Style Statement Live by your own design by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle La Porte

Two interesting books I am currently reading that I want to share with you. The first one:Style Statement came to me through WWM as a gift. She talks about her experience with it on her blog onecantgetoverthehabit.blogspot.ca/. I haven't finished this one yet. It has been an experience and I am only part way through. The idea that I might have a style and that I might care if I had one is new to me. Oh I have always wanted one but since I left the workplace I haven't given it a lot of thought. When I first looked at this book I felt that it might be more than I could manage. Initially the questions  that I was to answer disconcerted me. Not because they were too personal or even weird to be asked but because I really didn't know the answers. I can tell anyone what I am like, how I manage conflict. how I act in a group or why I like to be alone but when the question was "What I would love to have made for me? or "My definition of sexy? or "If I could only wear one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be?, I was at a loss. I scanned the whole book from cover to cover twice. I tested some of the questions and then set the book aside. I was not sure why I needed to know these things about myself but I was intrigued. I started at the beginning again and read more slowly and carefully. I realize that I am one of those people who say they hate shopping but keep buying things anyway. I am an impulsive quick buyer which works fine some of the time and at others it doesn't. My home is a combination of my husband's very specific tastes and me working stuff in and around his choices. So when I was asked to really look at what I had and what I liked and why I had whatever it was in my house I started to really pay attention to what I brought into our shared space. And to what it said to me and about me.
When I think of my wardrobe choices I am sure there is a name for what I do when I  pick anything that seems to fit, is a colour I think I like and the price seems reasonable. But the name would not be  style maven. I do frustrate myself with my willy nilly clothes shopping.
This book which is really a very big workbook says I will finish with my own "Style Statement which will define my authentic self. It is a compass for creating a life that reflects what's true to you in every way. From your wisdom to your wardrobe, from your belongings to your living room---your style statement is where your essence meets your expression." So far it's been a great exercise and I am finding that I may just have something going on in all of this. I now want to finish the exercises and get to where my essence meets my expression.



Natural Posture for Pain Free Living The Practice of Mindful Alignment by Kathleen Porter

The second book I list here  Natural Posture came to my attention on the Spirituality and Health website. I have a daughter who is a daycare educator who spends all day with two year olds in a room where nothing is taller than her kneecaps. There are no teacher desks or chairs in daycare rooms. Her back is starting to give her problems and rather than soothe it with a massage (which can be wonderful but not really much help to stop the onset of back problems) I had a look at this book when the title caught my eye. I am also interested in keeping a straight back and healthy bones and posture well into my dotage. I am almost finished with this one although I confess I have skipped some of the science in it. One of the writers in the front matter says "Kathleen Porter powerfully portrays the extensive damage we do to our bodies when we lose connection to natural principles of body alignment. Rather than looking to surgery, medication, and infinite exercise technologies to find freedom from discomfort and pain we need only to learn to stand, sit and walk and move the way we did as young children when we learned organically to let our bones support us." The book shows in photos what we have done in our modern society to make our bodies work poorly as well as give simple exercises so we can retrain our bones to support us properly. My daughter and I have found a RMT who does structural integration which fits in with  this book's information. Had no idea such a practice existed. We shall see what we can learn from her and from this book to keep my daughter strong and properly aligned so she can lift and play with all the two year olds that will come into her life and if I can avoid the dowager hump and the osteoarthritis. Will keep you posted