Here are 52 books that The Healing Self fans have personally recommended if you like The Healing Self. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Martyn Bould Author Of More Than Just The Climb

From my list on why “now” is important.

Why am I passionate about this?

The theme through all of the books on my list is that we can be in control of our health and happiness as long as we’re truly aware of this gift of life. Having been born into a modest family in England and leaving almost 60 years ago to live and work throughout the Caribbean, has opened my eyes to what creates happiness in this wonderful journey of life. From my years based in the Cayman Islands with its rich multicultural society, I’ve had a full life of working across both construction and cultural development, and with travel to more than 120 countries. It’s important to embrace the gifts I’ve both earned and received.

Martyn's book list on why “now” is important

Martyn Bould Why Martyn loves this book

I found Erkhart’s book illuminating with its discussion of a key life shortcoming in the vast majority of the population: we don’t live in the “now.”

Instead, we concentrate on what went well in the past or what may or may not happen in the future. Meanwhile, we miss out on the only time we ever truly have, which is the here and now.

By Eckhart Tolle ,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked The Power of Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**CHOSEN BY OPRAH AS ONE OF HER 'BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH'**

The international bestselling spiritual book, now with a new look for its 20th anniversary. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier, happier, mindful life by living in the present moment.

************

'I keep Eckhart's book at my bedside. I think it's essential spiritual teaching. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read.' Oprah Winfrey

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart…


If you love The Healing Self...

Book cover of Drowning Lifeguards: Your Guide to Overcoming Fatigue, Burnout and Overwhelm

Drowning Lifeguards by Ruth Hull,

Are you tired of feeling tired? In a world that never stops, Drowning Lifeguards is a compassionate, down-to-earth guide for anyone struggling with exhaustion, burnout, or chronic fatigue.

Written by Ruth Hull, homoeopathic doctor, herbalist, counsellor, and author of five health-science textbooks, it offers a fresh, human approach to healing.…

Book cover of The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

Martyn Bould Author Of More Than Just The Climb

From my list on why “now” is important.

Why am I passionate about this?

The theme through all of the books on my list is that we can be in control of our health and happiness as long as we’re truly aware of this gift of life. Having been born into a modest family in England and leaving almost 60 years ago to live and work throughout the Caribbean, has opened my eyes to what creates happiness in this wonderful journey of life. From my years based in the Cayman Islands with its rich multicultural society, I’ve had a full life of working across both construction and cultural development, and with travel to more than 120 countries. It’s important to embrace the gifts I’ve both earned and received.

Martyn's book list on why “now” is important

Martyn Bould Why Martyn loves this book

I loved this book because of the breadth of cultures covered by the authors.

I found the Dalai Lama’s exile from his own country and his forgiveness of all those that had persecuted him meaningful. Similarly, Desmond Tutu had forgiven all those that had racially persecuted his people in South Africa. Both were able to find “joy” and total happiness in meeting and laughing together.

The book’s relevance to so many of our Caribbean people over the years and the cultural work I’ve done here made this book an outstanding lesson for all of us to readjust our compass. 

By Dalai Lama , Desmond Tutu , Douglas Carlton Abrams

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Book of Joy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two spiritual giants. Seven days. One timeless question.

'The ultimate source of happiness is within us.' DALAI LAMA

'We grow in kindness when our kindness is tested.' DESMOND TUTU

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama have been friends for many, many years. Between them, they have endured exile, violence and oppression. And in the face of these hardships, they have continued to radiate compassion, humour and above all, joy.

To celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday, Archbishop Tutu travelled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala. The two men spent a week discussing a single burning question: how do we…


Book cover of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind

Martyn Bould Author Of More Than Just The Climb

From my list on why “now” is important.

Why am I passionate about this?

The theme through all of the books on my list is that we can be in control of our health and happiness as long as we’re truly aware of this gift of life. Having been born into a modest family in England and leaving almost 60 years ago to live and work throughout the Caribbean, has opened my eyes to what creates happiness in this wonderful journey of life. From my years based in the Cayman Islands with its rich multicultural society, I’ve had a full life of working across both construction and cultural development, and with travel to more than 120 countries. It’s important to embrace the gifts I’ve both earned and received.

Martyn's book list on why “now” is important

Martyn Bould Why Martyn loves this book

I was introduced to this book through a TV interview with Deepak Chopra, who I’d never heard of before, whilst waiting for the outcome of my mother-in-law’s aorta valve replacement.

