Dear friend,
I have been reading loads lately. I'd love to share some of my fav self-growth books that have been opening different chambers in my mind and life. See if any resonate. And let me know what you think!
The Mind-Body Code: How the Mind Wounds and Heals the Body by Dr. Mario Martinez
Dr. Martinez is a clinical neuropsychologist who explores how the immune system responds to cultural beliefs. I've heard about his work for years, and this book is laid out like one of his courses. In it, he discusses the 5 Portals of Wellness, and the bio-symbolic language of your mind-body.
My fav parts are when he shares about common behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes of centenarians (people who live over 100 years old) and his exercises around forgiveness. Practical, grounded in research, and uplifting.
It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn
Wolynn's premise is that the roots of emotional difficulties may not reside in our immediate life experience or in chemical imbalances in our brains—but in the lives of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents.
This book is an awesome guide for anyone, even if you aren't aware of any personal or family trauma, looking to understand him or herself more. It's caused me to search into my own family tree for patterns, stories, and more for greater self-understanding. I can't wait to dig deeper into this work with participants at the DREAM Retreat in October.
Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
The book caught me with its first sentence: "A good litmus test for the health of any society is how well it treats its girls, and how well its girls are fairing."
Any of you who care deeply for a young woman (a daughter, a granddaughter, students, clients, or even a friend's child), know that young adult girls are more prone to anxiousness and depression than ever before. This book does the work of asking why? More importantly, it tells us what to do about it. Nakazawa offers 15 "antidote" strategies, and suggests ways to further foster the critical parent-adolescent relationship to enable a healthy inner life for our girls. Current, raw, and tactical, this is the book I've been looking for modern-day girl-parenting.
What you Want Wants You by Suzanne Eder
With a title inspired by the Rumi quote with the same sentiment (what you seek is seeking you), I knew I had to read this one. In her book, Eder explains that we awaken to the deeper truth of who we are by following the lead of our personal, heartfelt desires. In contrast with many spiritual teachings that idolize the relinquishment of personal desire in favor of service, What You Want Wants You asserts that true desire is the very impulse of Life itself, guiding us back to our greatest levels of contribution and fulfillment. A super heady read, but I found the content and ideas I took away worth it.
There you have it! Here's to your continued growth and inspiration.
