Body Over Mind: a mindful reality check: attaining psychological freedom by confronting thought with reality (2013)

Book Description

Body Over Mind is compatible with works by Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie, Stephen Levine, and Robert Rabbin in its attempt to highlight the differences between thought and reality, and to foster an acceptance of what is. Backed by principles developed by F.M. Alexander, including the wholeness of the individual, the harmonious integration of the body, and a retraining of our reactions to mental and physical stress, Eng grounds us in our “physical reality,” which she defines as the existence of an individual in his or her activity in space and time. In her words, our physical reality gives us “an unmovable truth to pit against our skeptical thought process that unremittingly tries to talk us out of our personal status.” Relieving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and emotional pain stemming from worry, guilt, self-doubt, self-blame and a preoccupation with “should” thoughts, Eng offers a unique approach to mindfulness that disempowers self-judgment and negative self-talk. Designed to be used as a tool for combating the pressures of everyday life, or to simply enjoy as an insightful read, this book assimilates aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, and modern-day practices that address the self-critical component of the human mind that victimizes so many of us on a moment to moment basis. Eng calls this practice, Mindful Reality.

Reviews and Testimonials

“Best explanation body and mind relationship: I own this book since 2017. I have read this often. It has helped me to watch how my body moves and why it often resists what I want to do.” –Audible review

“Five stars! Body Over Mind was a fascinating read. It was helpful for me to learn that I don’t have to micromanage my life, or plan it out. I especially enjoyed the exercises in it, which show us how to live with a real sense of freedom in a simple way.” –Student of Mindful Reality

“In this book, Jill Eng writes about choosing to be in our bodies, rather than being consumed by the thoughts and fantasies of the mind. Jill writes about these concepts clearly and concisely. I felt empowered to know that our thoughts only guess at what reality is, but our bodies show what is real. An insightful and thoughtful read.” –Amazon review

“Great Book” –Amazon review

“A beautifully written explanation of why people suffer from the pressure of having to do something to fix their life circumstances. An approach that after years of searching for relief was amazingly helpful. I’ve suffered from anxiety most of my life, and this book helped me to see things in a new and different way!” –Maria Tzianabos, M.A. Family Practice Medicine; Dance Faculty, University of Southern Maine

“Eng’s book lights a path for freeing ourselves from the clutter of obligatory, guilt-ridden, and assumed or projected thoughts that are essentially irrelevant and distract us from taking effective action in the here-and-now. We learn to accept and be guided by the unique thread of events that concretely define us and set us apart as individuals in our journey through time.” –Michael Moser, Student of the Alexander Technique and Mindful Reality

“Ms. Eng offers us a wonderful synthesis of respected visionaries as well as an intimate look into her own process observing the field of the body over decades. Her continual refrain that we cannot be doing any other action than what is already occurring is highly valuable as we look into what it means to inhabit the present moment. Eng deftly weaves esoteric principles into a helpful framework for our everyday lives.” -Katie West, Founder and Director, The Levity Institute

“Eng has thoroughly researched her subject matter and brings it to the page with a passion that is unquestionable.” -Jessica Lockhart, Radio Producer WMPG Portland, ME; Media Studies Instructor at University of Southern Maine