Body Eloquence: The Power of Myth and Story to Awaken the Body's Energies

What is balance? We humans spend our lives trying to keep ourselves, our bodies, our societies, our world working in harmony. We use myths and ceremonies and music and dance to find balance and restore it when it is lost. In her extraordinary book, "Body Eloquence," Nancy Mellon, traces this age-old human quest right back to our bodies. For years,Ms Mellon, a storyteller, a psychotherapist, a teacher and a writer has worked to find the ways in which stories can help heal pain, both physical and psychic. During the last ten years I've seen this work emerge through her own study and through workshops she has run. The result is a book that is passionate, beautiful and unique. In Ms Mellon's view, the human body is a chorus of many voices. Each major organ, from the brain to the liver to the lungs and spleen and on and on, is an essential voice in our choir, "gathering places of wisdom, continuously cooperating below the surface of our consciousness." Interspersed through the book are are not only exercises for balancing the different parts of our body, but more than a hundred tales, some ancient, some new, all representing the wisdom of our own inner orchestra. Stories, like dreams, are the medium for understanding the wisdom of the body. Music, dance, visual creations, all our arts are ways that those voices become conscious. But through stories we can truly communicate this wisdom to one another. In fifteen years of storytelling, I've learned that every tale is a healing -- both for the teller and for the listener. As the Canadian storyteller, Dan Yashinsky, pointed out, they are the way "we reset our inner compass." They are the way we regain our balance -- as individuals, as a society, as a world. Thank you, Nancy Mellon, for a book that grows richer and more moving with every reading.

In bed for three months with a life threatening and extremely painful illness that affected the eyes, face and head, I was unable to do even the basic self care tasks of living. Kind friends were sustaining me physically and emotionally while I waited in pain and meditation and prayer for change and healing. Pain meds made me ill, food was difficult to digest, and a long silence greeted me each day with more pain. Then I was gifted with the amazing work of Ms. Mellon put forward in this brave and timely book, and became instantly active in this body's healing process. I took a year to return to, or step forward into, a full and active life during which I made many changes and learned much about how the body speaks and how to speak to the body. I live now with full body vitality and the confidence in body instilled in this wonderful book. Ms. Mellon is a competent, compassionate healer who is articulate, delightful, witty and forceful enough to make this powerful book available to anyone wanting to heal. Thank you, thank you Nancy Mellon! gratefully, turtle woman.

Body Eloquence: The Power of Myth and Story to Awaken the Body's Energies Nancy Mellon with Ashley Ramsden Energy Psychology Press (2008) ISBN 9781604150285 Who could not read Body Eloquence by Nancy Mellon without gaining a better idea of who one is, what human beings are and how wonderfully we are made? The chapter sequence of the book holds it in firm order and makes sense. Each chapter is devoted to an organ and enhanced with illustrations. Each is enlivened with stories that capture the essence of that organ. The stories are deft disclosures through which the reader can integrate the exercises with the role the organ plays in the health of the whole body. Reflecting on the heart; living in one's own skin; becoming aware of a great spectrum of body experiences; inviting wonder at just how the interdependence of body and soul and caring for one's self are related: these and other essential themes are evoked in Body Eloquence. All with humor and wisdom. Not being overly familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine, I decided, not without some hesitation, to do many of the recommended exercises. I was surprised that the sensations were, in practicing the movements, just as the author said they would be, revealing of the part of the body being exercised. I never felt the organs individually before. If you have any doubts, just do the exercises. By reading Body Eloquence, I hope every doctor, nurse and patient, every healing professional, will gain deeper insight into how we are made, and how better to care for ourselves and others. As the author says, "All our organs are instruments of our souls."

This very beautifully written book brings us into a new, more intimate relationship with our bodies by exploring the mysteries--and the very distinct personalities--of our organs. What makes it compelling reading is the sense you have, with every page, that you are finally being given the long lost key to understanding your own quirks and shining qualities, as well as your darker impulses and illnesses. According to Nancy Mellon, each of our organs plays a very specific role, not only in our physical health, but in the emotional and spiritual realms as well. In fact, the most interesting revelation here is that every person is dominated by one organ in particular -- skin, spleen, gallbladder, etc. -- and that as we come to know our own specific type, we can work to bring ourselves into healthy balance through the use of stories, exercises, even specific musical pieces that speak to our innermost selves. Nancy Mellon is a psychotherapist, storyteller, former teacher, and lifelong student of the human body and all its mysteries. I get the feeling that this is the book she was put on the planet to write, bringing all these varied threads together into a work that may become a classic in the literature of personal growth and self-care. There certainly is a great deal of compassionate healing energy in these pages, much to learn about the innermost workings of our bodies, and above all, a treasure trove of stories. Personal stories, mythic stories, stories that hurt, and stories that heal. The book shows that the right story, unfolding in a place of love, is transformational. I can imagine using the stories here with my children, and think this would be an extremely helpful book for other parents and teachers as they struggle to understand the children in their care. But above all, it helps us understand ourselves, with compassion and deep appreciation for our shortcomings and useful, practical suggestions for bringing ourselves back into healthy balance with the world. It is worth mentioning that this book is beautifully designed, to be easily read and used. Readable type, generous pages, room for notes to self. . .

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (9/08) Nancy Mellon's "Body Eloquence" is a truly wondrous book. From the absolutely beautiful cover to the very last page of it, I could not find fault with it. The way the author wove together storytelling, science, medicine, myths, exercises and more was incredibly marvelous. There was no way to put it down, and no way that I would voluntarily decide to part with this book for good, although I plan to get a few copies for those near and dear to me. The best way to describe the impact of this work on me would be with a little personal story. Years ago, as a perennially broke student, I lived on the banks of a great big river. I wear eyeglasses and my prescription changes often. Well, I was broke, so for a few years I could not afford new lenses. When I finally got a new pair of glasses, I remember looking at the river bank and thinking, "Wow, I never realized there were all those pebbles and rocks on the shore." All of a sudden I could REALLY see, and what I saw was beautiful. This book made me look at my body in a whole new way, and I found it utterly fascinating. Ms. Mellon reintroduces us to different body organs, and all of a sudden we see many layers of their roles and meaning for our entire body. She retells stories and myths, makes us see what really matters and what we have been missing and also introduces a wonderful healing technique, which trough the art of storytelling helps us to get our bodies in perfect balance. Both the mental and the physical exercises described in "Body Eloquence" are simple enough, yet I have no doubt that they will prove very useful in everyday life. Such holistic approach to wellbeing is one I deeply respect and I have learned to appreciate it more and more. Wonderfully fluid and engaging writing, exciting ideas and exercises, imaginative stories and attractive illustrations, and lovely content all contribute to the enjoyment of this book. Get a copy for yourself and a few more for those people in your life about whom you care. "Body Eloquence" by Nancy Mellon with Ashley Ramsden would make a perfect personal gift.