Book Announcement by Susan Sands (USA)
In our ageist and sexist society, it is particularly hard to accept the descending of the flesh and slowing of the mind. In The Inside Story: The Surprising Pleasures of Living in an Aging Body published by Sounds True, Susan Sands suggests that learning to sense and feel our bodies from the inside – building inner body awareness – can profoundly help us age more comfortably.
The burgeoning new science of embodiment known as interoception proves conclusively that the body is the foundation of the mind, including our emotional awareness, our sense of well-being, even our sense of self.
The importance of building body awareness for aging, however, has not been given its due by researchers or aging experts, despite its being precisely what our aging bodies need as they become less robust, stable and reliable. We need to feel firmly rooted in our bodies in order to take excellent care of ourselves and to challenge our internalized and embodied ageism.
Susan Sands, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist known for her trail-blazing work in eating disorders, body image, dissociation, female development and aging. She is Faculty, Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California (PINC) and Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychology, UC-Berkeley.
Susan H. Sands, Ph.D.
Berkeley, California
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