Healing With the Energy of the Chakras by Ambika Wauters

This is an excellent overview of the Chakras and how to understand them in relation to your life and physical body. I wasn’t crazy about the meditations in the first half of the book, but I really enjoyed the second half and her descriptions of each Chakra.  I actually refer to this book a lot in my work and feel it is a very good place to start in learning about Chakras. A quick read.

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10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace by Dr. Wayne Dyer

Put this book next to your bed and when you need help grounding yourself, open it to any page and begin reading. It never fails me. Simple, clear language that forces you to look deeper within yourself for the answer. This book help you see your own ego or shadow, and chuckle. It refreshes your perspective with abundant light.

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The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer

A powerful book that helps you feel connected to the universe and understand your own self so much better. In this book I ran up against the concept of, “There is a valid reason for everything that happens.”  At first, I rebelled against this new belief until I began to see how empowering this new belief actually was.  I was in charge of my life and experiences and I could transform them to support my most abundant life.  I really understood the power of your thoughts, for better and worse.  Taking complete responsibility for your life is affirming both spiritual and mentally. A challenging yet well-worth-it discovery.

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The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Riso and Russ Hudson

The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types. An in valuable book in self-evaluation. "To know thine own self..." We cannot fix what we cannot see. This book calmly, without judgment, points out our dark places clearly and precisely. Better yet, it offers a way to catch yourself before you fall into your ego and repeat old patterns of self-destruction.  I learned about the enneagram years ago through our church and could not believe how “right-on” it seemed to be.  The only caution I add with the book is – labeling. I think the information and helpful advice exceptional, however I have seen, as with other personality models, a lot of pointing fingers and name-calling.  Resist temptation and glean a better understanding of yourself and others.

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Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small. This book is a corner stone of my library.  I am always noticing which animals are showing up in life, dreams, anywhere.  This book offers clear insight into the natural world that surrounds all of us and the messages it is trying to send you. A fascinating discovery of how connected we all truly are and easy to navigate.

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Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.

The true story of a prominent psychiatrist, his young patient and the past-life therapy that changed both their lives..." This book is powerful for anyone struggling with grief, death or self-defeating behaviors. Sometimes our responses get stuck. We trigger into following the same patterns over and over. It is exciting and hopeful to think there are new avenues to explore for answers. I firmly believe in past-lives and think this true story offers a compelling glimpse of that view. Excellent!

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Sacred Sage Spirit Medicine by Silver Wolf Walks Alone

I bought this book on a whim in Taos, NM while on vacation, and then immediately lost it for two months. I trusted it would appear when I was ready and I found it when I was looking for another book. A very short read, but well worth the time. If you are drawn to any plant, maybe sage, read this book. It will help you open the door to a deeper relationship with yourself, supported by nature. She clearly speaks to accepting the dark parts of yourself to unlock your intuition and soul's purpose. (no picture available)

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Spiritual Marketing by Joe Vitale

This is an online book that can be downloaded for free on the Web. A friend gave it to me. Joe is one many authors/contributors to the movie “The Secret". It has lots of information and he discusses in detail how to clear yourself of negative energies that block wealth from entering your life. I think it is particularly useful if you are starting a new venture as it also speaks to setting intension in advertising. Good resource book.

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Priestess Entrepreneur by Cindy Morris

The "girlfriend's guide" to running you own business! A smart, lovingly blunt look at the peaks and pitfalls of owning and operating your own business. Cindy guides you through this journey from it's infancy to maturity with clarity that only stems from personal growth and success. Through stories and personal wisdom, she helps you to look honestly at yourself, identify and address the issues that block success and how to achieve that success while being mindful of your soul's growth. Chapter seven is exceptionally thought provoking for anyone in a business arena. An excellent read.

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West With the Night by Dr. Beryl Markham

This is an exquisite memoir of a female pilot and her life in Africa before WWII. She describes her childhood and Africa in such exquisite detail the images haunt your mind. She lived an exotic life by our standards, but for her, it seems ordinary. It truly makes you long for the “lost continent” you and I will never know. A dream-like quality haunts this woman’s voice from page one and you realize this is a woman with a solid life compass!

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Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Without a doubt, I find the humor of David Sedaris to be laugh-out-loud, tearing streaming from my eyes in perfect joy. Maybe it's the familiar and insane family I love so much. Or maybe his evil sense of humor I recognize as my own too. Whatever it is, I will read, or listen to anything he does prepared to enjoy.  Any time you need an escape - whether in prison or at the in-laws, this never fails.

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Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

I read this book while on vacation at the beach with a dear friend. This is a quiet book that encourages silence and time spent alone…valuable commodities for a mom...really anyone. This book speaks of peace and as you read it you can’t help but remember this woman’s life - the kidnapping and death of the Lindbergh baby years ago. She was the mother who lost her child in a most cruel manner, but there she is on the pages, so peaceful and calm. It gives you hope that you too can overcome any tragedy and thrive.  Read on and be inspired.

