Higher Self: Reclaiming the Power of Your Intuition

Life coach Fontanez debuts with a haphazard primer on listening to one’s gut. According to the author, people are born with access to an intuitive wisdom that’s slowly eroded by damaging social scripts and others’ opinions, leaving them trapped in a state of fear that stunts personal growth. To reconnect with one’s “Higher Self,” readers can pinpoint how “core” childhood wounds have engendered limiting beliefs (“I have to be perfect, or I won’t be worthwhile”), identify sites of disconnection (unfulfilling work, damaging relationships), and tap into their intuition with therapeutic and somatic practices (such as blending, or attuning to body parts that hold tension and compassionately acknowledging the “pressure and emotion” they hold). The steps for recovering one’s intuition serve as a loose framework into which Fontanez clumsily shoehorns rehashed pop psych concepts, tenuously related personal anecdotes (she cites how her son Kian’s stubbornness reflects a deeper desire “to challenge systems and deconstruct them so they can be reconstructed from a place of clarity”), and stories about famous clients she’s helped, including Queer Eye hairstylist Jonathan van Ness. The result is a book that’s heavy on meandering personal meditations and light on unique or actionable guidance. The author’s good intentions aside, those looking to tap into their inner voice will be better served elsewhere. (Mar.)