When I talk about luxury, what I’m really talking about is freedom. True luxury is something that creates expansion, opportunity and a degree of liberation inside of you and in your life. The things that most people associate with luxury often don’t really meet this criterion. Instead, they frequently create a lot of contraction, obligation, and additional responsibility that might not be obvious from the start.

For instance, most people believe that owning a beautiful mansion is something to aspire to. There are many benefits and beautiful things about owning and living in a mansion, but with all of those perks also comes the necessity of cleaning, upkeep, taxes, insurance, and more.

Traditional luxuries can be amazing and dreamy, but they come with price tags and responsibilities that can be easy to overlook and then resent over time.

So when I talk about luxury, please know that I have nothing against the finer things in life. Diamonds are very pretty, luxury cars are amazing, and traveling first class (or even private!) really makes all of the difference in the world. But sometimes it’s the little things that really make a life truly luxurious. And that’s what I’m sharing with you here today.

Reading is one of my absolute favorite luxuries. As a mom and a solo-preneur, it’s easy to talk myself out of taking any time out of my day to read. There’s always something else that I could or should be doing, and there are always things that need to be done now.

And yet, when I give myself the space in my day to just sit (or even lie down) and read it feels exquisitely decadent and nourishing to me. It’s been my experience that the simplest things are usually the most luxurious, and taking time out from my full day to read definitely qualifies as something that simultaneously uplifts, relaxes, inspires and supports me in being my happiest, most aligned, healthy and fabulous self.

I was lucky enough to have teachers who, throughout my school life, read books to me. My 3^rd and 4^th grade teachers read books to my class during the school year that I now can’t wait to share with my son. In both my 7^th grade year and the honor’s English class I took during my senior year of high school, I had a teacher that not only read to us, but also supplied coloring books, crayons, colored pencils and more to make that time doubly imaginative and memorable.

To this day, there is something about the written and spoken word that I adore. Words can impact, transport, create and illuminate. Reading truly adds something both un-definable and un-nameable to my life – something that I choose to prioritize even when it seems impossible to do so.

I will admit that I have a “book problem” – I own A LOT of books. I do have a Kindle, and I have purchased a lot of books in that convenient, electronic way. I love using my Kindle for travel instead of taking a library with me, which isn’t very practical or convenient, especially now that I have a son.

But in the end, I adore holding an actual book, being able to make notes in the margins (yes, I desecrate my books… a habit instilled in me during my freshman English class in high school), and reference things again and again at will. At this present time, I actually have a stack of books that I intend to read before the end of 2017. And truth be told, I love looking at that stack every day.

I am proud to say I’ve made quite a dent in this stack already this year, and that said stack actually looks rather chic next to my nightstand… because these kinds of things are important – or at least in my world they are!  😉

Here’s a snapshot of some of the books I’ve read this year, and some that I have yet to dive into completely. My intention in sharing this with you is to inspire you to prioritize reading (if it’s something you love) into your day, week, month and year. Some of these titles might be a bit “edgy” for you, but let me assure you that I’m only sharing books with you that have been a sheer pleasure for me to read.

Because that’s what reading is for me – pure, unadulterated, delicious pleasure, which is in and of itself not only a luxury, but an absolute necessity!

• Vagina: A New Biography by Naomi Wolfe

Don’t let the title put you off – this book is life changing! Inspired by a very painful and personal health-crisis, Naomi Wolfe blends cultural history with the most recent and eye-opening scientific research to deliver astonishing evidence about your lady parts that will leave you shouting “Finally!” and “I can’t believe they didn’t teach us that!!” I loved this book – it’s kind of a game changer – and I am grateful for Naomi Wolfe!

• Shameless by Pamela Madsen

This is an autobiography of awakening – sexual restlessness, yearning and awakening that I believe many women can relate to. Pamela Madsen is truly shameless in what and how she shares in this book because her journey is about more than pleasure seeking. It’s about healing an inner split that most women feel – a split from being able to truly love themselves just as they are. This book takes you on a tour of the world of sexual healers and men who are courageously, and with incredible integrity, helping women to come home to themselves through pleasure. This is a tantalizing read, and one that may leave you questioning whether or not you’ve prioritized enough pleasure into your life.