The position that one’s body could be “ageless” and the mind “timeless” was fascinating given the circumstances. Deepak’s analysis in the book of how everyday life and one’s view of it can direct whether it’s good or bad can be life-changing.

By Deepak Chopra ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ageless Body, Timeless Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Scientific studies show that the mind/body connection has an extraordinary power to heal. Ageless Body, Timeless Mind goes beyond ancient mind/body wisdom and current anti-aging research to show you do not have to grow old. With the passage of time, you can retain your physical vitality, creativity, memory and self-esteem. Dr Deepak Chopra bases his theories on the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda, according to which, optimum health is about achieving balance physically, emotionally and psychologically, and demonstrates that, contrary to our traditional beliefs about aging, we can use our innate capacity for balance to direct the way our bodies…


If you love Deepak Chopra...

Book cover of The Animal In The Mirror

The Animal In The Mirror by Arnie Benn,

The Animal in the Mirror is a wake-up call to your higher self. Why do we keep reacting, fearing, and repeating the same patterns—no matter how much we know better? Because beneath our thoughts and emotions still lives the animal within: the ancient survival instinct that once kept us alive…

Book cover of Hear Yourself

Martyn Bould Author Of More Than Just The Climb

From my list on why “now” is important.

Why am I passionate about this?

The theme through all of the books on my list is that we can be in control of our health and happiness as long as we’re truly aware of this gift of life. Having been born into a modest family in England and leaving almost 60 years ago to live and work throughout the Caribbean, has opened my eyes to what creates happiness in this wonderful journey of life. From my years based in the Cayman Islands with its rich multicultural society, I’ve had a full life of working across both construction and cultural development, and with travel to more than 120 countries. It’s important to embrace the gifts I’ve both earned and received.

Martyn's book list on why “now” is important

Martyn Bould Why Martyn loves this book

 I love this book because it so well describes the world’s current dilemma in which we’re bombarded with information from every source. It detracts from our interactions with our loved ones and fellow man.

Simply watching couples out for dinner who, instead of looking at each other and talking, have a phone in front of them, is so telling of our constant distractions. 

By Prem Rawat ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hear Yourself as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestseller

"Rawat's deep wisdom is a breath of fresh air; Hear Yourself gives the gift of peace and gratitude in a time we sorely need it."-Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Story of You and co-author of The Road Back to You

"Hear Yourself invites us to take a journey from the outside world we live in everyday to the world of peace within us. I highly recommend this inspiring book to anyone ready to take that journey."-Bill McCarthy, Founder and President of The Unity Foundation

The renowned teacher and author of the internationally bestselling Peace Is…


Book cover of A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet, and Disease

Anne Biklé Author Of The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health

From my list on microbiomes, gut health, food, and farming.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been enamored with the natural world and how it works. This trait, among others, led me into the fields of biology, natural history, and environmental planning. Even as I witness our species chiseling away at the planet, I find hope and solace. Working alongside the tenacity and resiliency of plants, animals, and soil microbes, I've helped landscapes as large as a river basin and as small as a garden come to life and flourish. Give nature half a chance and she can do wonders.  

Anne's book list on microbiomes, gut health, food, and farming

Anne Biklé Why Anne loves this book

Ravella, a gastroenterologist, takes readers deep into the human immune system and its go-to process—inflammation. 

She provides illuminating details about macrophages (a type of immune cell) and how dietary patterns can shift their normally helpful activities to harmful ones. And only recently was it learned that immune cells need certain fats (omega-3s) to make the compounds that end an inflammatory event. Where do we get Omega-3s?

In the foods we eat, among them fatty fish like salmon, grass-fed meat and dairy, and certain nuts and seeds. I also love the history of science and Ravella provides generous sprinkles of various characters and their ideas throughout the book to share how intertwined inflammation is with human biology. 

By Shilpa Ravella ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Silent Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Inflammation is the body's ancestral response to its greatest threats: injury and foreign microbes. But as the threats we face have evolved, new science reveals simmering inflammation underneath the surface of everything from heart disease and cancer to mysterious autoimmune conditions.

