Earthly Bodies

<b>Examining the cultural belief that our animal instincts are to be corrected or corralled nature advocate and rewilding facilitator Vanessa Chakour explores our inner and outer landscapes through the lens of wild animals.</b> <p/>How can wolves misunderstood in myths but vital to ecosystems teach us to rewrite dangerous stories and respect nature's wisdom? How do the peaceful coexistence strategies of black bears offer insights into sharing resources? How can the engineering feats of beavers guide us in fostering regenerative building solutions and vibrant ecosystems? What can the loyal partnership of seahorses teach us about nurturing and love? <p/>In <i>Earthly Bodies</i> Vanessa draws parallels from struggles she has weathered in her own life to those endured by twenty-three wild animals--from wolves to sea lions--exploring our unease of feeling like prey; challenging the entrapment of our limiting beliefs; contextualizing the turmoil of fractured landscapes; and affirming our primal ache to belong. <p/>Vanessa's pivotal encounters with creatures in sync with their primal rhythms and demands illustrate the necessity of relying on the intelligence of gut instinct; of the magnetic pull of attraction; of the body's mandate for restorative rest; and of the sacred bonds of love. We often cut ourselves off from identifying with wild animals--like wolves foxes bats and bears and other animal relatives--out of fear ignorance disgust or misunderstanding yet our earthly human bodies can lead us in our pursuits of pleasure love wonder healing and connection. <p/>With each section containing an aspect of injured animal's return home to their natural habitat and--in our case--to an embodied instinctual self <i>Earthly Bodies</i> meditates on how this journey from enclosures to rehabilitation to soft release and finally to homing raises questions about our humanity. In so learning we understand how we might benefit from embracing our own animal nature to gain deeper self-actualization find common ground with our fellow animals and learn to thrive together.