CAN READING CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
A book gives us the opportunity to experience life through another lens
“We all live in the same world, but we see it through a different lense. Books can help us see life from a completely different perspective and perhaps even shake up some of our most profound core beliefs.”
I’m sure it doesn’t come to your surprise that some of the most accomplished (and famous) people are huge book-lovers, and many of them credit reading as a key to their success.
But that’s not why I read…
When I was younger I was obsessed with John Grisham and any other thrillers I could get my hands on for pure entertainment reasons. I’ve very much moved on from Grisham. My obsession with books however still prevails. It just has evolved and I am sure it will again with time.
I’ve come to realise that the second closest to having a mentor, teacher or course facilitator is reading books. Being super thirsty to learn, but not necessarily having the budget or time to commit to a full training, as a result I just read. A lot.
This is what prompted me to ask some of my closest friends and finest people in the sound healing and wellbeing industry to send me their book recommendations; not just any books but the ones that changed their lives for good. To say I was excited to read through their reviews is a total understatement…
I’m also adding my own list as I’ve also come across some super helpful books, which - you guessed it - have changed my life!
“What I’ve noticed is that all these books have one very important thing in common: they were meant to challenge and change ones perspective on how we see the world and live our lives [in the modern, western culture].”
In a world that seems broken and messed up, let’s face it, I believe that you may find some interesting nuggets in these books. I’ve read most of them anyway, but those I haven’t you can bet your ass are going to be next on my list.
Your summer 2022 reading list
Books that changed Lizzie’s life
Elizabeth founded Anicca (pronounced A-Nee-Cha), which is the Buddhist philosophy that all things, including the self and the world around us, are impermanent and constantly changing. It is her belief that by altering our state of consciousness through sound, we can transform our relationship with ourself, and with the world around us. Her sessions take you on a journey back to your inner wisdom, a place of stillness for balanced living.
https://aniccasound.com/
@anicca.sound
“This Way Up: Remembering Who We Are” by Wendy Mandy
There was something to learn from this book on every single page. It really felt like it came from the heart and everything that she had learned through all these different life experiences of hers.
She’s probably one of the most intuitive people I’ve ever come across…
My main take away from reading 'This Way Up’ is to be far more sensitive towards the people around me, but also my surroundings.
I’ve since developed a practice of always asking myself important questions like, “What am I learning from this?”, “What is my foundation right now?” and “How can I grow”.
“Being Ram Dass” by Ram Dass
I just adore Ram Dass so much and being super curious about psychedelics and the overlap of brain activity in Meditation vs. Psychedelics is something that totally fascinates me.
I loved reading about his journey; a Harvard Professor discovering Psychedelics which led him to an unexpected spiritual awakening.
So much so, that he eventually fully dedicated his life to spiritualism.
To me this was a real eye opener, showing that not everyone's journey into spirituality has to be through meditation and/or following a guru or religious leader. There are other ways and psychedelics can help you explore those never before explored parts of you in the same way that meditation can too for some.
Perhaps no other teacher has sparked the fires of as many spiritual seekers in the West as Ram Dass has.
“How To Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan
After I had realised that there was an overlap between meditation experiences and experiences on psychedelics in regards to neural activity I wanted to dig deeper into understanding their effect, their impact on our individual lives as well as our society as a whole.
So, when I was recommended to read Michael Pollen’s book I was offered that deep dive that I was looking for with such thorough research and great case studies.
He started right at the very beginning, its history / where it came from, how it’s been used in different cultures around the globe and all the way though to the role they play today.
Pollen writes from the perspective of an ordinary guy but with an extraordinary interest and knowledge in the field. He actually decided to experiment with Psychedelics on himself in his 60s, just so he could write truthfully from a place of his own experience.
Absolutely loved it on so many levels and the insights I got from him have stayed with me ever since.
Books that changed Isabelle’s life
Isabelle Tara is a Yoga and Mat Pilates teacher, who is also Sound Healing trained with Gong Master Leo Cosendai. Her voice is angelic and something that you might get to experience in an extended savasana at her classes if you’re lucky. She’s also an incredibly talented artist and designer. Truly, a disciplinary creative with one of the biggest hearts I know.
You can find Isabelle teaching at HotPod Yoga and Battersea Yoga amongst other studios. She doesn’t do Instagram or a website and you’ve got to love her for that even more. Email to get in touch.
“The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy
The compound effect is a brilliant, life altering book by Darren Hardy which emphasises and highlight the vital concept of consistency.
Success is doing a half dozen things really well, repeated five thousand times. The compound effect is the strategy of reaping huge rewards from small, seemingly insignificant actions.
Small choices + consistency + time = significant results.
One of my favourite points in this book was around its point on gratitude. Particularly keeping a daily gratitude journal about your partner for a year and then gifting it to them. By taking note of all the things you feel grateful for about them it can really transform your relationship and just shows how powerful a gratitude practice can be in shifting your mindset. I also liked the suggestion to write a list of everything you want in a partner and then become those things yourself. You can’t expect to have someone be all things that you aren’t prepared to be yourself first.
The main key points I took away was consistency is everything, the moment to moment choices make up your life! Take 100% responsibility for everything.
& finally when you set a goal, most people ask, “What do I need to do to achieve your goal?” Instead, you should ask “Who do I need to become?”.
