The depressed person, says Dr. Alexander Lowen, is out of touch with reality – and especially with the reality of his or her own body. This inspiring, pioneering book explores the cultural and psychological forces that contribute to this condition and shows how we can overcome depression, first by reestablishing the connection to our physical selves and learning to recognize the physical manifestations of our emotions. Drawing on his vast experience with depressed patients, Dr. Lowen outlines a series of simple but remarkably effective exercises that help us reawaken to our own inherent energies, enable us to express our love and uniqueness, and recover our spirituality and faith in living.   “[Dr. Lowen’s] book is both important and, for the serious lay reader, engrossing. He is an unusually lucid writer, unburdened by jargon, candidly personal.” – Publishers Weekly