Overview

Matthew Sanford's inspirational story about the car accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down is a superbly written memoir of healing and journey-from near death to triumphant life. Matt Sanford's life and body were irrevocably changed at age 13 on a snowy Iowa road. On that day, his family's car skidded off an overpass, killing Matt's father and sister and left him paralyzed from the chest down, confining him to a wheelchair. His mother and brother escaped from the accident unharmed but were left to pick up the pieces of their decimated family. 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. By turns agonizingly personal, philosophical, and heartbreakingly honest, this groundbreaking memoir takes you inside the body, heart, and mind of a boy whose world has been shattered. Follow Sanford's journey as he rebuilds from the ground up, searching for ""healing stories"" to help him reconnect his mind and his body. To do so, he must reject much of what traditional medicine tells him and instead turn to yoga as a centerpiece of his daily practice. He finds not only a better life but also meaning and purpose in the mysterious distance that we all experience between mind and body. InWaking, Sanford delivers a powerful message about the endurance of the human spirit and of the body that houses it.

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9781594868450

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

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 <i>Waking</i>, he offers a powerful, honest account of his battle: awakening a spirit within a damaged body. <i>Psychology Today</i></p> 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. <i>Nina Utne, Chair, Utne magazine</i></p> His paralysis has taught him powerful lessons about consciousness . . . [Sanford] will truly dare readers to appreciate their own bodies and lives. <i>Yoga Journal</i></p> 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. <i>Susan Griffin, author of Woman and Nature</i></p>

Losing his father, his sister&#8212;and his legs&#8212;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. &#8212;Psychology Today <p> 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. &#8212;Nina Utne, Chair, Utne magazine <p> His paralysis has taught him powerful lessons about consciousness . . . [Sanford] will truly dare readers to appreciate their own bodies and lives. &#8212; Yoga Journal <p> 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. &#8212;Susan Griffin, author of Woman and Nature <p>

Author Information

MATTHEW SANFORD is the founder of the non-profit organization Mind Body Solutions. He specializes in adapting yoga to people living with disabilities and teaches workshops around the country. He currently resides in Orono, Minnesota.

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