Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence

(Paperback)

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Description

Matthew Sanford's life and body were irrevocably changed at age 13 when his family's car skidded off a snowy Iowa overpass, killing Matt's father and sister and leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. This pivotal event set Matt on a lifelong journey, from his intensive care experiences at the Mayo Clinic to becoming a paralyzed yoga teacher and founder of a nonprofit organization. Forced to explore what it truly means to live in a body, he emerges with an entirely new view of being a "whole" person. In Waking - his searingly candid memoir - Sanford delivers a powerful message about the endurance of the human spirit and of the body that houses it.

Reviews

Losing his father, his sister--and his legs--in a terrible car accident at the age of 13 did not stop Matthew Sanford from living his life . . . In Waking, he offers a powerful, honest account of his battle: awakening a spirit within a damaged body. Psychology Today

This is a riveting, heartbreaking, heart-opening saga. . . . Months after first reading it, I find myself appreciating his writing and the depth of his thinking more and more. Nina Utne, Chair, Utne magazine

His paralysis has taught him powerful lessons about consciousness . . . [Sanford] will truly dare readers to appreciate their own bodies and lives. Yoga Journal

From a hard-won understanding of how the body has intelligence and is an aspect of the soul, the author presents us with a new revitalizing vision of what it is to be human. Susan Griffin, author of Woman and Nature

Author Bio

Matthew Sanford is the founder of the non-profit organisation Mind Body Solutions. He specialises in adapting yoga to people living with disabilities and teaches workshops around the country. He currently resides in Orono, Minnesota.