In A Silent Fire, gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella takes us on a lyrical quest across time, around the world and into the body to reveal hidden inflammation at the root of modern disease-and how we can control it. We meet an eccentric Russian zoologist, the passionate yet flawed inventor of Kellogg's Cornflakes, and dedicated researchers working on the frontiers…


Book cover of Girl in the Dark: A Memoir of a Life Without Light

Sarah L. Sanderson Author Of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate

From my list on memoirs to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I chose to study creative nonfiction during my MFA program so I could learn what makes great memoirs work, but I first fell in love with the genre as a teenager, when I picked up Angela’s Ashes off my mom’s bedside table. I’m grateful for the way memoir gives me a window into the lives of people of other races, religions, abilities, experiences, and even other centuries. While my book The Place We Make isn’t only a memoir—it’s a blend of memoir and historical biography—it was my desire to both understand the view through my research subject’s eyes, and analyze how I was seeing the world myself, that drove me to write it.

Sarah's book list on memoirs to see the world through someone else’s eyes

Sarah L. Sanderson Why Sarah loves this book

I have been telling people about Girl in the Dark ever since I read it eight years ago. More than that—I feel like part of me has still been in Anna Lyndsey’s blackout-curtained room, with heavy tape sealing out every crack of light, ever since then.

I had never heard of her condition, which causes extremely painful sensitivity to the smallest amount of light. Lyndsey describes her physical symptoms with vivid detail, but it’s her attention to the psychological effects of being forced to withdraw from virtually all human society that makes this such a jaw-dropping read. 

By Anna Lyndsey ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Girl in the Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Haunting, lyrical, unforgettable, Girl in the Dark is a brave new memoir of a life without light.

     Anna Lyndsey was young and ambitious and worked hard; she had just bought an apartment; she was falling in love. Then what started as a mild intolerance to certain kinds of artificial light developed into a severe sensitivity to all light. 
     Now, at the worst times, Anna is forced to spend months on end in a blacked-out room, where she loses herself in audiobooks and elaborate word games in an attempt to ward off despair. During periods of relative remission, she can venture…


If you love The Healing Self...

Book cover of The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness

The Little Book of Being by Diana Winston,

"A rare combination of deep, clear, and accessible wisdom." -Tara Brach

Do you recall, as a child, being enthralled by a drifting cloud, a rain-soaked leaf, a wandering ladybug? Or suddenly having a sense of timelessness, contentment, and ease? If so, then you've already had a taste of natural awareness.

Book cover of Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive

Daniel M. Davis Author Of Self Defence

From my list on immune health from a prof of immunology.

Why am I passionate about this?

Writing is a big part of my life. One of the great joys of writing my first books was interviewing many of the inspiring scientists who were involved in the discoveries, some of whom are no longer with us. Writing helps me take stock of the big picture of this vast human endeavor. I want to explain to everyone what we know and what we don’t know about immune health. I am the Head of Life Sciences and Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London. 

Daniel's book list on immune health from a prof of immunology

Daniel M. Davis Why Daniel loves this book

This book is simply phenomenal: easy to read and with stunning pictures. Its author, Philipp Dettmer, is the founder of Kurzgesagt, German for ‘In a nutshell,’ a YouTube channel featuring popular science animations with a gazillion subscribers and over 1.5 billion views.

The art and design of what he does are what sets him apart, and this book is no exception. The nitty-gritty of the immune system has been especially important to him ever since he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirty-two. 

By Philipp Dettmer ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Immune as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The book from the creator of the wildly popular science YouTube channel, Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell, a gorgeously illustrated deep dive into the immune system that will change how you think about your body forever.
__________

'A truly brilliant introduction to the human body's vast system for fighting infections and other threats'
JOHN GREEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

'Reads as if it's a riveting sci-fi novel . . . a delightful treat for the curious'
TIM URBAN, creator of Wait But Why
__________

You wake up and feel a tickle in…


Book cover of The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water

Kathleen Basi Author Of A Song for the Road

From my list on finding beauty in the crap life throws at you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I suspect my passion for this topic was born when my doctor came into my C-section recovery room and uttered the words “chromosomal abnormality.” My daughter has Down syndrome, and full disclosure: I had zero interest in being a disability mom. Yet as I fell in love with this beautiful, funny, sassy girl, my whole worldview shifted. I am a far better person than I was when she entered my life. She has taught me the beauty and the blessing wrapped up in the things that first appear to be the most difficult. 

