I buy books like a lot of women buy shoes.
I read them, underline them, dog ear them, quote them, re-read them, give some away to my friends to read and if they’re really good, keep my own copy and buy them for friends to read!
Summer is always a great time of year to catch up on reading. For your next vacation, instead of reading a trashy romance novel or some light beach read that you’ll forget about the minute you close the book, I invite you to dig into one of these gorgeous books and see what gems you can unearth to nourish your mind, body and spirit.
My Top 5 Must Read Books for Smart Self-Care:
1. Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller – This book is one I have read more than once and often will pick up and open to a random page for his hard hitting wisdom and down to earth inspiration. In the opening pages, he reminds us that even nature requires rest. If certain plants don’t lie dormant in winter, they won’t produce fruit in the spring. And if they continue to be deprived of rest, the entire species can even die out. Think about that. (Now are you sure you can’t fit in an hour or two just for you when you think about it in that context?!)
2. The Woman’s Retreat Book by Jennifer Louden – This book is one that has guided my retreat work for years ever since I went on retreat myself with Jen back in 2005 in Taos, NM. She was one of the early pioneers in the personal development movement and her writing is funny, poignant and engaging. She tells great stories and mixes it all up with step by step practical advice about how to take yourself on retreat for an hour, a day, a week or a year. I love Jen as a person and read her blogs and newsletters religiously.
3. The Art of Extreme Self Care by Cheryl Richardson – This book is just lovely to hold in your hands. I’ve been a fan of Cheryl’s since she wrote Life Makeovers back in 2000 and I got to hear her speak at the ICF (International Coach Federation) Conference in 2002 when I was a newbie coach. She is a master at weaving her personal stories into very practical tips about how you can apply the lesson in your own life. Every chapter ends with an Extreme Self Care Challenge and a list of resources. I just love her voice.
4. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – A must-have book on your personal development reading list, The Four Agreements themselves could be a wonderful personal manifesto. Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best. Simple, powerful and truly transformational concepts if applied to your life daily. What I love best about these? They apply in any and all situations in life – relationships, business, health, spirituality, self-care – you name it, it fits.
5. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay – Hands down my favorite book when it comes to addressing health issues. Louise Hay (founder of Hay House who publishes Wayne Dyer and alllll of his friends! 🙂 ) wrote this book decades before it was mainstream to think about the power of our thoughts and emotions to impact our health. It is my go-to book whenever I have a health issue… I look it up and see what positive affirmation I can say to help me on my healing journey. Also a lovely book to simply look at – the artwork alone is healing.
Revitalized Action: Take a minute and consider what you’ve been reading lately. Is it filling you up? Nourishing you? If so, great and keep at it! But if you’ve been devouring too many People magazines, it might be time to treat yourself to one of these lovely books and give yourself a little extra love each time you sit down to read. I’d love to hear if you have already read any of these books and if you have any other books to recommend to this list! Please let me know in the comments below.