Customer Reviews

Imagine a Woman in Love with Herself: Embracing Your Wisdom and Wholeness

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Patricia Lynn Reilly has written a wonderful book that gently applies words of healing as soothing as ointment to a wound. Women learn to love and appreciate themselves even with warts and blemishes. They learn self-healing, of shallow wounds, deep wounds of the heart, emotional wounds and most importantly, self-acceptance. Women who have gone though battles need more self-love and appreciation for the sccars they carry. Self-inflicted doubt, criticism, fear and comparison have wounded women; "Embracing your wisdom and wholeness" are words women should be hearing. Women need to see beyond her outward appearance and be encouraged to look inward to the real beauty beneath her skin. Women are wounded by society's standard of womanhood, the "who" "what" and "how" women should look, act and express themselves. The twenty stanzas of the poem are aimed at each need, each scar, and each offers, a reassuring of a woman's self worth. All women should read this book, especially women who have gone from child to adult because of incest, abuse or rape, all women who have been scared from disease or injuries. Emotional scars of neglect, reminders of past mistakes, all will be turned into positive bandages of healing by reading the poem over and over again, by using it's advice and suggestions on forgiving, toughing and healing your own body. Patricia Lynn Reilly appreciates the wonder and beauty of all women. She helps us to see, as we should, the whole woman, her body, her mind and her soul, the character of a woman. "Imagine a woman in love with her ouwn body. A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is. Who celebrates her body's rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource." As you gently breathe in this affirmation, believe you are this woman and you will be.

In her intro, Patricia Lynn Reilly states that her intention in writing "Imagine a Woman in Love with Herself" was to hold up a "woman-affirming mirror," reminding women of the truth about themselves when they forget. I was drawn to her book by the poem "Imagine a Woman." I stayed with the book to the very end because in gentle, yet bold language, Patricia stayed true to her intention. Reading each word, each meditation, each blessing was like looking into a kind-hearted, truth-telling, essence-honoring mirror. By the time I finished the book I was grateful to be a woman and I wrote a vow of faithfulness to my own life and capacities. I am now a woman who loves herself as I did "in the very beginning." As Patricia reminded me: "In the very beginning the girl-child loves herself." Read it and give it to every woman in your life!

I am impressed with the deliberate focus on women's socialization and it's translation into adulthood. It's activities are incredible - but not easy to do. Keep a journal by your side for this read as you will need it. It's uninteded consequence is that I can be a better mom to my daughter - helping her to navigate through her unique development with clarity.

This book really got to my core as I read it! Its not a long read and it was almost disappointing to complete it so quickly but I knew I would end up re-reading the book many times. It is a beautiful novel that often left me teary or grinning. Thank you for such a wonderful piece!

This book is worth every penny it costs and more. She puts words to the feeling so many woman have: what is wrong with me or am I lovable? All I can say is buy it, read it, and you will find a whole new world of love and peace opened up to you.

I am thrilled with this book, I even ordered a couple more for my friends after I received it. I did a standard order and it arrived in the mail two days later. The book is absolutely empowering for women. A must read for any woman, and a perfect book for the coffee table.

This book is beautifully written. Reading this book alone, or using parts of it in women's groups, is very effective. It can teach a woman how to fall in love with herself.

a beautiful combination of poetry, story telling, personal insight, sharing and comraderie amongst women. every woman on earth should read this, cherish it and share it!

This is a book every women should read!
The message that Patricia L. Reilly is expressing is one of affrimiation to the feminine soul. A way of living, of being strong, soft ,centered and free in one's soul
I will never part with my copy!!!
I Absolutley loved it!!!

I really wanted to like this book. I have been schooled in the wisdom of "original blessing" as a corrective for the concept of original sin, and well, I'm a woman. So I thought this book would be right up my alley. Reilly goes overboard, however, in rejecting _any_ attempts at self-discernment as negative. There is such a thing as self-assessment that is accepting, positive, and life-affirming, without necessarily approving of everything that we accept about ourselves.

In the end, by overlooking the necessary distinction between "acceptance" and "approval," the book limits the possibilities for growth that it can nurture. And that's a shame. It is, ultimately, patronizing to believe that women are too fragile to handle self-critique. We can be our own best critics, but this book won't help.

Conclusion: stand by with the insulin shots while reading this one.