Stand up straight. Tighten your core. Pull your shoulders back. Engage your abs.

Sound familiar?

We’ve spent our whole lives being told how to stand, sit, move, and strengthen our bodies. And while there’s certainly value in building strength and improving posture, I have to wonder… are we sometimes making things more complicated than they need to be?

That’s exactly why I find Moving Beyond Core: A Somatic Exploration Through Whole Body Relationship by Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle so interesting.

Wendy is asking us to look at the body a little differently. And I love a book that makes us question what we’ve always been taught!

Your Body Is Pretty Incredible. Maybe We Should Listen to It.

Here’s something I’ve always believed about wholistic health: everything is connected.

We talk about it with nutrition all the time. Dr. Royal Lee taught us that nutrients work together, and that understanding the whole is just as important as understanding the individual parts.

Well, why wouldn’t that same thinking apply to movement?

Wendy explores this beautifully in Moving Beyond Core. Drawing on decades of experience in Pilates, Rolfing, yoga, and somatic movement, she looks at how our muscles, fascia, gravity, and even our relationship with the ground, work together.

And here’s what I really like about her approach.

Instead of constantly telling the body what to do, she encourages us to get curious about what it’s already doing.

Imagine that. Actually listening to our bodies!

For chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, Pilates, and yoga instructors, and other wholistic practitioners, this is a fascinating perspective to bring into your work.

Especially when working with people experiencing chronic tension, pain, stress, or movement limitations. Sometimes understanding the bigger picture can open the door to better questions and a more individualized approach.

And Here’s the Really Cool Part!

You know those exercise books where you’re staring at a diagram, tilting your head, trying to figure out exactly what the person is doing?

Well, Wendy thought of that!

Throughout the book, you’ll find QR codes that take you directly to YouTube videos where Wendy demonstrates the movements herself.

So, you can read about a movement, watch her demonstrate it, and actually try it alongside her.

I think that’s brilliant, especially for a book that’s all about experiencing and understanding movement.

Just look at this example on 4 29B Pilates Cadillac with Push Through to Teaser as an excellent example of how her accompanying videos are an absolute game changer.

A Great Addition to Your Wholistic Health Library

I love discovering resources that encourage us to keep learning, asking questions, and looking at health from a broader perspective.

And that’s what makes Moving Beyond Core worth a look.

Whether you’re a practitioner who works with the body every day or someone who’s simply curious about movement and body awareness, Wendy offers plenty to think about and, thanks to those videos, plenty to actually try!

The book was so popular that our first batch sold out quickly, but we have more copies on the way to Selene River Press!

If you’ve been curious about how your body moves, adapts, and works together as a whole, this might be a great addition to your bookshelf.