course toward the life you've always wanted.

Genres: Spirituality

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 8, 2020

Reviews

[NAT.orious reads ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 guided STARS ★★★✩✩

This book is for you if… you feel outbalanced or fear to be so in the future. Use this book as a guide to get in touch with and build a healthy relationship to your mind, heart, body, and soul.

⤐ Overall.
Although The Art of Wayfinding wasn't what I was hoping for, I can still appreciate it for what it might have to offer other readers. Let me start by saying how very much love Llewellyn Publications. I think it's a sound publishing house that offers unconventional works.

At the beginning of this book, Meadow introduces a brilliant concept that helps you understand the hows and whys of your doing and reasoning. Imagine driving a tiny car, crammed with three small kids: mind, heart, body and soul. Every time you lose control over the driver's seat, you hop to the back and your noisy kids are in the front, doing stupid stuff that's not in anybody's favour, least of all your own.

And this is how you will embark on the journey of wayfinding. With love and dedication, Meadow guides you through the aspects of mind, body, heart and soul and how you should care for and interact with them.

Objectively, I can appreciate this book very much. I think it will be of help for many people but it was not what I expected at all, I kept catching myself drifting off. May it be of value to others.

⤐ The book is structured as follows.
Wayfinding Inquiry List
The Practices: On the Mat and Off
Disclaimer
Introduction

1 HOW IT WORKS

I: MIND
2 THE MIND VOICE
3 ALLOWING MIND TO GUIDE YOU
4 WHEN MIND TAKES OVER
WAYFINDING WITH YOUR MIND VOICE

II: HEART
5 THE HEART VOICE
6 ALLOWING HEART TO GUIDE YOU
7 WHEN YOU CAN'T HANDLE YOUR HEART
WAYFINDING WITH YOUR HEART

III: BODY
8 BODY VOICE
9 ALLOWING BODY TO GUIDE YOU
10 THE WEIRD THING ABOUT PAIN
WAYFINDING WITH YOUR BODY

IV: SOUL
11 THE SOUL VOICE
12 ALLOWING SOUL TO GUIDE YOU
13 DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
WAYFINDING WITH YOUR SOUL VOICE

V: BRINGING THE FOUR VOICES TOGETHER
14 THE FOUR VOICES
WAYFINDING WITH YOUR FOUR VOICES

CONCLUSION

Resources
Bibliography

WAYFINDING YOGA SEQUENCES

‘Imagine all that history and all that beautiful programming that once kept humans safe from famine, flood, blizzards and bear attacks, now being funnelled into whether or not an Instagram post got enough likes, or whether someone swiped right.’

‘Trying to mentally light people on fire with the power of your hateful thoughts is pretty much the opposite of finding stillness.’

_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 4*

pace = 3*

structure = 5*

enjoyability = 2*

insightfulness = 2*
_____________________
Many thanks to Lewellyn Publications, who provided me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of self-help books and some of them say pretty much the same thing over and over. But this one is different! I loved The author’s way of relating everything that goes on inside us when we practice yoga to our inner lives - our mind voice, our heart voice, our body voice, and our soul voice.

She gives excellent examples in each section, as well as powerful yet simple ways to navigate our lives in the direction we want to go, no matter what gets in the way. The suggested activities revolve around postures on the mat as well as our lives off of the mat.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

[Mukesh Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. I have read many books on self development and some interesting book on meditation and yoga and this book is unlike any that i have read.

What I liked about the book:
- The ability of the author to take abstract concepts and make it come alive using common metaphors and examples is something that i really enjoyed. I specially liked the analogy of us driving a car with all the four voices having parts of the map to be used in finding our way. This metaphor is now stuck in my mind forever.
- The author not just says what to do in each situation but also talks about what we might feel like doing and where the trip wires are that we need to be aware and wary of. This is something that makes the book very practical and increases the impact if put in practice.

What i think could have been different:
- I found that there were some texts that are repeated way too often. This could be a distraction for the readers making a few of them to stop reading the book at some point or start to gloss over the content, thereby reducing the impact. If the editing team can make the book a bit more crisper, the book would be that much more impactful.

A good read if you are looking for some guidance on how to use your internal compass to find out what you really want to do in life (next)..

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only casually done yoga in the past, but this book provided a thorough and engaging exploration of how practice can benefit my everyday life. With activities presented for both and off the mat, the author guides the reader throughout incorporating mindfulness benefits throughout one's life. The idea of "wayfinding" is especially useful for addressing all the ways our lives go off course and how we can navigate our inner lives (rather than external guideposts) to find our way. A very useful book I'm sure I'll return to multiple times as the real value will be in the practice.

[Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very readable had great concepts and exercises which I think are very valuable and beneficial for wellbeing. Lovely title and cover too. I really appreciated how the author is very grounded, practical and approachable in her language, not waffling on endlessly and trying to ultra-spiritualise the concepts. Definitely recommend.
I received a free digital copy via NetGalley but the opinions expressed are my own.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Wayfinding presents a new and unique to listen to yourself and find the path in life that calls to you. I liked the way DeVor personifies the different voices within us all, and teaches us to be mindful of who is steering your vehicle.

Overall this book could be a great tool for those struggling to get back to their true selves, and is definitely worth the read, Many thanks to Llewellyn Publications and Net Galley for the advance copy.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the mindset with a few moves placed in the book. Easy exercises with a pose relating to the topic being discussed. If looking for a different type of yoga book this could be a starting reference.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Art of Wayfinding is a interesting and informative book. It has some good exercises and is easy to read.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I need to go back and do the exercises to really appreciate this book. Loved the concepts though not new to me. Very accessible to read and implement.