• Loyalty to Your Soul by Ron Hulnick, PhD., and Mary Hulnick, PhD

My husband graduated from the University of Santa Monica with a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology a few years ago. The authors of this book, Ron and Mary Hulnick, helped found USM, and created the amazing curriculum there, too. Loyalty to Your Soul is a beautiful book that takes you on a tour of the principles of Spiritual Psychology – a way of orienting to the world that has the power to unite you with your truest, happiest self. I had many “a-ha” moments when reading this book. It’s written in a way that’s easy to follow, and the concepts are easy to practice and implement, too. This is a must read for any woman who is looking for true and lasting happiness. It all lies within you, and this book can give you the tools to be able to access it, today.

• Wild Feminine: Finding Power, Spirit and Joy in the Female Body by Tami Lynn Kent

The title of this book caught my attention because I know many women who long to feel wild and free in themselves and in their lives. This book took me to unexpected places, which I loved, and it opened my eyes to the deeper connection between a woman’s body, psyche and her soul. Thank goodness for women like Tami Lynn Kent, whose life work has uncovered and made these kinds of connections for us. For what we as women know on an intuitive level – that our minds, bodies, emotions and spirits are all interconnected – is validated and liberated through Kent’s discoveries, tools, resources and guidance.

• Minding the Body, Mending the Mind by Jill Borysenko, PhD

Jill Borysenko has written other books that I have loved, and this one was no different. This book spoke to the nerdy part of me that loves the places where science communes with spirit. I’ve had a life-long interest in how the mind and body are connected, or in fact are one thing (and not two, as you might have thought). This book is full of rich research, personal anecdotes, and resources for how to mend the split that often exists between the body and the mind. I will admit that there were parts of this book that I skimmed more than fully read – simply because I was clear about my agenda and reasons for reading this book. However, if you have or are currently facing any kind of health challenge or crisis, this book may provide some very powerful perspectives, answers and practical tools for you.

• The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees

I’ve struggled most of my life to figure out what to wear on any given day. I have always had a body that was not “easy” to dress. If I could afford to have all of my clothes custom made, I would! But until that day, I want to learn how to have a closet that actually suits and serves me – especially during this time of motherhood when it would be easy to hang out in workout clothes every day. I want to feel prettier and more put together than yoga pants will allow, so I reached for this book and was not disappointed. Anuschka Rees takes your current life phase into account as she guides you to discovering what needs to be in your closet. I’m almost finished with this book, and am so happy I found it. It’s organized, beautiful to read, and a godsend for those of us who have a closet full of clothes, but absolutely nothing to wear!

• Leaving My Father’s House: A Journey to Conscious Femininity by Marion Woodman

I love Jungian psychology, dream analysis and all things Marion Woodman. In this book, Marion offers up her profound insight into the process of bringing feminine wisdom to consciousness in a patriarchal society. This is happening more than ever today, and many women – myself included – can find themselves at a loss as to how to come into a state of inner wholeness with themselves in an environment and climate that expects (and often demands) women to neglect and ignore who we really are. This book was revelatory on many levels, and a deep dive into the ways the feminine soul is emerging and liberating itself in our world today.

• Two-Year Old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames, PhD

I don’t have many child-rearing books, and I have deliberately avoided a lot of the popular parenting books that are available today. I believe that being a parent who is present – rather than skilled at applying a popular methodology — is the most potent gift I can offer my son. However, I reached for this book upon the recommendation of a dear and trusted friend who has been working with young children for more than 30 years in a Waldorf setting of her own creation. This book has helped me to understand the phases that children go through, the general guidelines around what is age-appropriate behavior, and a different way of understanding my nearly 2-year old little guy that didn’t automatically place him into the inevitable, horrible, awful “terrible two’s” category. There’s an entire series of these books that helps parents understand their child’s development from birth to age 16, and I will be reading all of them as my son grows and evolves.

Even though this is an incomplete book list from 2017, it gives you an idea of what I’ve been exploring and coloring my “inner terrain” with this year. Each of these books has enriched my life, which is something I am so grateful for. This is why reading is such a luxury for me – it enriches me and it makes my life feel even wealthier than it already is. And who doesn’t want more of that?

Here is my invitation to you: share you summer reading list below, and tell me a little bit about why those books are on your list, and what you love about reading. I’m always looking for good recommendations, and would love to see what’s lighting you up and inspiring you this year. xx