Draw it up. Water from the well.These words to an African American spiritual rang in my mind when I decided to name my practice Oasis. Here are some of the deep wells that continue to inspire and renew me in my journey.
Heart and Wholeness
I have probably read this book more times than any other. Deeply compassionate and healing.
Written by Sue Monk Kidd, who later became known for her hit The Secret Life of Bees. it reminds me of the importance of not knowing, of staying and waiting.
“When we enter the crucible of darkness and bring the painful tensions of our lives together to simmer creatively, a “knowing, a strength, a synthesis takes place.”
Advice on love and life from Dear Sugar. The best guide I know on radical compassion.
Really not about marriage, it’s a wonderful book of essays by Ann Patchett.
“Laura Munson takes the spiritual stuff and the personal stuff and the love stuff and the pain stuff, and she brews them all together in a very fun and touching memoir.” – Marianne Williamson
An encyclopedic look at the power of awareness of the moment, quoting and connecting sacred texts and figures from Jesus to Buddha.
The definitive personality test and self-discovery guide.
A daily friend and reminder of what’s within. Complete with daily practice suggestions.
What we’re up to as we find our own deepest truth and live it is about so much more than our own personal evolution.
Enough said. I pick it up to remind myself.
Traces a deepening path for connecting to true and radical self-love.
A rich exploration of the intelligence of the heart. As a long-time seeker and teacher of spiritual truth, Ingram knows intimately the power of the search and the peace of returning to the “passionate present.” There’s an inspiring gem on every page.
Lamott says “There’s something to be said about keeping prayer simple.”
Stephen Mitchell, translator of the Tao Te Ching, combines the text with commentary by Byron Katie, bringing a fresh point of view to the ancient text.
A powerful and radical vision of change, beginning with your own mind.
Investigating The Mind
How the new science of memory illuminates the stories we tell about our pasts.
Harvard neuroanatomist’s experience of a stroke and what her right hemisphere taught her. Bolte’s deep and hard-earned wisdom is a gift to all of us seeking to understand our own minds.
A highly readable yet scientifically solid exploration of the power of mind to change your life, no matter how strong the loops that keep us stuck. An alchemy of spiritual wisdom and neuroscience. Transformational. Motivational.
A classic introduction to the most powerful and life-changing form of inquiry that I know.
“If I prayed for one thing, it would be, “Lord, deliver me from the need for love, approval, and appreciation.”
Here’s the guide.
The offspring of neuroscience and positive psychology. It’s a practical application of research. My favorite!
A fascinating, concrete and essentially useful guide to “sculpting” the brain by combining 20th Century Neuroscience with time-honored practices. Specific and practical, with or without the clear (and detailed) neuroanatomy lessons.
Navigating the Path Ahead
I’ve had the great good fortune of attending two residential retreats with Geneen Roth. This book clearly describes the depth of inquiry that happened for me and all the others who willingly gather to examine and inquire into the meaning of food and nourishment in our lives. It’s comprehensive, inspirational, a helpful road map.
A classic and timeless guide to moving through resistance.
One of my long-time favorite books that highlights the importance of having a firm grip on both current reality and future vision – and how to focus the creative process to move from where you are to where you want to be.
An absolutely complete guide to making befriending your body at the same time you lose weight.
A guide to creating goals with soul. Knowing how you want to feel is the most potent clarity you can have. Generating those feelings is the most powerful thing you can do with your life.
Research-based guidance for finding your own unique destiny and learning to steer with your own guidance.
A full-on and deeply radical look at the meaning we give to money, how we use and abuse it. A key to unlocking the destructive money fog that has held so many of us captive.
Listening for the Voice of Vocation. A compassionate and compelling meditation on discovering your path in life.
Dec. 27th, 2011 Release date. Martha at her adventuresome best. An inspiring compilation of common sense and shamanic power.
Chock full of exercises to help you understand your social self while connecting with your essential self.
A practical and heartfelt guide to finding the thread that ties your story together.
We wrote this book together while raising our kids and exploring peacemaking at home with other parents. It’s still full of practical ways to deal respectfully with yourself and your children.
Poetry
“My dreams feel right. They get away but leave a sense of ‘Yes. That’s the way it is.’ “
Poetry is a powerful force in my life, and it’s often the centering practice I offer clients who come to Oasis. William Stafford’s words ring with truth and have become favored touchstones.
From one of the poems I love, The Way It Is:
“There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change…
It is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost…”
A daily friend and reminder of what’s within. Complete with daily practice suggestions.
This book is a classic and requires no introduction. If it’s not on your bookshelf, get it. It will earn its space there over time.
An authentic and rich testimony to the power of “learning poems by heart.” Kim’s love of the cadence, music and meaning of poetry vibrates throughout. Inspiration for a beautiful and centering spiritual practice. Includes a CD and 10 favorite poems for learning by heart.
Audio
Stories of heartbreak, transformation, inspiration. Real. Life.
My daughter Johanna has taught me to let go, again and again. I’ve been watching her and learning from her relationship with creativity ever since. That girl can let go like nothing I’ve ever seen when she opens that mysterious channel through music.
Tami Simon interviews major transformational practitioners from a wide range of modalities, from energy medicine to meditation to writing. An impressive list. Mind-opening, curiosity piquing, and expansive.
Research with an eye for what matters and an ear for auditory entertainment. An ongoing source of surprise and delight, with surprising relevancy to everyday human concerns.
This podcast began as Speaking of Faith, offering deep and powerful explorations of faith traditions. I look forward to each edition because the range of subjects is surprising. From an interview with “The Happiest Man in the World”, to sharing memories and tapes of Father John O-Donahue, to an incisive exploration of autism, Krista’s curiosity and respectfulness never fail.
Okay. I’m a little prejudiced about this CD. Johanna is, after all, my daughter. You can hear the power and range of her voice and the catchiness and production values of the songs. But what you can’t know was behind the scenes, the process by which these songs arrived simply blew me away. They hold inspiration that comes through clear and true.
“Can you take a moment just to breathe…you are free to decide…what is your reality. Free to decide…that you are free.”
Weekly dharma talks with Tara Brach of the Insight Meditation of Washington, DC. Real talk about applying meditative principles to everyday life. Brach is a therapist and author of Radical Acceptance.
“One of the voices many have been turning to in recent years is Arlie Hochschild. She helped create the field of the sociology of emotion — our stories as “felt” rather than merely factual.”
Working with Susan Grace (she is ‘full of grace’) has been extraordinary for me. Before I went into coach training I didn’t know about Byron Katie’s Inquiry work. Susan introduced me to The Work in our Coach-the-Coach calls. I was not surprised to find out that she is a spiritual director as well as a facilitator of The Work because her guidance opens sacred space for me. In her nourishing way Susan will guide you to your kinder self and ‘shackles off’ possibilities. What a gift! 
Susan was very important in my life. When I asked her to help me move toward building my coaching practice, I thought I had things figured out and just needed a little support—someone to hold me accountable. But as my path toward this goal took turns I hadn’t anticipated, Susan saw me through confusion, fear, and heartbreak. She helped me stay open to what was unfolding, rather than being blinded by my preconceptions. I have accomplished what I asked for help with…and a great deal more. I am most grateful!
