October 2021 Spiritual and Self-Help Book Picks

NOTE: Every month, bestselling author of “The Universe is Talking to You,” and founder of Elevated Existence, Tammy Mastroberte, chooses her picks for new books, audios and card decks in the spiritual and self-help field. None of these picks are sponsored or paid for — they are her honest picks that she shares with others!

 

 

 

“The Afterlife Frequency: The Scientific Proof of Spiritual Contact and How That Awareness Will Change Your Life,” by Mark Anthony
I’ve always been fascinated by scientific proof backing up spiritual concepts in in this new book, world-renowned psychic medium and Oxford-educated attorney Mark Anthony bridges the divide between faith and science in this fascinating afterlife exploration, taking readers around the globe, from the cosmic to the subatomic, and into the human soul itself.

Combining physics, neuroscience, and true stories, this book reveals how our “electromagnetic soul” is pure eternal energy that never dies, and takes spirit communication, near-death experiences, and deathbed visions out of the shadows of superstition and into the light of twenty-first-century science.

It also presents Anthony’s RAFT technique to recognize contact with spirits, accept it as real, feel it without fear, and trust in the experience and illuminates how contact with spirits is a powerful instrument of healing and love.

 

 

“Ancestral Healing Made Easy: How to Resolve Ancestral Patterns and Honour Your Family History,” by Natalia O’Sullivan and Terry O’Sullivan
Did you know you could inherit old family wounds, unprocessed emotions and more you’re your ancestors? This book will help you identify old family wounds, communicate with your ancestral guides, heal your lineage and achieve wellbeing for yourself and loved ones.

It explains anyone researching their heritage will uncover both positive and negative issues that pass through the bloodlines from one generation to the next, but once they understand the effects their family has had on their wellbeing, they can find ways to heal their influences and celebrate their legacy.

Renowned soul rescuers Natalia and Terry O’Sullivan have distilled an array of practices, rituals, exercises and meditations to help you explore ancestral healing, what it is and how it can help you, as well as to recognize how unresolved ancestral wounds have impacted your life. You will also learn how to use rituals and practical exercises to honour and communicate with your ancestors, and to balance your physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing through healing the family wounds.

 

 

“Becoming Aware: A 21-Day Mindfulness Program for Reducing Anxiety and Cultivating Calm,” by Daniel J. Siegel, MD
This is a hands-on user’s guide to the Wheel of Awareness meditation practice featured in the New York Times bestseller “Aware,” and will take you step-by-step through a twenty-one-day journey to discover what it means to be truly present and aware in your daily life.

This simple guide shows you how to strengthen your mind by learning to focus attention, open awareness, and develop a positive state of mind—the three pillars of mindfulness practice that research shows lead to greater physical and mental well-being.

Psychiatrist and cofounder of the Mindsight Institute, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., created the science-grounded meditation practice called the Wheel of Awareness to unlock the power of the brain to integrate its many functions and develop internal resources that lead to an enduring sense of calm and quiet. This book is filled with guided meditation instructions, practical exercises, and everyday tools and techniques.

 

 

“The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” by Jan Goodall and Douglas Abrams
In today’s crazy world, it can be hard to feel optimistic, but hope is needed now more than ever. This book marries Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous living naturalist, and Douglas Abrams, the internationally bestselling co-author of “The Book of Joy,” as they explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope.

Jane focuses on her “Four Reasons for Hope”: The Amazing Human Intellect, The Resilience of Nature, The Power of Young People, and The Indomitable Human Spirit. And the book touches on vital questions, including: How do we stay hopeful when everything seems hopeless? How do we cultivate hope in our children? What is the relationship between hope and action? It’s also filled with stories and photographs from Jane’s remarkable career.

While discussing the experiences that shaped her discoveries and beliefs, Jane tells the story of how she became a messenger of hope, from living through World War II to her years in Gombe to realizing she had to leave the forest to travel the world in her role as an advocate for environmental justice. And for the first time, she shares her profound revelations about her next, and perhaps final, adventure.

 

 

 

“Just a Thought: A No-Willpower Approach to Overcome Self-Doubt and Make Peace with Your Mind,” by Amy Johnson
You are not your thoughts, and you CAN learn how to overcome negative thinking habits and self-doubt so you can experience more confidence, freedom, and peace of mind, and this book can help you get there.

When you understand how your mind works, unhelpful and noisy thoughts move to the background, and your awareness shifts to something quieter and deeper. Life coach and psychologist Amy Johnson, created this user-friendly guide to a no-willpower approach informed by ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience to help you change your negative thinking habits, make peace with your inner critic, and experience more self-confidence and freedom than you ever thought possible.

Our minds are hardwired to expect the worst. They love to replay the past and predict the future. They have strong opinions that feel solid and meaningful, but are always changing and contradicting themselves. When we think our thoughts define who we are, we suffer. But when we see the truth—and we glimpse the space that lies beyond those self-created stories—we suffer far less. This book will help you glimpse that truth, and use it to find lasting peace.

 

 

“Self-Care Wisdom Cards: A 52-Card Deck,” by Cheryl Richardson
From #1 New York Times best-selling author Cheryl Richardson, this card deck is meant to inspire you, replenish you, and help you take back your life. Richardson has dedicated her life to exploring and sharing the importance of self-care by sharing what she has learned from her own experience. This illustrated card deck, based on Cheryl’s classic Self-Care Cards, has been fully revised with new artwork and fresh ideas to meet today’s needs.

This deck puts the power to care for yourself, and thereby for others, in your hands, as each card carries a gentle but clear reminder of what’s essential for self-care: to slow down, trust yourself, honor your body, release judgment, open yourself to change, say no when you need to, and more. Shuffle the cards and see what your soul wants you to know that day.

 

 

“The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss,” by Gary Foster, PhD
I’ve never been a proponent of “diets,” which often mean deprivation, and much more open to ways of eating and changes in lifestyle. I like this book because it doesn’t matter what you are eating or what diet you may be on because it’s not about what to eat or not eat. It’s not about when to eat. It’s about building thinking habits, proven through science, that help you lose weight.

Dr. Gary Foster’s 7 Mindset Shifts show you how to―and why you should―treat yourself in a way that feels better and primes you for likelier success. His argument and the techniques in each chapter, built on years of research and breakthroughs in cognitive behavioral therapy and positive psychology, can lead to results on the scale―but, more important, in your own thinking.

The Shift flips old-fashioned weight-loss theory on its head, training you to recognize when your thinking is taking you away from your goals, to focus on action rather than outcome, and to value non-scale victories more than the number on the digital display.

The 7 Mindset Shifts include treating yourself with compassion, leaning into your strengths, appreciating the power of small steps (and more frequent rewards), finding your people, and truly relaxing into happiness and gratitude.

 

 

“You Are Stronger than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You,” by Joel Osteen
I don’t know about you, but every time I am flipping through television stations and come across Joel Osteen, I always end up hearing a message I need at the time. No matter what your belief system or background, I love that his teaching can truly be seen as universal.

In his new book, he encourages you to stand firm when the difficulty is not turning around. When the pressure mounts, when you feel overwhelmed, when the struggle looks too big, or the goal is out of reach, you have to remember that is not your destiny. You are more powerful than you think. You need to see yourself the right way and realize what’s already inside you. You were made to outlast the competition, to go further than you thought you could, and live a life beyond what limits you.

The book shares how to break the cycle of defeat, and gain the courage to set a new standard for your family, and to find the hope to conquer your fear, and the confidence to accomplish every dream.