As you shake hands with a stranger, warmth and kinship seem to flow into you. Your body says, "Pursue this relationship." You tell yourself, "I must be imagining things," and turn away. You go on a long walk and return home feeling fit and refreshed. Your body says, "That feels great." But when you look in the mirror, you say to yourself, "I'll never look the way I should." Your lover's touch feels rough and insensitive. Your muscles tense, and you can't seem to get in a romantic mood. Your body says, "I really don't like the way this feels." You tell yourself, "There must be something wrong with me." In its wisdom, our body is continually sending us signals. We know we should pay attention to these signals, but . . . our mind takes over. We reject the body as wrong-too weak, too big, too fat, too old. So instead of listening to our body's natural wisdom, we do the exact opposite and then wonder why we don't feel better. The human body comes equipped with a brilliant physical response system that can tell us when to eat and when to rest, when to fight and when to run, who is dangerous and who will provide a safe harbor. We are also born with an instinct to survive and prosper, to love and feel empathy for one another, to experience passion and pleasure. Johanna Putnoi's clear, refreshing voice embodies her down-to-earth message: "Your body is your home, what being human is all about. Living fully in your body will change your relationship to everything-to yourself, to others, and to the earth. You will be more aware of what you choose to put into your body, who you choose to share your body with, and how you treat the environment your body lives in." In SENSES WIDE OPEN: The Art and Practice of Living in Your Body, Johanna Putnoi's refreshing prose and engaging exercises teach readers how to understand their body's language, soften body armor and drop old defenses, enjoy the world with senses wide open, and unlock the gates to a full flow of pleasure, passion, and empathy. And there's a bonus: This strong, new, grounded connection between mind and body naturally creates a deeply compassionate connection with the larger body of the human community and with the earth."