“Breath” by James Nestor
Breathe is a deep dive into the world of breath. While the author James takes you on a journey exploring different forms of breathwork and their origins, he simultaneously conducts experiments on himself with experts in the area at Stanford University to explore the contrast of mouth breathing and nose breathing, of which the results are fascinating to discover.
A brilliantly written book that led me personally to question lots of my own habits around breathing and I bought some mouth tape to try sleeping at night.
(You’d have to read it to find out about that…)
Books that changed Sami’s life
Sami Fitz is a British-American singer-songwriter and sound meditation practitioner based in London. She studied Naad Yoga in 2019 with Leo Cosendai and holds a 200-HR certificate with the Yoga Alliance. Her work encompasses using gongs, singing bowls, intuitive voice, and small percussion to relax the body and help center the mind. Find her hosting regular classes and sound immersions at Battersea Yoga and East of Eden.
“When Things Fall Apart” by Pema Chödrön
My friend Lindsay recommended this book after I quit my job to move to London.
I was in a toxic cycle of bad relationships and this book taught me so many incredible skills. I still return to it when times are tough.
Pema Chödrön offers a really good explanation of some foundational Buddhist beliefs, written with her typical humility and wisdom.
Books that changed Amanda’s life
Amanda Denton is a Senior Yoga teacher, Aromatherapist and Sound Practitioner who has been practicing the healing arts for over 25 years. Using these skills she creates a safe space for transformation and well-being to take place. Find her teaching at some of London’s finest studios such as Triyoga, Indaba and Yogarise.
“The 12th Planet” by Zecharia Sitchin
This book is an interesting one as it’s been said to not be true and has been criticised for that. The author Zecharia Sitchin (1920 - 2010) talks about the twelfth planet and about Stargates to point out a missing point in our earth evolution as we know it, according to him.
He proposes an explanation for human origins involving ancient astronauts as he called them (basically alien life form), coming through into the Stargates.
This book contains many interesting translations and diagrams of ancient Sumerian texts, which suggest modern, contemporary techniques such as brain surgery using crystals as medical instruments.
A truly provocative and fascinating book, written incredibly expressively and easy to read.
“Awakening The Spine” by Vanda Scaravelli
Awakening The Spine is an incredibly well-written book by the late Vanda Scaravelli (died at 114 in 1999) who trained with B. K. S. Iyengar (1918 - 2014) and T. K. V. Desikachar (1938 - 2016).
This in itself is interesting as it was very unusual for Indian Yoga Masters to be teaching women.
It’s such a fascinating book to me because the structure of Iyengar's teaching, discipline and the alignment is something that Scaravelli, when she developed her own way of being, doesn’t adhere to that at all.
In fact, in her teachings she would go into primeval and even animalistic kind of ways of moving using the breath and gravity.
This book is her journey of devotion to yoga (a practice that she stared late in life) and how she got to that place, embracing her own understanding of the philosophy and what yoga is to her.
Books that changed my (Tam’s) life
In case we don’t know each other yet (hello!). I’m a Meditation Teacher, Sound Practitioner and Ceremonialist based in East Sussex, who offers ancient rituals, practices and traditions in an accessible way to those who want to learn to de-stress and relax in an otherwise pretty wild world.
"Medicine Woman: Reclaiming the Soul of Healing” by Lucy H. Pearce
Full disclosure, I haven’t even finished reading the book but I just had to add this to my list. This audacious questioning of the current medical system's ability to deal with the modern epidemic of chronic illness, combines an incredibly raw and personal memoir of sickness and healing.
A feminine cultural critique that digs deep into the roots of patriarchal medicine by asking the uncomfortable questions that our culture refuses to face.
Lucy Pearce voices a deep yearning for a broader vision of what it means to be human, offering insights into how we can navigate sickness and harness its transformational powers in order to heal. This book is a reconnection with us directly, with mother nature and the soul of healing itself.
“Spirit Hacking" by Shaman Durek
For the first time a shaman shares their wisdom in a book with such detail and I personally belief it’s a huge gift!
The author Shaman Durek (who by the way dates Princess Märtha Louise of Norway), is a sixth-generation shaman.
In "Spirit Hacking" he shares his life altering shamanic keys allowing you to tap into your personal power. He has a bold and sometimes controversial wisdom, which surely will make you think twice.
I’ve inhaled it within a couple of days but I come back to it time and time again, by just opening a random page and see what it has to teach me that day.
"Everything is Figureoutable" by Marie Forleo
Can’t afford a coach but want profound results? Then this is your book. Marie Forleo breaks it down so well and her "no-bullshit” approach really resonated with me personally.
This is a book that needs to be approached with commitment and can’t be half-done. But when you do show up and put in your effort, it most definitely has the power to create lasting change.
Highly recommend to those who are just starting out a new business, self-employed and feeling a little lost or thinking of a career-change.
Shop responsibly
Although I love holding a real book in my hands, I’ve been avoiding buying print versions as a) it was getting expensive and b) felt like a bit of a waste. My approach since the pandemic has been to go with e-books which I read on my iPad and if they really impacted me deeply, then I go buy the print version which can live on my book shelf.
If you just can’t resist (I get it) try and order from a local, indy book shop if possible. Might take a few days longer than Amazon but you’ll make someone VERY happy. Also, eBay can be a good place to look for pre-owned (and often a bargain).
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