Moving with the Spirit: A Guide to the Best Books on Embodied Spirituality
When we think about spirituality, we often imagine practices like prayer, meditation, or study ~ quiet and still moments that nurture the soul. But what if movement itself could be a doorway into God’s presence? Our bodies are not separate from our spiritual lives; they are sacred vessels through which we experience the world and the divine. Movement ~ whether walking, stretching, dancing, or simply breathing ~ can become a prayer, a grounding practice, and a source of renewal.
If you’ve ever longed to explore this connection more deeply, there are many wise voices who have written about the sacredness of the body and the ways movement enriches our faith. Below are some of my favorite books on embodied spirituality. Each of these resources offers unique insights into how we can honor our bodies as integral to our relationship with God.
(Affiliate disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through them. Thank you for supporting this work.)
The Wisdom of the Body by Christine Valters Paintner
The distorted view of the perfect female body created by popular culture, television, movies, and the media often causes women to become uncomfortable with their own bodies. Christine Valters Paintner, popular author of nine books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, draws from Celtic, desert, and Benedictine traditions to help women connect with their bodies through writing, visual art, and movement.
In The Wisdom of the Body, Christine Valters Paintner focuses on the true meaning of the Incarnation ~ God became flesh ~ and points to the spiritual importance of appreciating the bodies God gave us.
Each of the book’s ten chapters is a mini-workshop designed to lead us to new ways of being in relationship with our bodies. Starting with the senses and shifting toward emotions and desires, Paintner explores their role as thresholds to discovering the body’s wisdom. She draws from Christian tradition to offer principles and practices such as stability, hospitality, and gratitude to lead us on a journey that ends with a sense of deep peace and self-acceptance.
Through expressive arts and creative movement, Paintner demonstrates a new a language and way of integrating and sharing our discoveries. By exploring the lives of women in the Bible and in the Christian tradition ~ including Eve, Mary, Hildegaard of Bingen, and Amma Syncletica ~ Paintner introduces us to companions that accompany us on our journey.
Why it’s helpful: This book bridges the gap between faith and embodiment beautifully. It provides accessible exercises for bringing spirituality into everyday movements like walking or stretching.
The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth by Christopher L. Heuertz
Most of us spend a lifetime trying to figure out who we are and how we relate to others and God. The Enneagram is here to help. Far more than a personality test, author Chris Heuertz teaches us that the Enneagram is a sacred map to the soul.
Lies about who we think we are keep us trapped in loops of self-defeat, but the Enneagram uniquely reveals nine ways we get lost, as well as nine ways we find our way home to our true self and to God.
Whether you are an enthusiast or simply Enneagram-curious, this groundbreaking guide to the spiritual depth of the Enneagram will help you:
Understand the "why" behind your type beyond caricatures and stereotypes
Identify and find freedom from self-destructive patterns
Learn how to work with your type toward spiritual growth
Awaken your unique gifts to serve today's broken world
Richly insightful and deeply practical, The Sacred Enneagram is your invitation to begin the journey of a life transformed.
Why it’s helpful: It reminds us that movement isn’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on your temperament, your spiritual motion might look like contemplative walking, energetic dancing, or mindful breathwork.
Dance of the Spirit: The Seven Steps of Women’s Spirituality by Maria Harris
Each woman has a special spiritual destiny, as unique and inalienable as the rhythms that govern her life. Maria Harris teaches women how to dance to the music of their own souls and discover the spiritual steps that can transform their lives.
This book uses dance as a metaphor and practice for women’s spiritual journeys. Harris explores how movement is woven into rituals, community, and personal transformation.
Why it’s helpful: For anyone who loves creative or expressive forms of movement, this book affirms the sacredness of dance and shows how the body can lead us into joy and freedom in faith.
Prayer of Heart and Body: Meditation and Yoga as Christian Spiritual Practice by Thomas Ryan
If you're looking for clear links between Christian faith and the practice of yoga and meditation, this book is for you. Prayer of Heart and Body will help you integrate teachings from the Christian contemplative tradition into your practice and encourage a new appreciation for the role of the body in prayer. "Yoga," says the author, is "meditation in motion, a way to pray with one's whole being ~ body, mind and spirit.
It was originally designed to prepare people for sitting meditation." The two work powerfully together. Quoting extensively from such authors as Ignatius, John of the Cross, Rahner and Merton, Ryan explains what is distinctive about Christian meditation compared to some eastern forms, and looks at reincarnation and kundalini energy in the light of Christian faith, respecting the authenticity of other world religions and drawing from their wisdom traditions where appropriate.
"Through this, Ryan integrates all that is beautiful, wise and holy in other traditions," says Jean Vanier in his Foreword, for a book that is "unifying and pacifying."
The final section gives explicit instructions on beginning yoga. Using easy-to-follow diagrams, it covers breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, and the postures, including benefits, precautions and contraindications for each. In all, the basic aim of this beautifully written book is to assist the millions of Christians who today are practicing meditation or yoga or both, to consciously integrate them into their Christian spirituality as effective instruments for their personal development in prayer and daily living.
Why it’s helpful: If you’ve ever wondered how to integrate yoga or breath-centered practices with Christian faith, this book is a thoughtful and practical resource.
Why Books Like These Matter
When we embrace embodied spirituality, we discover that every gesture, step, and breath can be an act of devotion. These books remind us that God meets us in motion as well as in stillness, in the ordinary tasks of daily life as well as in set-apart rituals.
If you are looking to deepen your faith through the integration of body and spirit, I encourage you to start with one of these resources. Let them guide you toward practices that fit your own life—whether that’s walking prayer, mindful stretching, dancing, or simply breathing with intention.
Final Encouragement
Our bodies are sacred. They carry us through the thresholds of life, they hold our joys and sorrows, and they reflect the divine image in ways we often overlook. By exploring the wisdom found in these books, you’ll not only learn to move with more intention—you’ll also discover how movement itself can become a prayer, a pathway, and a way of knowing God more fully.
So, pick up a book, take a step, and move with the Spirit.
