"A Midlife Voyage to Transformation"

If you are interested in introspective enduring tales that are life affirming and that offer insights tailor-made for women who are frequently ignored or disrespected, you might want to consider A Midlife Voyage to Transformation.

Donna Daniell shares her healing journey through her mid-life voyage in five stages entitled

"Lost at Sea," "Finding a Mooring," "Deep Diving," "Rebirthing," and "The New You."

The basis for her story is that she faces her fears by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The book suggests that traveling this journey with her provides a model for "self-love, resilience and feminine wisdom. It is also a roadmap for other women on the midlife journey, charting a course that transmutes challenges into inner rebirth and stepping into the power of the Wisewoman."

Daniell has a Masters Degree in Social Work from Denver University School of Social Work and a BA in English, Philosophy, and Religion from Vanderbilt University. In 2005 she founded Balance Your Life Coaching & Psychotherapy LLC, in Boulder, Colorado. She leverages mindfulness, mindful compassion and the study of Internal Family Systems (IFS) as advanced by Dr. Kristin Neff and Dr. Chris Germer of the Center for Mindfulness in San Diego, California.

The study of Internal Family Systems is based on the notion that each one of us is defined by the role we are assigned within our nuclear family. For example, it is not unusual for the first born child to take on the role of the helper, the one who is more likely to be the responsible child while the second born may be the entertainer while a third born child may be the peace-maker. The assignment of these family systems affects the way each of us relates not just to our families but how we respond to the world around us. Being mindful of these systems and having compassion for the way we have been formed by them can provide healing for ourselves and those with whom we are in relationship.

Following the author's healing journey not just through her mountain climbing adventure but through her journey of self-understanding is quite instructive. I found this book to be an honest and engaging account in turns invigorating and potentially life-changing. It is recommended for women between the ages of 35-65.

This book is available at Inkberry Books in Niwot.