Trail Guide to the Body
I have two books that I absolutely could not function as a bodyworker without. The Essential Oils book (which I reference constantly) and the Trail Guide to the Body. So far, I have yet to walk into the break room or back office of a spa, wellness center or clinic and not see this book. The author, Andrew Biel has poured such loving attention into the Trail Guide. His images are overlaid with pencil sketches of palpation techniques that allow you to get a visual image of a tactile process. I’m pretty sure this is where I learned how to access the Subscapularis.
Wonderfully organized and easy to use, this book will be your best friend long after you graduate school and pass your boards. Which you will do! Check out the publisher’s website for a full list of their fabulous books, flashcards, ebooks, videos and even an app! (Wish I had that when I was studying for my boards.)
The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy
All I wanted to do was take a simple little aromatherapy class, and I balked at the pricetag on this required reading. Seriously? An 8 hour CE class and you want me to pay $100 for a book? Welcome to the ultimate example of “you get what you pay for.” If you’re willing to throw some money down, this will be the last aromatherapy book you will ever need. My money has never been better spent.
I love this book. It is brilliantly organized, giving you the chemistry, the history, and the production of each essential oil, with a huge section on oils that are potentially dangerous and why. For each oil, there is a section on physical, emotional, and chi influence properties, making it a complete resource for well-rounded knowledge.
The section I reference the most is one of the appendices in the back, with different ailments and pathologies organized by body system, listing the oils that could be beneficial for each. Then I head back to the page specific to that oil to find the best application method.
If you have ever wondered how aromatherapy works, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy will get you well on your way. The chemistry is fascinating!
The Anatomy Coloring Book
When I saw this book appear on the “required reading” list for my Anatomy and Physiology classes, I rolled my eyes. Hard. But, I’m a good little student who does everything that is required of her.
So I bought this book, got myself ready for a nice “Lost” marathon, and started my week’s homework.
Oh. My. Gosh. If you have an appreciation for detail and a heart that has a dash of OCD, this book is for you. This will sound crazy to anyone out of the medical/bodywork field, but it is hugely satisfying finding exactly where the SCM originates at the Mastoid Process, and coloring it a bright fuchsia, all the way down to it’s insertion at the sternum and clavicle.
The Anatomy Coloring Book goes into enormous detail, covering far more than is necessary for your average bodyworker, but if you want to get intimate knowledge of the muscles, from multiple view points, you will not be disappointed. Or, if you are starting pre-med or general anatomy classes and want to see different planes of the brain and make them all manner of fun colors, I truly believe this will be valuable to you. Happy coloring!
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice & Fire, Book 3)
get it on amazonI have spent the last month devouring The Song of Ice and Fire series. It’s my second time through and I continue to be blown away by George R.R. Martin’s ability to craft such a complicated tale. One read is not enough to absorb all its layers of intrigue and prophesy. I cannot wait for book six, The Winds of Winter!
Other favorites:
Chris Guillebeau and his talented wife Jolie saved my life. After meeting at Starbucks, where I worked, and bonding over knitting patterns, Jolie pointed me to her husband’s travel/lifestyle blog, The Art of Non-Conformity, and his most recent book (at the time) The $100 Startup.
About a year ago, I fell madly in love with Robert A. Heinlein, reputed to be one of the best science fiction writers of the last century. Reading To Sail Beyond the Sunset before other books in the Lazarus Long series is a bit like peeking at the end of the story, but if you want to know the origin story of Lazarus, don’t let this pass you by.
I am crazy about Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. If your spirit could use a talking to, pick up this heartwarming, gelato eating, yoga breathing book to make you feel warm from Third Eye to big toe.