Reading in the time of coronavirus… Does anyone have the mental energy to read?

We all handle pandemics in different ways (did you EVER think you’d read those words?), and sometimes the way we are handling it changes from minute to minute!

I’ve curated a list of my favorite spiritual books just for you, with links right to the amazon page (I’m not getting any kickbacks!). Some of them are directly related to the type of meditation that I teach, some are more general personal growth books, and some might not (at first glance) seem to be spiritual. But I define spiritual as anything that expands your consciousness and the way you see the world, so (for me) that includes topics such as anti-racism and feminism.

Let’s get to it:

Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson. Michelle is an incredible yoga teacher, anti-racism educator, and human, and I have learned so much from her.

Creating Affluence: The A-to-Z Steps to a Richer Life by Deepak Chopra. This one isn’t really about financial affluence, it’s about harnessing the power of consciousness to create the life you want.

THE MAHABHARATA: A Modern Rendering by Ramesh Menon. Really cool EPIC saga that most Hindu kids grew up with! This Vedic story leads up to, includes, and gives the aftermath of the Bhagavad Gita. It’s reallllly long and really fun to read.

Conscious Anti-Racism: Tools for Self-Discovery, Accountability, and Meaningful Change by Dr. Jill Wener and Dr. Maiysha Clairborne. Ok, so this is my book, but I recommend it because it gives readers actual tools to engage in anti-racism work in a meaningful way.

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I don’t teach mindfulness, but this book is a must-read by the man who did incredible work bringing mindfulness practices to the west in a secular way.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. New agey in the best way. To be honest I didn’t even finish the whole book, because it’s similar to The Power of Now (see below), but I learned so much from it.

E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality by Pam Grout. THIS. BOOK. IS. SO. SO. GOOD. This is always amongst the top 3 books I recommend, because it gives really fun and practical ways to experience and connect with the conscious universe around us.

The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. Wonder where your body shame comes from? Curious about how the patriarchy feeds off of making people wish their bodies were different? This book is a MUST READ.

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Great emotional EQ book on how to be more successful in this world.

The Power Of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle. I LOVE this book. I read it in 2011 when I first started meditating, and it helped me in so many ways.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. This is a standard spiritual classic, I highly recommend it.

Return of the Rishi: A Doctor's Search For The Ultimate Healer by Deepak Chopra. This was my first introduction to Ayurveda, and it really resonated with me. I read it when I was just back in Atlanta after my 3-month meditation teacher training in India. I had just decided not to return to clinical medicine, and I felt really connected to Deepak’s journey.

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad. This is a really great book for white folks looking to do some self exploration around race, bias and privilege. I can’t recommend it more.

Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra. My favorite primer on Ayurveda. I just love this book, and what Ayurveda has taught me about balance. Don’t miss the quiz- there are no right or wrong answers, and it will help you understand yourself (and your loved ones) SO much better. Spoiler alert- I’m PITTA :)

You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. This book is sooooo good. I give it to the women who attend my Women in Healthcare Meditation Retreats. She’s hilarious, and she’s so tuned into what I consider to be universal spiritual truth, without any dogma.

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Dr Robert Svoboda. A really in-depth book about Ayurveda. Not as beginner-focused as Perfect Health, but this is a good next step if you’re looking to dive in a little deeper, from an Ayurvedic master.

The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic by Ramesh Menon. This is another classic Indian Epic, sort of the prequel to the Mahabharata. It’s long, but also a really fun read.

The Art of Balanced Living by Dr Shaun Matthews. Dr. Matthews is a friend of mine, and he has mixed traditional western medicine with Ayurveda in his clinical practice.

The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer. I loved this book! You’ll learn how the author’s decision to say YES to everything, despite his resistance, lead to some incredible success and spiritual growth.

Manifesting Made Easy by Jen Mazer. Also on my top 3 books that I recommend. This amazing book does exactly what the title promises. It’s a nice mix of woowoo and practicality; manifesting isn’t just sitting at home and wishing that things were different. Trust me on this one.

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Dr John Sarno. This is a ground-breaking book about the ways that our stress manifests as physical pain. This is a great read for anyone, but in particular people suffering from chronic pain.

The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford. This book is currently changing my life, one chapter at a time. Positive platitudes can only get us so far. This book is teaching me to embrace ALL aspects of myself, even the ‘bad’ stuff. I can’t recommend it enough.

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. Please please please read this book. Anti-racists are people that want to fight against racism. This book is so informative and well-written, and will help you to understand the greater systemic issue of racism in our country. Please. Please read it.

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer. I love the philosophy of this book- we are NOT our thoughts, we are the consciousness that is aware of our thoughts. Some of his practical applications/exercises felt a little bit vague to me- I like a more practical and accessible approach- but the book is still worth a read.

The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner. Great book on my second-favorite stress-reduction technique, Tapping (also called EFT or the Emotional Freedom Technique). Tapping is super easy to do, and has really fast, powerful benefits.

Which books resonate most with you? Do you have any other books that you recommend?

Let me know if you decide to read any of these; I’d love to hear your thoughts!