The Way of the Belly: 8 Essential Secrets of Beauty, Sensuality, Health, Happiness, and Outrageous Fun

The belly, say Neena and Veena, is not only the center of a woman's body, but also metaphorically her emotional and spiritual core. The strikingly attractive sisters known as the Bellytwins, who combine their belly-dancing career with a line of popular workout DVDs and videos, promise the reader a "feminine, sensory makeover" that encompasses not only weight-loss advice but techniques for how to talk, walk and dress. The sisters believe "it's not being selfish to take care of yourself and do what you need to do." Their detailed descriptions of belly-dance moves, guidelines for applying makeup and dressing in sensual, colorful clothing, and tips for facial and body treatments using natural foods and essential oils are both revealing and delightful. Wise, eye-opening and embracing an unabashedly feminine perspective, this book reveals that the two women of Indian heritage (though born in California) are deeply connected to their bodies, the earth and their own pleasure: "all of life [is] a dance," write the authors, and this exotically charming book will make readers want to see their own lives the same way. Color photos. (Feb.)