Reading List

 

My favorite books all available on Amazon or Thriftbooks.com. Some of these books are also on YouTube and also various audio site. This list will be updated.

Spiritual Readings

Excellent article introducing the practice of Mindfulness

For deep Spiritual Growth and having a personal practice and discipline, any book or audio talk by Pema Chodron the first woman to run a Buddhist Abbey. An American by birth, her ability to present Buddhist concepts and practices in a vernacular that Westerners can relate to is a gift.  A must read article: The Pause

The Kin of Ata by Dorothy Bryant. A novel with a rough beginning to set the stage. A profound illustration of living from Spirit, the power of Yin energy, the magic of surrender and acceptance of not only Spiritual Guidance, but truly living your Life Path rather than pursuing and trying to manifest all the goodies you now want being in a human body.

Marriages between Zones Three and Four by Doris Lessing. A brilliant writer and a Sufi master in her own right. A novel to illustrate the intricacies of blending Yin and Yang energies, using the metaphor of a love story.


The Education of Oversoul Seven by Jane Roberts who channels "Seth" since the 1970's: In novel form, how reincarnation and living multiple concurrent lives works. Outstanding and accurate material based on the channeled material from Jane Roberts Seth books.

E.T. 101, The Cosmic Instruction Manual for Planetary Evolution by Zoev Jho. Very funny and an excellent perspective on being an awakened being, currently incarnated on Earth.

The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov (Any book by her will be worth the read.... ) One of the pioneers of looking at how animals can teach and heal us, in this case, horses. She is a brilliant combination of an intuitive medicine woman and outstanding research geek. A hard combination to find. Love her books.


Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu, version by Jane English and Gia-Fu-Feng translator is my favorite  Beautiful edition and the most accessible and authoritative modern English translation of the ancient Chinese classic. This team also produces a gorgeous calendar  with quotes. The basic contemplation of Taoism. A classic. Meant to provoke meditations.

Any poetry by Rumi and Hafiz--ecstatic poets of the 13th century embodying the spirit of the Tao. Romantic (with Spirit) and inspirational. Look for the translator Coleman Barks (and his audio of the poetry is fantastic as well) to get the "Spirit " of the poetry, translated by a Poet. For more literal translations look for Nader Khalili.-- this version can be a bit "thick"

Daughter of Fire a Diary of  Spiritual Training with a Sufi Master by Irina Tweedie.  A phenomenal description of studying with a True Guru. The closest match to my own Journey with my Teacher.
Amazon description: 

This diary spans five years, making up an amazing record of spiritual transformation ... the agonies, the resistance, the long and frightening bouts with the purifying forces of Kundalini, the perseverance, the movements towards surrender, the longing, and finally the all-consuming love.

From a psychological viewpoint, the diary maps the process of ego dissolution, gradually unveiling the openness and love that reside beneath the surface of the personality. Mrs. Tweedie is the first Western woman to be trained in this ancient yogic lineage. 

Numerology and the Divine Triangle by Dusty Bunker and Faith Javane. My favorite book for studying numerology.

The Field- The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe by Lynn McTaggart. Simply the best introduction to quantum physics brilliantly written (and documented) by an investigative journalist.  Science catching up with mysticism.  

 Psychology and other tools to survive being a Human

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield. The author has an unusually broad spiritual history and this book is informative and grounding. A must read for serious Seekers.

The Dance of  Anger by Harriet Lerner (actually any book by her). A renowned psychologist, this title examines the trap of over-functioning, and over-giving which is common among empaths and healers. This will change your life.

When I say No, I feel Guilty by Manuel J. Smith. An outstanding "how to" book on setting boundaries and how to handle the reactions that will come at you from others when you set boundaries.

Getting in Touch with your Inner Bitch (Babe In Total Control of Herself) by Elizabeth Hilts. The author gave a talk about Toxic Niceness (applies to men as well) and the talk became in such high demand she wrote this fantastic and funny, easy to read book.

Controlling People: How to recognize, understand and deal with people who try to control you by Patricia Evans. The most sophisticated identification of controlling behaviors I have ever read (so far) with excellent tools to use once you recognize these behaviors.

Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw. Shame is the motivator behind toxic behaviors: the compulsion, co-dependency, perfectionism, addiction and drive to super-achieve that breaks down the family and destroys personal lives. This book has helped millions identify their personal shame, understand the underlying reasons for it, address these root causes and release themselves from the shame that binds them to their past failures. All his books are outstanding.

Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller.  Miller’s main point in the book is that the gifted child—the child who is more intelligent, more sensitive and more emotionally aware than other children—can be so attuned to her parents’ expectations that she does whatever it takes to fulfill these expectations while ignoring her own feelings and needs. In becoming the “perfect” child of her parents’ dreams, the gifted child loses something very precious. She loses her true self. In becoming her parents’ ideal child, she locks away her true feelings in a kind of “glass cellar,” the key to which is thrown away.

Self-Parenting: The Complete Guide to Your Inner Conversations by John K. Pollard. This is the classic and original how-to book defining the concept of "self-parenting." Many people grew up within a parental environment that did not support their childhood needs for love, support, and nurturing. As adults, one mentally continues the same patterns as an "Inner Parent" that left you feeling alone and abandoned as a child. By beginning the daily practice of positive Self-Parenting, the negative outer parenting patterns taught as a child (and subsequently internalized as an adult) can be recognized and reversed. The foundation of the SELF-PARENTING is the daily practice of the Self-Parenting Exercises, a thirty-minute session of cognitive interaction between the Inner Parent and Inner Child. During these daily half-hour sessions Illustrated In the book, the reader learns how to love, support, and nurture his or her Inner Child as well as increase their awareness of the profound implications of their Inner Conversations in the "real world."

Brain Gym, Simple Activities for Whole Brain Learning by Paul and Gail Dennison. MUCH better than Tapping/EFT. Enough said.

Showing our True Colors by Mary Miscisin. Excellent newer more modern version of research based Meyers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI). Great information on what makes you (and your children and spouse etc) "tick" with details on how you react when stressed, what kind of complements work best for you (or your family or co-workers), learning, working and leadership styles and much more. Typically more helpful than "knowing your sign." No kidding ! Used by human resources, sheriff's departments and teachers.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne. If you work with people, and any of them come from a less than middle class background, you NEED this book. A must-read for healers, teachers, service providers. A true education on the cultural differences of different economic backgrounds written for those who do not have an education in sociology or social psychology.

TED TALKS that will change your life, inspire you. Talks are typically 18 minutes long

Ten Talks on Human Nature

The Importance of Play