Kathleen's book list on finding beauty in the crap life throws at you

Kathleen Basi Why Kathleen loves this book

When I think of The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater, the first thing that comes to mind is how nuanced and sensitive it is. It tackles an exceptionally difficult topic—sexual trauma—with a finesse and respect for the goodness of humanity that takes my breath away. There are Bad Guys in this book, but Erin Bartels reminds us that they, too, have back stories and reasons why they became the people they are. This book is the epitome of finding beauty amid life’s toughest challenges.

By Erin Bartels ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Emotions leap off the page in this deeply personal book . . . . Expertly written."--Library Journal

***

The best fiction simply tells the truth.
But the truth is never simple.

When novelist Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather's old cabin on Hidden Lake, she has a problem and a plan. The problem? An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader. The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend's brother--and the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book. If she can prove that she told the truth about what happened during those long-ago summers, perhaps she can…


Book cover of The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

Immaculata De Vivo Author Of The Biology of Kindness: Six Daily Choices for Health, Well-Being, and Longevity

From my list on the science behind our current behavior and health.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m reading books that are centered on science and behavior and health. After decades of research on the interplay between genes and the environment, I had a strong foothold on the genetic part, but I needed to understand the environment part to make any sense of it all. This research has broadened my horizons exponentially. We know that genes are immutable, for the most part… but parts of the genome are mutable—and we can shape our lifestyle/behavior to improve our health. 

Immaculata's book list on the science behind our current behavior and health

Immaculata De Vivo Why Immaculata loves this book

Maté asks why chronic illness and general poor health are on the rise in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems.

Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, one person in five has high blood pressure, while in Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And adolescent mental illness is on the rise everywhere.

Despite medical knowledge and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person by not considering how contemporary culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines our sense of emotional balance.

Maté dispels common myths about what makes us sick, connecting the dots between the maladies of individuals and the progressive malaise of society, and offers some suggestions for healing. 

By Gabor Maté , Daniel Maté ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Myth of Normal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'It all starts with waking up... to what our bodies are expressing and our minds are suppressing'

Western countries invest billions in healthcare, yet mental illness and chronic diseases are on a seemingly unstoppable rise. Nearly 70% of Americans are now on prescription drugs. So what is 'normal' when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, renowned physician and addiction expert Dr Gabor Mate has seen how health systems neglect the role that trauma exerts on our bodies and our minds. Medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today's culture stresses our bodies, burdens…


Book cover of The Breathing Cure: Develop New Habits for a Healthier, Happier, and Longer Life

Dan Brulé Author Of Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork

From my list on breath and breathing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am one of the earliest pioneers of the Modern Breathwork Movement and recognized as a leading expert and authority in the field. I have been studying and practicing the Art and Science of Breathwork since 1970, and I have published a Breath and Breathing Report every month since 1976. I have traveled to over 65 countries and trained more than 250,000 people, including navy SEALs, first responders, Olympic athletes, psychotherapists, medical doctors, nurses, hospice workers, spiritual counselors, corporate executives, yogis, meditation teachers, and celebrities such as Tony Robbins. I am the Founder and Director of The International Center for Breathwork, and The Breathing Festival. 

Dan's book list on breath and breathing

Dan Brulé Why Dan loves this book

Patrick is the Ninja of Nose Breathing! He is one of those special people who learned how to pick himself up by his own bootstraps! He healed himself of asthma and has helped thousands of others do the same. His first book, The Oxygen Advantage, was a game-changer. And his most recent book, The Breathing Cure takes the Oxygen Advantage to the next level! It is packed with practical teachings and filled with evidence-based exercises and resources guaranteed to help you improve a host of health issues, including stress, anxiety and panic disorders, snoring, Insomnia, lower back pain, high blood pressure, even diabetes, Epilepsy, and more!

By Patrick McKeown ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Breathing Cure as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Breathing Cure will guide you through techniques that embody the key to healthy breathing and healthy living. McKeown's goal is to enable you to take responsibility for your own health, to prevent and significantly reduce a number of common ailments, to help you realise your potential and to offer simple, scientifically-based ways to change your breathing habits. On a day-to-day basis, you will experience an increase in energy and concentration, an enhanced ability to deal with stress and a better quality of life.

The essential guide to functional breathing, learn techniques tried and tested by Olympic athletes and elite…


Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Book cover of The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
Book cover of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind

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