The Owners Guide to the Body (Paperback)

Refreshingly, unlike many other self-help or wellness books, "The owner's guide to the body" does not promise to change your life. Roger Golten just gently takes you by the hand, and steps you through the basics we all take for granted (walking, sitting, lifting, standing). For each of these activities, he explains how making even small changes can really improve your vitality and energy.

Unlike many American examples of mind, body & spirit literature, Roger Golten never talks down to you the reader, or simply asserts his points by repeating them over and over. Instead, he bases each of his points on a historical and/or scientific explanation of the why's and wherefores. For example, he outlines the structure of the breathing apparatus, or the historical origins of shoes with heels.

This approach makes Roger Golten eminently persuasive: for instance, while every woman's magazine preaches the importance of drinking water, it was Roger Golten's detailed explanation of the physiological importance of water and hydraulics for our flexibility which got me going up to the water cooler much more often.

"The owner's guide to the body" effortlessly spans many different disciplines and practices: Gestalt, Hellerwork,Alexander technique, Rolfing, Pilates, Yoga and Meditation, to name but a few. Yet despite its depth of content, at the same time the book manages to be entertaining and simply a good read. My only regret was that some of the exercises outlined at the end of each chapter were not illustrated, which sometimes made it a little hard to follow the instructions in confidence.

My favourite quote in the book came from the founder of Gestalt, Fritz Perls: "Fear is excitement without breath".

Roger Golten just gently takes you by the hand, and steps you through the basics we all take for granted (walking, sitting, lifting, standing). For each of these activities, he explains how making small changes can improve your vitality and energy.

Unlike many American examples of mind, body & spirit literature, Roger Golten never talks down to you the reader, or simply asserts his points by repeating them over and over. Instead, he bases each of his points on a historical and/or scientific explanation of the why's and wherefores. For example, he outlines the structure of the breathing apparatus, or the historical origins of shoes with heels. This approach makes Roger Golten eminently persuasive: for instance, while every woman's magazine preaches the importance of drinking water, it was Roger Golten's detailed explanation of the physiological importance of water and hydraulics for our flexibility which got me going up to the water cooler much more often.

"The owner's guide to the body" effortlessly spans many different disciplines and practices: Gestalt, Hellerwork,Alexander technique, Rolfing, Pilates, Yoga and Meditation, to name but a few. Yet despite the depth of its content, at the same time the book manages to be entertaining and simply a good read. My only regret was that some of the exercises outlined at the end of each chapter were not illustrated, which sometimes made it a little hard to follow the instructions in confidence.

My favourite quote came from the founder of Gestalt, Fritz Perls: "Fear is excitement without breath".