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A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

This is the book to bring when you are visiting the relatives and you need a good laugh. A novice hiker Bryson narrates preparing for and hiking the Appalachian Trail. Informative and hilarious. Bryson paints images in your mind with his choice words creating lasting chuckles. After reading this book seven years ago, I am still giggling about his friend tossing almost all his gear on the first day because it was too heavy – he did keep the Snickers bars.

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Plain and Simple by Sue Bender

A Woman's Journey to the Amish. A really good book. You feel refreshed upon turning the last page. The memoir tells of the twists and turns on the journey to self. Sue Bender’s opinions change with the pages of the book and she finds grace. A beautifully crafted book that resonates even more with anyone who enjoys making things with their hands, be it food or craft. Less is more.

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Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

This is a complete crier book – excellent.  Sometimes I just need to cry and I am not always good at accessing my own tears thus I have become a firm believer in the Greek tragedy model and of course, Extreme Home Make-overs.  Both illicit the tears that will cleanse my body and my heat of it’s many stuffed emotions.  Not to be read in public places as sniffling is assured?

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Broken Music by Sting

I can honestly say I did not want to like this book, but I loved it. Sting has an eloquence in his language that is both dirty-street-wise and angelic. A true Shakespearean. He is vividly honest in his critique of self, sometimes cruelly so. We feel his aching for lost family and the smack of choices in life and their inevitably consequences. A fascinating, cautionary tale of fame and fortune.

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Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

A wonderful, dear friend introduced me to this book in my mid-twenties and I loved it. I re-read this book every few years and fall more deeply in love with each of the characters. The scene of Zooey and his mother in the bathroom has a perverse familiarity and I weep with laughter upon each reading. Great for plane rides and anywhere else laughter is needed.

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Northern Borders: A Novel by Howard Frank Mosher

If I was going to a desert island, this would be one of the books I would bring.  I recommend it over and over. It's about a man remembering his childhood living on his Grandparents farm in Northern Vermont. For me, it is a little like coming home as Vermont is the closest thing to home I know of.  You will laugh out loud and cry your eyes out. Great book to get lost in and you will not be able to put it down because it is so much fun.

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The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

As I read this book, I could not believe one woman created all of these vivid and haunting voices in one book – amazing. Kingsolver masterfully weaves a story of a family in crisis as told by each character at different turns. The different voices are painful in their clarity of “not enough.”  I liked the first half much better than the second. A serious and satisfying read.

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Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Without a doubt, this book actually changed my perspective in life.  The “suffering” of the main characters for all their real and imagined pictures of reality made me examine my own life.  This is my favorite Marquez book. I absolutely love the message that "we can only see through the glass dimly" - perspective is everything. I loved the humanness of the characters and the different masks each wears. Upon reading you will begin looking at your own life to uncover the masks you too knowingly and unknowingly wear. Excellent!

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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I try to read this book every few years. It's short, making this easy to accomplish. What surprises me each time is I learn more about myself with each reading. This book is wonderful for anyone who is searching. Anyone with an empty place in themselves longing for it to be filled, only to discover the key is already in their hand.

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A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

I read this book in my mid-twenties, just when I was beginning to explore my own relationship with God. I felt a sense of peace reading this book. That maybe all the pieces do get put together at the very end. I did sob at the end, too. Be you fairly warned.

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Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Exquisite, thought provoking and revealing. I could not put this book down and trips to the Zoo have been completely transformed. I always had an uneasy view of Zoos in the past, caging animals and all that, but I see with new eyes now. I look for the fresh water and their shelter. I utterly fell in love with Pi and his love of the God through three different paths. I, too, am confused by each religion’s possessiveness of the best way to love God. Can you see God’s bemusement at our old refrain, spoken clearly by the disciples thousands of years ago, do you love me best? Am I your favorite? Fantastic.

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The Hours by Michael Cunningham

A story intricately woven together through the lives of three different woman. Painful. The despair of these characters is palpable and sadly, all too easily identified in our own lives. Truly haunting as it is magnificent in the same moment. The layers of the women’s lives, compels you to see the truth of your own hidden despair. Not for a light read, but helpful during your own transformational journey.

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Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

This is a story about forgiveness and a father’s love. Forgiveness can be such an allusive commodity. The strength of the father is wonderful. In a time when violence and aggression are easy commodities for all, it’s refreshing to see a softer model of masculine strength. Good vacation read.

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The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This is definitely one of my top two or three books of all time. Roy creates a new language/dialect as she weaves her words together in opposing manners – sometimes written in poetry and regular prose. Phenomenal. The book is tragic, no happy day here, but profound in a way that affects you. There is a scene where the mother is talking to her daughter “about loving a person just a little bit less with each offense,” that haunts me to this day. It is painful and raw truth. A must read.

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