Part-time Arizona resident Stasia Minkowsky is the author of Skinny White Woman, released earlier this year. (Mill City Press, 416 pages, $16.95, www.skinnywhitewoman.com)

Book Summary:

After being pronounced a lightworker by a psychic from Sedona, all Stasia Minkowsky wants to do is smoke a joint, get drunk and forget about it. The only problem? It’s not working.

Desperate for answers, she is guided to her first Native American sweat lodge where most participants are in recovery for drugs and alcohol. Cautious about “drinking the Kool-Aid,” Stasia’s once guarded exterior begins to unravel with the power of the ceremonies and the path known as the “Red Road.” Under the guidance of a goofy yet reclusive Native American teacher, she is buried in a hole for her vision quest and the only white woman dancing in the spiritual piercing ritual called the Sundance.

But as her rites of passage into the ceremonial path become deeper, so does her understanding of the blemishes and betrayals of following a spiritual path. The lure of her old lifestyle is never far from her thoughts along with a nagging question about the pain of growing consciousness. If this is truly the path to becoming a lightworker, why is it so friggin’ hard?

A self-reflective memoir about what it means to follow a modern-day spiritual path, Skinny White Woman is a raw and unrefined look at the human journey to find the spirit within.

Partial Author bio:

Stasia Minkowsky is a ceremonialist, metaphysical teacher and intuitive counselor with a background as a certified energy work practitioner. She has been called upon to conduct hundreds of ceremonies across the nation that include: baby blessings, coming of age ceremonies, weddings, crossing-over ceremonies, vision quests, sweat lodges, house blessings, sacred pipe ceremonies, talking circles as well as ceremonies specific to individual needs.

Ms. Minkowsky has been a leader at women’s retreats, workshops (such as The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing), drug and alcohol recovery groups and currently teaches courses on Metaphysics/Universal Consciousness and Meditation. She specializes in working with people of all cultural and religious backgrounds. Her passion is for creating sacred spaces where people are inspired and uplifted to empower themselves.

I read the book and believe if you are looking to change your life in some way, this book may just give you inspiration. Minkowsky offers a very personal account of her journey from addict to metaphysical teacher. Her language is at times raw, as are the experiences she writes about. Minkowsky provides a very detailed look at life on the rez and her attempts to fit in. She goes through a tough set of challenges and shows great determination to change her life for the better. Minkowsky doesn't pretend to be an expert and writes in a very down-to-earth fashion. This is a refreshingly honest look at life on the spiritual path.