Hey! Hope you all are having a lovely summer thus far — playing in the sun, resting when your body and mind call for it , and doing whatever your heart’s desire.
I will say, one of my favorite summer activities is picking up a good book and letting myself get lost in the narrative. Books are like little secrets — thousands of people have picked up the same book, but their experience with it is entirely their own. To know we could have read the same words, but have taken away our own interpretation of the story is pretty magical; pretty cool. Because books can be so personal, one of my favorite questions to ask people is if there is a book that’s changed the trajectory of their lives — a book that’s largely impacted their lives. So, while I wait for some of the people, I admire to get back to me on what that book might be, here are a few books that have changed my life:
Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss. If there is one book I recommend time and time again, it’s this one. Back in 2014. I was browsing the bookshelves and this book randomly called to me — oh boy did this one book transform my life. I’d like to think of this book as Pandora’s box. In hindsight I think this book is what brought me closer to realizing I wanted to teach yoga. This book also inspired my first tattoo, manipura. This book isn’t about yoga, but it’s about the power of energy in the body and how our past experiences inform our physical state. If there is a woman, I am dying to meet, it’s Carolyn Myss.
Being Ram Dass by Ram Dass. The second book that comes to mind is this one. After completing my yoga teacher training in Portugal with The Sacred Fig, I found myself back in that same bookstore where I purchased anatomy of the spirit, yet again, being called to pick up this 1000 page book. This book made me cry tears of gratitude and joy. Having always taken a fascination and respect towards this prolific spiritual seeker, reading and exploring his life through his own words is nothing short of fascinating. What a time to have been alive. I don’t find anything cooler than having been friends with Alan Watts.
Which leads me to my third book, The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts. One of my favorite quotes comes from this book and is a tool I continually reflect on, on a weekly basis: don’t bother trying to change the world you see, because the world you see does not exist. I will leave you with that.
I have a friend who gives the most remarkable book recommendations and this was one of them. Love: What Life is All About by Leo Buscaglia is a book I wholeheartedly could not put down. I read this in one sitting. Putting it simply, this book is about love. Leo Buscaglia was a professor in Los Angeles, whose college class on love repeatedly packed semester after semester. More than 18 million copies of this book are in print and have been translated in 17 languages. Profound, succinct, and insightful.
The fifth and final book is, How We Live is How We Die by Pema Chodron. On my list of women who inspire me, Pema Chödrön is no exception. She’s an American Buddhist teacher who shares her wisdom on practicing peace. This book, explores traditional Tibetan theories surrounding mortality and transforming challenging emotions into love.
I’d love to hear if there are any books that have inspired or changed your life! say hello & catch you later,
Leah