Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

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    • Prayer Cycle
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    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
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  • Books
    • Breath Prayer:
      An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
      • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Sacred Balance:
        Aligning Body and Spirit Through
        Yoga and the Benedictine Way
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers
        (SELF-STUDY)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
  • Calendar
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The Wisdom of the Body:
A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women

by Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE, OblSB

Ave Maria Press 2017

Register for the online companion retreat here

Description

Spirituality and Practice have named The Wisdom of the Body one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2017!
"A lively, creative, and expansive vision of a spirituality of the body." -Spirituality and Practice
 
The distorted view of the perfect female body created by popular culture, television, movies, and the media often causes women to become uncomfortable with their own bodies. Christine Valters Paintner, popular author of nine books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, draws from Celtic, desert, and Benedictine traditions to help women connect with their bodies through writing, visual art, and movement.

In The Wisdom of the Body, Christine Valters Paintner focuses on the true meaning of the Incarnation—God became flesh—and points to the spiritual importance of appreciating the bodies God gave us.

Each of the book’s ten chapters is a mini-workshop designed to lead us to new ways of being in relationship with our bodies. Starting with the senses and shifting toward emotions and desires, Paintner explores their role as thresholds to discovering the body’s wisdom. She draws from Christian tradition to offer principles and practices such as stability, hospitality, and gratitude to lead us on a journey that ends with a sense of deep peace and self-acceptance.

Through expressive arts and creative movement, Paintner demonstrates a new a language and way of integrating and sharing our discoveries. By exploring the lives of women in the Bible and in the Christian tradition—including Eve, Mary, Hildegaard of Bingen, and Amma Syncletica—Paintner introduces us to companions that accompany us on our journey.

Order Details

Order from Bookshop.org
Order from Ave Maria Press
Order from Amazon.com
Order from Barnes and Noble

When you purchase books through the links to Bookshop.org or Amazon.com, Abbey of the Arts is provided with a very small percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you. We apply these funds toward scholarships for our online programs. Thank you for your support!

Supplemental Materials

Audio Interviews with Christine:

Janet Conner’s The Soul Directed Life radio program. You can access the recording at this link>>
Jamie Marich of Dancing Mindfulness hosted a teleseminar. Link to Teleseminar recording at Dancing Mindfulness>>

Article by Christine:

How might our spiritual lives flourish by entering into intimacy with our own bodies? at U.S. Catholic magazine>>

Written Interviews with Christine:

"How to love the body God gave you, even in a swimsuit" at Aleteia>>
"Fast Take on Wisdom of the Body" at Aleteia>>
Carl McColman’s blog on Contemplative Faith>>
Lacy Clark Ellman’s website A Sacred Journey>>

Guest Blog Posts by Christine:

“Sacrament of the Senses” at Holy Ordinary>>
“Breath as Holy Pause” at God Space>>
"Viriditas" as a Discernment Principle at Monasteries of the Heart>>
“Radical Hospitality and Welcome” at Sibyl Dana Reynolds>>

Praise for the Book

The Wisdom of the Body met me where I was and transported me to a place I haven’t been in a long time, drawing me across sacred thresholds and inviting me to pause, breathe, and renew my commitment to live life with attention and intention. Thank you, Christine Valters Paintner, for the gift of this book, this vision, this invitation!” -Mary DeTurris Poust, Catholic blogger and author of Cravings

Christine Valters Paintner is a trusted guide, lighting the way home to body and soul. Sharing from experience, her compassionate voice speaks to us personally and offers creative resources, supportive allies, and wisdom from the great spiritual traditions. This book is a good map for the journey to wholeness. I put it at the top of my list to recommend to teachers and students seeking to embody the joy of spiritual life.”  -Cynthia Winton-Henry, Cofounder of InterPlay

Christine Valters Paintner is a stunningly gifted teacher; I am so grateful that she shares her wisdom on women and embodiment in this latest book. Christine’s ability to weave multi-faceted spiritual practice with the expressive arts in a sensitive and trauma-informed manner has long inspired me, and I know that many will be helped and inspired through this work. Christine is a true gem, a blessing, and a beacon of light to those of us who are on the path of healing—she is gentle, wise, and challenging in a harmonious blend that comes through in her spirit-filled teachings.” -Jamie Marich, Clinical trauma expert and author of Dancing Mindfulness

Christine Valters Paintner has found gems from the Christian tradition—from scripture, the saints, and the Desert Fathers and Mothers—and combined them with other practices such as dance, yoga, and poetry to create an eclectic, hands-on book sure to deepen your spirituality. A mini-retreat you can take at your own pace, The Wisdom of the Body is inspiring and possibly life-changing for those who struggle with body issues but also meaningful for those comfortable within their body.”  -Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter columnist

Christine Valters Paintner is so much more than a truly fine writer; she’s a teacher, a guide, and a friend along the way. In The Wisdom of the Body, she once again plumbs ancient monastic wisdom to help solve a contemporary problem: the sad rift between body and soul that too often limits our experience of God.” -Paula Huston, Author of One Ordinary Sunday

Upcoming Programs

  • Writing Into Bloom with Christine Valters Paintner
    • May 1, 2021
  • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
    • May 13, 2021
  • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
    • May 15, 2021 - May 16, 2021
  • View All Upcoming Programs

Recent Reflections

  • A mini-poetry reading from Christine plus other publishing news
  • St. Kevin Holds Open His Hand and Radical Hospitality ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Monk in the World Guest Post: Greta Kopec
  • Monk in the World Podcast + Harriet Tubman Mysticism ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – April Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available

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