Essential Reads
Food For the Soul
Be Here Now
This is the creased, ripped-edged, best-loved book on my shelf, bedside, bathside, or wherever I pick it up and tug along with me. Although it is a telling of Ram Dass's journey through India following his Harvard ivory tower days and whacked-out '60s acid trips, it is a meditation. Be Here Now is a retro spiritual guide of sorts, where a flip of a page in a question for guidance can land on a quote such as the following: the opposite of craving is saying, baby, this is the way it is, yeah, O.K., here and now, this is it. I ACCEPT THE HERE AND NOW FULLY. Ram Dass strips the shit, our sober longings, and the centre of it all where we roam in our own trappings. Flipping through this book or even absorbing myself in a single page flowered with psychedelic drawings is a meditation that has brought me more release than sitting alone in meditation has . . .
Energetic Boundaries
We are all energy and this book is a guide for developing a protective barrier + gentle boundary around our subtle body to create more intelligent interactions with others and even the self.
Strange Plants
This is a contemporary art book in celebration of the art of plants. It features the work of and discussions with a variety of artists on the role plants have had on their lives
You are a Circle
This is a book to stun you into your senses through its exploration of your creativity—a vision circling you back into your own self . . .
The Essential Rumi
My mum fed me snippets of Rumi quotes as a child, so reading a compillation of his meditative and poetic works takes me right back home in all senses of the work. I like this version as an introduction to his mystical reads.
Mudras for Modern Life
I first recognised the power of mudras through kundalini yoga and have recently depeened my understanding by incorporating mudra meditations to the end of my vinyasa yoga practises. This book allows me to incoporate specific ones that align with my intention that I carry with me as I rise off of the mat
The Chakra Handbook
This is a definitive + accesible handbook in tuning into, clearing, and aligning your chakras—a sweet go-to after yoga practises for a concentrated meditation in further dispelling energetic blockages.
Life Plan Astrology
For the star-aligned or even astrologically-curious, this do-it-yourself manual offers insight into planetary cycles and their effect on our personal growth, development, and success.
Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes
I first delved into the work of rosemary gladstar by an introduction from the two talented ladies of the great kosmic kitchen and this book is now always under my hand during my nerdy herbal research sessions
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom
Many women are unfortunately have disconnected from their bodies—from its physical manifestations to its feminine presence. This bible of women's health is a guide to reclaiming our bodies and our inherent wisdom.
The Moon Diva's Guidebook
I cannot say enough about the potential impact this guidebook has on women of any stage of life. Through art and writing prompts, cyclical celebrations, and traditional recipes, Lara and Deva offer support on life changes from birthing to grieving . . .
Food for the Body
Full Moon Feast
This book is a celebration of indigenous/traditional methods, local produce, the labour of farmers which then enable us to lovingly nourish both our body and that of the earth.
Nourishing Traditions
A cookbook of perceptive agricultural political acumen, nourishing traditions is not just a book of recipes but is one of lessons in listening to the inert wisdom of our bodies rather than that of 'politically correct nutrition dictocrats' . . .
My New Roots
The plant-based bible that has graced kitchen counters + created a cult following of a "life changing" loaf o' bread + recipes like a colossal yet healthy chocolate bar . . .
Near & Far
A trip of a cookbook that will have your tastebuds wrapped in wanderlust for the wild-picked greens of Puglian coast, dashi broths, and steamy clay pots full of sizzling tagine . . .
Healing with Foods
For those in search of a reference guide that seamlessly combines ancient traditional healing methods of Chinese medicine with modern holistic nutritional principles to regenerate the body or heal from conditions like cancer and arthritis . . .
Lucid Food
A refreshing + eco-friendly cookbook that will rejuvenate and regulate your body's rhythms through dishes that follow seasonal produce cycles . . .
Encyclopedia of Healing Foods
A definitively nerdy compilation for the nutritional nerd of the benefits + properties of foods, herbs, and anything edible!
La Methode
Despite being intricate + restricted in the foods my body can tolerate, I have cultivated a keen sense of how to work with what I have by mastering cooking methods + technigques, from none other than the French culinary expert Jacques Pepin. Teach yourself how to cook with this book + you can turn asparagus into sprigs of gold . . .
Juice
A final shot in this collection is topped off with a tonic juice you can shoot with a recipe from this staple un-cookbook
