The Conqueress

"Dr. Marcy Buehler prefaces her insightful self-help book The Conqueress by admitting something that will ring true for many: she took the world by storm in her youth even if it meant learning the hard way, but secretly, she felt deeply insecure. Her life steamrolled along with bravado in spite of this inconvenient fact until she experienced "The Fall," losing what seemed to be everything of value - her husband, her financial success, and her prized possessions.

Suddenly left face to face with her inner self, the blithe lack of self-awareness she clung to when things were easy turns to inescapable anguish. With a daughter to support, Dr. Marcy B determines to do the hard work of enduring, and eventually thriving, with a little help from an intrinsic spark of life she calls "The Conqueress." To better herself, and inspire her daughter, she embarks on a transformative journey towards "allowing the intuitive voice of the Conqueress to guide the course of my life."

Dr. Marcy B proclaims that she's done sacrificing her integrity and wants to "let go of the messages, standards, and opinions of others. There is no other choice." Her shift is miraculous, having successfully recovered from the gamut: divorce, codependency, addiction, low self-worth, and eating disorders. So listen up because she's prepared to teach us her ways.

A transformational yoga experience led her to India and played a significant role in her spiritual awakening. Meanwhile, she's equally comfortable dissecting neuroplasticity or "the ability of the physical brain to actually rewire itself and build new neural pathways." This balance between the abstract and the practical makes for an enjoyable yet functional read, one that serves as both an inspirational text and a workbook. The doctor is in to disprove "the notion that one cannot be both scientific and spiritual," and it's a hopeful concept. They unite mightily to create a game plan for renewal that she calls the FEATs approach: Feel, Explore, Acceptance, Transform.

Dr. Marcy B is a pro at outlines, so her book is structured handily. She identifies four necessary shifts for transformation to take hold: Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual and integrates the use of light, sound, vibration, movement, and imagery throughout the book. These latter components help restore homeostasis, aka the stability and balance of your body's systems.

Note the plentiful scientific terms and evidence peppered throughout. While Dr. Marcy B says that "my most profound experiences of spiritual knowledge served as a reminder to trust myself - to always trust myself," her engagement with a solid factual foundation allows us to trust her too. Additionally, she writes in an extremely accessible style, presenting lessons that are easily understood but speak volumes. Like a gentle therapist, (therapy is something she sincerely encourages by the way) she offers kind, empathetic advice backed by years of study.

I'm sure you've heard that people are onions. Dr. Marcy B takes that metaphor and runs with it, describing our journey as peeling back four layers through the application of FEATs. The first layer contains tools of mindfulness, breath and meditation, and a breakdown of each. She even provides a soothing meditation script. In layer two, when we explore, we start getting to the sources of "fear-based messages and false and limiting beliefs." She again introduces tools, one being journaling. To those of you who sit and exasperatedly stare at a blank notebook page, never fear; our author gives directions to optimize the experience and make the most of this potentially powerful tool.

Layer three, Acceptance, is a tricky one. After all, the author herself had a plan for her perfect life that she had to relinquish. Naturally, a little perspective shift and some incorporation of gratitude didn't hurt, but she has still more tips and tricks up her sleeve. The final layer, Transform, utilizes imagery and visualizations to...