Summer Read and more

The Best Summer Reads for Mindful Women: Books That Stay

You

Looking for a soulful summer read? Here’s my list of books that nourish the heart, challenge the mind, and inspire reflection.

Every summer, I search for that one special book — the one that carries me somewhere new, stirs something inside, and stays with me long after I’ve turned the last page.

Sometimes it’s a gentle, poetic read that soothes the nervous system. Sometimes it’s fierce and wise, offering guidance, challenge, or healing.

If you're looking for meaningful books for women, for yogis, or for anyone navigating inner growth, I hope this list gives you inspiration.

Braiding Sweetgrass — An Ode to Connection

By Robin Wall Kimmerer

This is a book I return to again and again. It weaves together ecology, Indigenous wisdom, and poetic storytelling in a way that feels like a meditation.

It invites us to see the world as gift — not resource.To listen deeply. To pay attention. To honour reciprocity.

This book didn’t just teach me about plants — it reshaped the way I relate to nature and to life.

A must-read for anyone interested in mindfulness, yoga philosophy, or our relationship with the Earth.

Women Who Run with the Wolves — A Deep Dive into the Feminine

By Clarissa Pinkola Estés

This one was intense, beautiful, and a little wild. It challenged me. I read it slowly, took notes, and sometimes had to pause and reflect for days before coming back.

Through stories and myths, it speaks to the deep, instinctive wisdom we carry as women — and how modern life often disconnects us from it.

It’s not a light summer read, but it’s transformative. Especially if you’re navigating change, motherhood, or questions around identity and creativity.

Reading My Way Through the Year

Books have always helped me pause, reflect, and reconnect — and this year has been no exception. Here’s a look at the titles I’ve read lately, grouped by how they met me: some gently, some with challenge, and some with a spark.

Gentle & Grounding

Books that offered softness, presence, or a quiet return to self.

• How to Listen – Thich Nhat Hanh, Simple and beautiful — his words feel like a soft breeze across the mind. A reminder that true listening is a gift.

• Wintering – Katherine May. A tender companion through slower seasons. This book gave me permission to rest without guilt.

• Radical Acceptance – Tara Brach. A powerful reminder to meet life with softness. Especially meaningful when the weight of things feels too much.

• Je médite jour après jour (Français) One short page at a time — enough to feel grounded and begin the day with intention.

Insightful & Scientific

Books that stirred curiosity or shifted perspective.

• Why We Sleep – Matthew Walker. Reassuring, fascinating, and full of “wow” facts (like dolphins sleeping with half their brain at a time!). This book got me writing down my dreams and reflecting more deeply on rest.

• The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt. A tough but necessary read about mental health, screens, and our children. It left me unsettled — and motivated. My teenager is reading it now too.

Creative & Reflective

Books that encouraged play, possibility, or a fresh look at life.

• Big Magic – Elizabeth GilbertA joyful, accessible invitation to start creating — without perfection or pressure.

• Imparfaits, libres et heureux (Français) Bought back in 2009 and only now getting its moment! A gentle nudge toward embracing imperfection and living more freely.

What’s On Your List?

I’d love to hear what you’re reading this summer — especially if a book changed you, even a little. Leave a comment or send me a message.

Curious About Yoga, Mindfulness, or Personal Growth?

If books like these speak to you, you’d probably love my yoga classes in Barnet.They’re warm, welcoming, and designed to help you reconnect — with yourself, your breath, and your body.

New to yoga? Try my 3-class intro pack for just £39 Weekly group classes and private sessions available. Sign up to my newsletter for book recs, class updates, and reflections

Explore my yoga offerings

What sometimes journaling looks like.

Le 21 Aout, 15h48, Greece, Peloponnese.

Le vent chaud souffle.

Les vagues se fracassent contre le rivage.

Les enfants crient de joie en sautant dans les vagues.

Perchee sur un tabouret, accoudee sur ce rebord de table haute qui surplombe cette plage.

Journal ouvert avec les pages qui volent au vent.

Cafe frappe aussi glace qu'il est amer que je sirote a travers une paille fine. Plus il est epais et mousseux, plus je me regale.

Life, right now, right here. Happy. Content.

Je depose mes mots sur cette page car cela m'aide a immortaliser ces moments simples, remplis d'instant, de maintenant.

Quand de retour a notre routine, au froid, a la grisaille, je pourrais relire ces mots et a nouveau ressentir cette plenitude.

On August 21st, 3:48 PM, Greece, Peloponnese.

The warm wind blows.

The waves crash against the shore.

Children joyfully scream as they jump into the waves.

Perched on a stool, leaning on the edge of this high table overlooking this beach. Open journal with pages fluttering in the wind.

I sip on a cafe frappe, as cold as it is bitter, through a slender straw.

The thicker and frothier it is, the more I savour it.

Life, right now, right here.

Happy.

Content.

I place my words on this page because it helps me immortalize these simple moments, filled with the present.

When we return to our routine, to the cold, to the grayness, I can reread these words and once again feel this fullness.

Sound Bath

The Magic of Sound: A Journey into Stillness

I remember the first time I brought my Tibetan singing bowl to a children's yoga class. Their fascination was immediate. One child excitedly told me her mum had one in the kitchen. We spent time taking turns trying to make the Tibetan bowl sing. It requires some technique—learning how to hold it and make the right contact.

Teaching yoga to children has given me space to experiment. After everyone had a go, we played another sound game. I struck the bowl, letting it resonate, and the children walked until they could no longer hear the sound—only then could they sit down. It always surprises me how naturally children focus when guided into mindfulness through sound.

Another game involved passing a chime in complete silence, requiring deep concentration and presence. Then, during relaxation, each child had the chance to feel the vibration of the singing bowl placed on their back while resting in child’s pose.

With adults, I often sense more hesitation when introducing sound. Somewhere along the way, we lose our sense of play, exploration, and discovery. Yet, sound has been used for healing and transformation for thousands of years. In Hindu spirituality, The Yoga of Sound draws from this ancient wisdom, using vibration to calm the nervous system, restore balance, and even awaken deeper states of consciousness.

Yoga is about experiencing—moving beyond theory into action, embodiment, and awareness. My teachings come from 24 years of practice, truly engaging with yoga and witnessing how it shifts my life. Sound, like movement and breath, is another gateway to inner stillness.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to explore one of my upcoming Sound Bath events. A space to rest, reset, and experience the profound effect of sound.

Check my events page to find the next Sound Bath session.