Finding Freedom: Book Recommendations

Books and freedom have always gone hand-in-hand for me. I remember escaping into countless novels as a young girl - other people's drama was so much more interesting than my own! Losing myself in the stories of Caddie Woodlawn, Ramona Quimby, Margaret, and later Jane Eyre, The Babysitter's Club, and Sylvia Plath helped me forget my own troubles, practice empathy for others, and learn about the world. Even now, as time seems even more precious and hard to come by some days, a book is the last thing I touch before drifting off to sleep.

Books have also played an integral role in shaping my work and my personal spiritual journey, and so in the name of summer, freedom and personal adventures, I thought I'd share with you a few of the books that have made the biggest difference to my life. May you find them as transformational as I have

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I still remember sitting in my voice teacher's studio, crumpled up in tears. It was a rather frequent occasion those days as I got so frustrated navigating between where I was and where we both dreamed I could be or so elated as something clicked and my voice opened up. I remember her giving me a big hug and asking if I'd ever read The Artist's Way. I went home and immediately purchased it and a whole new world of creating opened up. Yes, singing, and creating, is spiritual.

Soul Coaching by Denise Linn

Apart from The Artist's Way, this book was my first foray into the world of personal development. I love it because it's not just a book, it's a program, complete with 3 levels of action steps to take each day for 28 days. I can read and theorize ad nauseum, but when action is taken, stuff changes. Built around the premise of decluttering - physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, Soul Coaching helps you connect with your essential truth in a pretty down-to-earth way.

The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

This book is one of my more recent reads. I must have highlighted something on every other page. Connecting with many of the principle spiritual tenets of yoga, this book is profound if you're ready to go deeper. The soul is free, untethered, when stillness prevails.

Steering By Starlight by Martha Beck

I've read almost all of Martha Beck's books by now, but this is one of my favorites and is an excellent starting point into her work. As a Martha Beck coach, I use or draw from many of her tools, and this book does a great job of presenting some of them and expanding on them in everyday language. Particularly beloved is her explanation of the 'lizard brain' and her tools for dismantling that constant inner broadcaster of fear.

Happy reading! Let me know in the comments if you have any other favorite books - I'm always looking to expand my library!