4 Books to take you into 2021
Over the past year I have been reading a lot, some fiction, lots of yoga books and these four books that I highly recommend.
Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish
Nobody Told Me is a gem. Hollie writes poetry reflecting the realities of her own life as a woman and mum. This book includes not only candid poetry about her journey of pregnancy and new motherhood, but also includes some lovely prose giving context and background to the poems and her experiences.
Hollie depicts the real life challenges and celebrations of pregnancy and being a new parent. There's no sugar coating. It's poignant, funny and at times almost heart-breaking. If you are already a parent her words will resonate. If you are a parent to be her words will be a real life tonic to the constant media images of 'perfect' pregnant bodies, 'perfect' parents, new mums bouncing back to their 'perfect' pre-birth image within weeks, all nonsense that Hollie really challenges with her wonderful voice. If you are not a parent do check out some of Hollies other books if this one is of less interest!
You can find Hollie at https://holliepoetry.com/ and on Insta and Facebook she's been holding readings of her work during lockdown tune in!
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
As you may know, my interest has been growing in the power of yoga nidra to support deep physical, mental and emotional rest. Sleep is a part of life that for me is generally pretty good. I know I need 8 hours sleep a night, but I don't always get it. At times my sleep is disturbed by children, dogs or now and then periods of poorer sleep, perhaps brought about by stress or being overtired. When this happens I really feel the negative effects on my health, mood and energy. 'Why We Sleep' is a brilliant book which explains in a pretty straightforward way why enough good quality sleep is essential, what gets in the way of sleep and how we can sleep better. It explains why we need different amounts of sleep at different times of life. If you have teenagers there's useful info in here about their circadian rhythm changes and for those in later life useful information about how or daily rhythms change as we age.
It is pretty alarming to read how poor sleep can cause real long term problems. The good news is, this book is really helpful in suggesting changes to your sleeping habits. And, if you are a yogi I think our chances of more relaxed, deeper sleep are probably greater as we have many tools such as breath awareness, relaxation techniques and practices such as yoga nidra to support us and good sleep habits.
Find Matthew at https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/ and on social media
Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms by Kate Northrup
I heard Kate on a yoga teachers podcast and was intrigued by her concept of doing less to achieve more. 'Do Less' is an easy and useful read, particularly for mothers working for themselves, but her ideas and suggestions can be used by everyone in their day to day life and work.
Being self-employed and wearing many business hats as well as my yoga leggings, I'm always on the look out for ways to help my admin and growth to be more efficient and effective. Kate had to step back from her business during a tricky pregnancy and then realised that whilst she did less her business didn't suffer developmentally or financially. Her reflection on why and how became this book.
In 14 'Experiments' Kate suggests simple ways to look at your work flow, daily working habits and also self-care to work better and do less. You can implement the ones that resonate easily one by one or a few at a time.
The additional part to Kate's book is her discussion about the female monthly cycle, how it differs to men's rhythms and the way our western working mentality and systems dictate to us in our 24/7 culture. She shares how to capture the power of your monthly cycle in your working day and in your parenting. And if you don't have a monthly cycle you can work with the cycle of the moon in the same way.
I've found it really useful to track my own monthly cycle and rhythms, bring efficiency into my business admin and 'Do Less'. Why not give it a go!
find Kate at https://katenorthrup.com/ she and her husband also have a podcast available
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This one needs no introduction. Michelle is an inspiration and her book won't disappoint. We lived in California when Barack became US President. I read his first book and was immediately hooked by his ethos and work. Then we saw what he could do. Michelle is equally amazing.
'Becoming' is Michelle's autobiography of her childhood, family struggles, academic and professional success. It documents meeting Barack, their early marriage and road to the Whitehouse together. Finally it shares their experience of living in the White House and becoming president and first lady. I read 'Becoming' when Trump was in power. I couldn't help imagining the stark differences between the way the Obamas led the White House and their teams with leadership and care, and how this might have been very different over the past 4 years. Happily I am sure we have come full circle now.
It's a fascinating read about growing up black and female in America, becoming the most famous woman in America and working tirelessly as a mother, wife, lawyer and First Lady to make a difference. It's a wonderful insight into the white house and has a beautiful mix of fun, fact and inspiration. Read it!
https://www.biography.com/us-first-lady/michelle-obama