Books to Help Start Your Spiritual Practice

Before I dive into this amazing list of books I want to preface by saying I believe just by being human here on this earth we are all on a spiritual journey. When I say “spiritual journey” I know that can mean a lot of different things. It could mean believing in god, source, or universe for the first time in your life. It could mean going to therapy and learning about yourself for the first time. It could mean doing energy work. There are so many things being “spiritual” means. I want to speak on this before I dive into these books because I want to make sure I am clear that being on a “spiritual journey,” whatever that means, doesn’t mean you are better or more important than anyone else. For me, it means, putting intention behind my practices. For me, it also means believing in something larger than myself for the first time in a very long time. That is not what it means for everyone. No matter where your journey takes you and what type of spiritual journey you are on, I believe there is a book in this list for everyone.

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  1. Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

This was one of the first books I read on my “spiritual journey.” Tara Brach, a psychologist and buddhist meditation teacher, shares how accepting ourselves is the anecdote to shame and self-hate. Throughout the book she shares stories of her own and clients, meditations, and her unique insight. This is a book full of compassionate wisdom and heart. I am forever changed by the guidance of this book and in this day in age, loving and accepting ourselves truly is “radical”.

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

We practice Radical Acceptance by pausing and then meeting whatever is happening inside us with this kind of unconditional friendliness. Instead of turning our jealous thoughts or angry feelings into the enemy, we pay attention in a way that enables us to recognize and touch any experience with care.

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2. Shakti Woman by Vicki Noble

This book is 10 chapters of female empowerment through ancestral wisdom, nature, the body, and art. This book covers everything from tantra, astrology, manifestation, goddesses, dream work to divination. Reading this book felt like a remembering of ancient knowledge deep inside of me. The book puts to words what is already in our lineage and already deep within us. Noble presents her wisdom with historical and cultural context mixed with her anecdotal wisdom. This is a great book to read if you are wanting to be a healer and to reclaim your power in the patriarchal world we live in. 

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

This is the process I am calling female shamanism--an ongoing shedding of false selves in favor of the active development of more authentic forms of expression...a woman’s natural timing is cyclical, circular, spiral, nonlinear, and non-rational. Women need to replace their crystallized identities as these shatter or dissolve through the shamanic process…

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3. Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith

This book was put on my reading list for Reiki 1 training by my teacher, Holly Ramey. This book serves as a reference or textbook type of material but as I started thumbing the pages I couldn’t get myself to put it down. The knowledge of the energetic body and the chakra system in this book is not only necessary for those wanting to do energy work on others, the information in this book is for everyone. Each chakra has its own chapter that starts with 2 informational pages and overview of the chakra. She then goes into a deep “mind, body, spirit” exploration of each chakra and how they affect our lives. Judith shares anecdotal stories of her own patients and clients deepening the reader’s understanding of how the chakras show up in day to day life. 

One of my favorite quotes from the book:

Eastern Body, Western Mind shows how to use the chakra system as a tool for diagnosis and healing. My primary purpose is to present the system itself, as a lens through which we can view the complex problems of the soul’s evolution, both individually and collectively. The system is presented through it’s major components, the individual chakras, examining how they shape and are shaped by human behavior and culture.

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4. The “Dreaming With…” books by Heather Sanderson

From Lavender to Oak to Nettle, Sanderson has 20+ books available all about plants and plant consciousness. Each book takes a close look at a plant by sharing their folklore, spirit, and medicine. Sanderson also shares about what plant consciousness is and how to work with a plant using shamanic practices. I highly recommend these books for anyone who not only wants to learn more about herbs, plants, and trees but for anyone interested in meditation and shamanism.

One of my favorite quotes from her books:

Once you are able to see a plant as a consciousness and living being, you can then understand more of their intelligence. Plants are our ancestors and they have been here on Earth a lot longer than humans. They have evolved physically over a great deal of time in order to adapt and thrive as environmental conditions change…

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