Books are one of the easiest and most accessible ways to expand your knowledge on a particular subject and to dive deeper into something that you’re interested in, especially when it comes to yoga, spirituality, or deepening your connection to self and others through self-help. They have the ability to transport us into the mind of the author and really explore yoga, meditation, spirituality, or other subject matter through their eyes and with their own experiences as the guide. There is a wealth of knowledge out there and new books in the field coming out every day, but time is a limited resource for most of us and it can get overwhelming just trying to find the next book to read.
This list is some of the most impactful books that I’ve come across in the last couple of years and a great place to start on your search for books to add to your must-read list.
The Universe Has Your Back
The most recent book by Gabby Bernstein, The Universe Has Your Back follows in her style of offering guidance, inspiring messages, heart touching stories, and healing meditations and techniques to aid you with whatever you might be currently be working through. The book is broken down into chapters, each taking you deeper into her message that the universe truly does have your back and wants you to succeed. Her take away through much of her work is that we must transform the energy of fear into an energy of love and faith so that we can achieve all of our goals in life and be the most authentic version of ourselves. Gabby herself is a student of the Course of the Miracles and introduces a lot of those topics throughout the book as well. Gabby has a way of connecting with the reader through her raw and real stories of doubt, fear, and sadness so the audience does not feel preached at, but rather understood and guided along with acceptance.
The Book of Joy
This book was an instant New York Times Bestseller for a reason and, in my opinion, it’s a must-read for anyone. The book chronicles the meeting of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in April 2015 when they were brought together in the Dalai Lama’s home in Dharamsala, India. The two have been friends for years despite their religious differences and collaborated on a discussion with the intent to create this book. They both have witnessed and suffered from so much tragedy in their lives. However, they are both light-hearted, joyful and full of gratitude. The book dives into every aspect of joy and is full of so much insight, inspiration, and takeaways to help you realize just how accessible joy is for each and every one of us.
Meditations from the Mat
This book, Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates includes 365 reflections and insights from his own personal explorations and lessons on and off the mat. These easy to read reflections are each only a page or two and are the perfect ritual to include before your meditation or yoga practice each day or enjoyed on their own each morning before you begin your day. You can either go in the order of the book and discover each lesson day by day, or you could read the pages at random by each day opening the book to a new page and reflecting on that story or quote or insight. Meditation teachers and yoga teachers might especially benefit from this book and can begin to bring the reflections and insights they learn into their classes to share with the public.
