The impossible dream - Wellness & Lifestyle - Book Review

American Fitness, Jan-Feb, 2004

Barbara B. Moroney wasn't asking for much--she just wanted Julie Christie's nose, Barbie's 21-inch waist and a lingerie model's flat stomach. Moroney was especially obsessed with her stomach. "I hated my stomach," she admits. "The rest of my body was passable, but my stomach stuck out. Even at my lowest summer weight, it was round instead of fashionably flat, with the hard and rubbery consistency of an oversize Spalding handball."

Moroney had been at war with her body as long as she could remember. But after years of trying to live up to her ideal image, she became battle weary. "What, I wondered, does it mean to love and totally accept one's self?" she asked. Moroney writes about her search for self-acceptance in Natural Body, Natural Shape: Develop a Strong Self-Image, Good Health & Ageless Grace & Beauty Through Yoga (Swing-Hi Press; $14.95), a book peppered with journal entries, yoga poses and frank talk.

Yoga and qi-gong were especially important in helping Moroney break through the barrier of self-loathing. "Your body is the physical expression of who you are. Yoga practice helps you become more aware of how you live your life and develop new ways of bringing [it] into balance. You then experience physical, mental and emotional relief," states Moroney. "Practicing yoga daily is often like having visits from your own private masseuse and therapist--all rolled into one."

Moroney hopes to inspire women who don't have a healthy relationship with their bodies. Natural Body, Natural Shape can be purchased in bookstores or by sending $14.95 (plus $4.95 shipping and handling) to Swing-Hi Press, 16213 E. Mercer Circle, Aurora, CO 80013. For credit card orders, call (866) 828-8725.