10 Books for your Christmas List

I’m a big fan of books. Any kind of book- fiction, non-fiction, hard back, paper back, kindle. I thought I’d share 10 books with you that I’ve loved over the past 12 months or so. There’s a variety, but they are all focused on yoga and mindfulness, and cover the breadth of my classes from pregnancy to meditation to menopause.

Whether you add them to your Christmas list, or are looking for a gift for a friend, you can find all of them (and lots more recommendations) on my https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Breathingspaceyoga pages – if you buy from there you support local bookshops and also a little tiny commission comes to me. Otherwise they are available from most of your usual booksellers.

Let me know if you read any of them…

“Let the Light Pour In” by Lemn Sissay

I was so delighted to find out that Lemn has published this book of his short 4 line poems which I have followed on his social media for some time now. You’ll recognise some which I’ve shared in class. This is a beautiful book for everyone to bring a little light into your every day.

Lemn begins every day by writing a short poem. A way to exercise his mind, to connect, to explore, to be curious, to start each day with an act of hope. It’s a practice he’s had for ten years, and now, he’s collected the best of them in one volume. Life-affirming, witty and full of wonder, these poems chronicle his own battle with the dark and are fuelled by resilience and defiant joy. Let the Light Pour In is a collection of the best of these poems, and a book celebrating this morning practice.

'How do you do it?' said night
'How do you wake up and shine?'
'I keep it simple,' said light
'One day at a time'

2. “Senbazuru” by James Wong

Learn the mindful practice of folding paper cranes, with this beautiful and charmingly unique guide. This book captured my imagination and brings mindfulness into your life. I created a whole term of classes using this book and you can find my guide to folding a paper crane in the resources section of my website – but get the book – its full of lovely stories and teachings.

The paper crane is an iconic and powerful symbol of hope, healing and happiness.
According to tradition, if a person were to fold a thousand paper cranes in one year, they would be granted a single wish and a long and joyful life.
In this beautiful and inspiring book, renowned mindfulness and meditation teacher Michael James Wong shares a personal collection of short stories and teachings, accompanied by traditional hand-painted proverbs and prayers.
Together these bring to life gentle wisdoms and universal truths to guide a meaningful way of living.
Shared throughout the book in twelve straightforward steps is also the powerful practice of orizuru, the art of folding paper cranes, a journey that will encourage you to slow down and create a hopeful perspective for the future.

3. “The Boy, the Mole the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy

Whether you were aware of these beautiful mindful drawings during the pandemic, have seen the film, or not. This book is wonderful. A fabulous gift and something to pick up often to raise a smile, find comfort and find a little bit of love.

A book for all ages, a book for all time. Adapted into the BAFTA and Oscar winning short animated film.
Enter the world of Charlie's four unlikely friends, discover their story and their most important life lessons.
The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse have been shared millions of times online. They've also been recreated by children in schools and hung on hospital walls. They sometimes even appear on lamp posts and on cafe and bookshop windows. Here, you will find them together in this book of Charlie's most-loved drawings, adventuring into the Wild and exploring the thoughts and feelings that unite us all.

4. “Second Spring” by Kate Codrington

The ultimate positive, practical guide to menopause. I found this to be one of the easiest, accessible menopause reads and it brings together a few different tools and ideas from other really good menopause books and specialists.

Perimenopause can sometimes feel like the rug has been pulled from under our feet and this can leave us feeling disempowered and lost. Second Spring is a new kind of menopause book, bringing the radical notion that with small changes and a clear-eyed look at what’s no longer serving you, you can reclaim your vitality and joy in life.

Second Spring offers a new vision for menopause, mapping the psychological phases and showing how this period in your life can be a time of personal growth. Like your slightly sweary best friend, Kate Codrington guides you through managing physical challenges with lifestyle changes and understanding what might be causing them. Whether you choose a natural route, HRT or a combination of both, there’s a wealth of self-care practices available here to soothe your symptoms. These include journaling prompts, practical tips and soulful enquiries real-life solutions for managing symptoms with kindness, helping you to become the person you always longed to be.

What we need in challenging times is not shame or pushing through, but to treat ourselves with care and compassion.

5. “Wise Power” by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer

Filled with nourishing wisdom and practical advice to help you harness the transformative power of the menopause and thrive in your life. It follows on from the wisdom of ‘Wild Power’ below.

Wise Power is the radical new story of menopause – illuminating its power and potential. Pioneers of the menstruality revolution and the founders of Red School, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer explain how to embrace menopause as a sacred rite of passage, an initiation that grows your authority, steeps you in purpose and awakens you to great power and wisdom. They show you how to:
· prepare for menopause through each life stage, from menarche to your final menstrual cycles
· make sense of what you’re experiencing during perimenopause
· recognize and accept when you enter menopause, and trust that a meaningful process is at work
· navigate the five phases of menopause and receive their unique gifts
· embrace the rhythms of your postmenopause life, unlock your true potential and step onto your path of power and leadership
Written with humour, fierce tenderness and practicality, Wise Power restores the dignity of menopause, guiding you home to yourself – to a sense of belonging.

6. “Wild Power” by Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer

The prequel to Wise Power, I have found real success in working with my monthly cycles. Understanding how the menstrual cycle works emotionally, hormonally and practically (not just when your period is and issues such as PMT) is key to living life fully. Being aware of when you have the most energy, creativity, and when you need to rest is really important in our busy world and society. Wild Power opens up insight you you’ve held hidden possibly all of your cycling life.

