I began my journey into mindfulness around 8 year’s ago amidst a battle with mental illness. 10 minutes of mindfulness by Goldie Hawn was my first insight into mindfulness & a wonderful reflection on parenting & engaging with our children.
It changed the way I parent & has shaped that experience for us all for the better. Flicking through it again to write this piece I am staggered by the simple wisdom in its pages & the great ideas that help us to encourage our kids to let their light shine…it makes me want to delve right back into it again!
Some of the best, most honest, funny & engaging books written about mental health & mindfulness have been written, in my humble opinion, by Ruby Wax. Her brilliance, wit & searing honesty make each of her books a page turning delight.
Finding a favourite is tough but possibly because I am fascinated by the geeky neuroscience behind mindfulness & spirituality, How to be Human pips the others to the post. In this book, Ruby chats through a variety of topics close to the heart of any full bloodied human with a neuroscientist, Ashish Ranpura & Buddhist monk, Gelong Thubten with her trademark frankness & humour. It was so good I went to see them perform on stage too, which was unforgettable.
When we were living in Bangkok, a dear friend & spiritual guru introduced me to Gabby Bernstein’s The Universe has your Back. So began a mini obsession: I love Gabby’s work. This book introduced me to the idea that our thoughts & energy create our reality amidst the comfort of knowing the universe has our back.
It taps into the idea of manifesting & law of attraction; the joy & flow that abound once we begin to dance in union with the energy of the universe. And it works. I ‘manifested’ a wonderful first home & fantastic school for myself & my kids when we returned to the UK soon after reading this book, within 2 weeks of making the decision. Having lived overseas for 12 years I have never seen anyone orchestrate a move so quickly & I put it all down to the universe having our back!
The Quantum & the Lotus by Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan is an exploration of the overlap between quantum physics & spirituality, which feeds right into 2 of my passions. It’s not an easy read, but it’s remarkable & fascinating.
Finally, I recently finished my first ever book on Audible: Gabby Bernstein’s latest offering, I am the Guru. The 6 lessons described are beautiful in their simplicity & ease of application. I had never ‘done’ Audible before. I love an actual book: the cover, turning over the page corners, the smell of it. But this book isn’t out in print yet & it was the only way to access it. What a revelation! I binge-listened to it one weekend, revisiting each chapter several times afterwards. And now I’m a convert, it’s revolutionised my reading experience for the better.
Alex coaches yoga & mindfulness in person & online to individuals, groups, in schools & in businesses. She can be contacted at alex@myananda.co.uk or via her website www.myananda.co.uk