What Are You Hungry For?: Women, Food, and Spirituality

When the pursuit of thinness becomes a woman's dominant activity, she not only loses pounds, she also risks losing her dharma, the inner driving force that cultivates genuine happiness. What Are You Hungry For? implores women to stop trusting in dress sizes and start approaching life with absolute consciousness. Like a pair of Zen masters, coauthors Lynn Ginsburg and Mary Taylor subtly squash Western woman's embarrassingly shallow (yet culturally ingrained) belief that looks count above all else. Theirs is an Eastern approach, where mind-body practices, including yoga and meditation, allow women to quiet the outer world, make peace with their present situation, and recognize deeper, more satisfying paths to fulfillment.

The key lies in refining one's habits and mastering techniques to tame one's urges--essential skills for approaching many aspects of life. Step-by-step instructions lead readers through over 20 consciousness-building practices, teaching effective methods for listening to one's body and utilizing its important feedback on hunger and satiation. Ginsburg and Taylor (who conduct workshops on this topic) also present a comprehensive yoga routine, complete with illustrations showing each pose. Throughout this gently empowering guide, the authors' spot-on advice and rationale ring with truth and hope for any woman ready to pursue her specific life's purpose, not merely some random number of pounds. --Liane Thomas