It’s that time of the year where the days are filled with more light, the birds are returning and you can feel sunny days are just around the corner. The “newness” of spring is palpable, everything is fresh. The need to be fed spiritually seems innate as tulips bloom and the lush green landscape begins to re-emerge. Rebirth, newness, a clean slate is such an incredible gift we receive each spring. 

To delve right into something deeply spiritual, check out Caroline Myss’s Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing. This is one of the most comprehensive energy medicine books I have ever read. Myss builds on the ancient wisdom of Hindu, Christian and Kabbalah traditions to reveal hidden stresses, beliefs and attitudes that may cause illness. Myss offers readers tools to develop their spiritual maturity and intuition. The book bills itself as “the boldest presentation to date of energy medicine”. A powerful read, the idea that there are ancient messages fueling the power of our spirits is pretty intriguing. 

If Myss feels too deep or too heavy, check out This One Wild and Precious Life: A Hopeful Path Forward in a Fractured World by Sarah Wilson. Wilson argues that perhaps our disconnection, our despair, is what unites us as humans. This book is a call to action to begin to reconnect through a series of “wildly awake” practices. While all of the practices hit home, there were two that struck me. The first was doing what scares you to embrace discomfort daily. The second was getting “full fat spiritual”; meaning developing a spiritual practice that suits you. All about living outside our comfort zone for growth, this may be A Fresh Chapter classic. As I read it, I kept coming back to AFC and the like-minded search we share: meaning, purpose and growth. This book touches on systemic racism, global warming, societal anxiety, and consumerism among many other heady topics. But, it was the hope for change and connection that kept me engaged.  This will be required reading for my three teenagers. 

If your intuition is guiding you to connect with yourself further, let it be through Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life. Lamott encourages readers to excavate their experiences to produce literature. This is an awesome read. Lamott is spiritual without becoming overly religious. She carefully helps a writer find their voice, find their groove really. But she also strips the process down and tells it like it is. Discipline. Making writing a priority is the way to produce great writing and storytelling. I learned so much more than writing from this book. The very title has so much meaning. Lamott is a gifted storyteller and does it all in a cool West Coast tone. 

If finding your intuition and tapping into your spirituality feels easier to do via a podcast, one won’t regret checking out Kate Bowler’s Everything Happens. This podcast continues to amaze. Bowler is a professor, a writer, a young mother and a Stage IV cancer patient. The podcast features Bowler interviewing different people who have learned incredible lessons in very dark times. 

Stay tuned for next month’s post, which will feature brand new resources to explore.

Kate is a member of several AFC circles. She is an avid reader who enjoys sharing exciting, new resources focusing on personal, professional and spiritual growth. Kate is a freelance writer residing in Northeast Wisconsin with her husband and three teenage children.