Your power lies in the rhythm of your menstrual cycle. Connect with your body on a deeper level to find healing, balance and wholeness. The menstrual cycle is a vital and vitalizing system in the female body, yet our understanding of and respect for this process is both limited and distorted. Few women really know about the physiology of their cycle, and many do not see it as an integral part of their health and wellbeing, let alone as a potential guide to emotional and spiritual empowerment.
Wild Power tells a radical new story about feminine power. It reveals:
· Your inner architecture and the path to power that is encoded in your body
· How to tune in to the rhythm and changes of your menstrual cycle to realize the fullness and beauty of your authority
· Three 'maps' to guide you through the energies, tasks and challenges presented as you journey through each cycle
· How to work with your Inner Seasons to pace your energy, calm your nervous system and gain insight into your overall wellbeing
· How to work with your cycle to channel spiritual forces, affirm your expression in the world and achieve a deep sense of belonging
Written with humour, tenderness and practicality, and packed with women's stories and quotes throughout, Wild Power will restore women to wholeness and reinstate the full majesty and grace of the Feminine.

7. “Bump: How to Make, Grow and Birth a Baby” by Kate Evans

A colleague introduced me to this book and it really is a great support for anyone expecting a baby and for birth partners. It has fun drawings, but covers a huge range of tools and information to support your pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond. It is both practical and mindful.

Sharing the physical and emotional changes that come with being pregnant, looking at the practicalities of every stage as well as the challenges that may arise. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, Kate Evans' no-nonsense, quirky and accessible text is illustrated throughout with detailed artwork to guide the reader through the intricacies of human reproduction whilst her customary laugh-out-loud cartoons demystify the complexities of pregnancy and birth.

“Bump is the book I always needed to write about the gynocolgical rollercoaster that is conception, pregnancy and birth. It is a pick your own adventure book where you can skip to the chapters that are relevant for you. Because there is more than one good way to have a baby. Bump cuts through the bullshit and tells you what it is really like to get pregnant and give birth. It includes references to all the latest obstetic research that you may be feeling slightly too fuzzy headed to trawl through yourself. “

8. “Afterbirth: What Nobody Tells You - How to Recover Body and Mind” by Jessica Hatcher-Moore

I heard Jessica speak on a webinar and was compelled to buy her book. It shares her journey from being very physically fit, to having a baby and discovering just how difficult postnatal recovery can be. She shares some really helpful information which she has gathered through her own experience and research. Postnatal life is not just about the baby – it is also about your transformation as a new parent, physically and mentally and how to navigate the challenges whether they are small or large.

While there is a wealth of advice for new mums on caring for their babies the same is not true for postpartum health. Fulfilling this vital need, After Birth is the ultimate postnatal primer for women facing changes to their bodies after having a baby.

Addressing issues great and small - from hair loss and stretch marks, to bladder and bowel leaks, painful sex, diastasis recti and mental health - researcher and writer Jessica Hatcher-Moore brings together straight-talking advice on preparation for childbirth, healing, and recovery in the weeks, months and even years that follow. She also offers insights for partners, whose role is often overlooked at this critical time.

Blending knowledge from the full spectrum of modern and traditional therapies with honest experiences from mothers, here is balanced advice with no agenda. Taking a broad look at what we can do for ourselves at home, and also when to seek expert help, After Birth will reassure, inform and empower women to reclaim their post-birth bodies.

9. “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor

I think I was only a few pages in and I began to breathe more efficiently. Even after years of yoga practice and mindfulness of my breath. It is a really fascinating book and will help you breathe more easily.

There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. In Breath, journalist James Nestor travels the world to discover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can:
- improve our exercise techniques
- restore healthy sleep patterns and minimise snoring
- halt allergies, asthma and even autoimmune disease
Drawing on thousands of years of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge studies, Breath is full of revelations, turning what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head.
You will never breathe the same again.

10. “Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity” by Tracee Stanley

This is a lovely book, presenting Yoga Nidra through yoga’s 5 koshas, tapping into ancestral connection and bringing yoga nidra into every day life. If you love Yoga Nidra or know someone who needs to rest – this is the one.

Develop a powerful practice of deep relaxation and transformative self-inquiry with this essential guide to yoga nidra, accompanied by downloadable audio meditations.

Yoga nidra is a practice devoted to allowing your body and mind to rest while your consciousness remains awake and aware, creating the opportunity for you to tap into a deeper understanding of yourself and your true nature. At its heart, yoga nidra is about waking up to the fullness of your life. In Radiant Rest, Tracee Stanley draws on over twenty years of experience as a yoga nidra teacher and practitioner to introduce the history of yoga nidra, mind and body relaxation, and the surprising power of rest in our daily lives.

This accessible guide shares six essential practices arranged around the koshas, the five subtle layers of the body: the physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and bliss bodies. It also offers shorter, accessible practices for people pressed for time. Each practice is explained through step-by-step instructions and ends with self-inquiry prompts. A set of guided audio meditations provide further instruction. Feel a greater sense of stability, peace, and clarity in all aspects of your life as you deepen your yoga nidra practice and discover its true power.