Customer Reviews

Arching Backward: The Mystical Initiation of a Contemporary Woman

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I was so excited to get this book, because I love the dance form Authentic Movement and this book is all about its founder using it for her own healing. But the book is written almost like a dream sequence, and I can't figure out what the author was learning during her process, or what it all means. I found the book a bit dark and confusing. I wouldn't mind dark if I could understand the insights the author got from moving through it. But I couldn't.

This book was recommended to me by a college professor and former nun after I mentioned that I was having some experiences with spontaneous kundalini. I needed guidance. Joan Adler's journey was somewhat like mine yet somewhat different. I was particularly amused with an incident where some doctors basically told her concerning her health issues: *we know what it is--it is something to do with kundalini--but we cannot do anything about it; try reading Dante's "Inferno."* That seems par for the course with those who experience the spontaneous kundalini syndrome: you're in hell. With a DSM-IV category called *Spiritual Emergency* there may be some hope for those who slip through the cracks and are *diagnostically homeless,* as one writer has put it. My grown daughter read this book and said Joan had quite an imagination, which made me think what's imaginary about the world she was describing? Nothing as far as I was concerned. I heartily recommend this book.

I was experiencing a very scary kundalini spiritual emergency in which I would go into a trance and by body wanted to do spontaneous backbends. I thought this was a book of someone having a similar experience. If it was I couldnt tell. It appears it IS a woman's spiritual journey...and a large part of her experiences are visions which she describes. I won't say it's a bad book, but for me it was more like reading poetry and I did not find it at all helpful. I am currently cash challenged, so I have to say I regret buying it.