VioletFlame's Book Nook
While there are some types of knowledge that cannot be found through books, they can be incredibly useful tools to reach an understanding or goal. There are many times in my life that I felt like I had hit a plateau in my growth and books have always been the one thing that I can count on to stir my perspective, teach me a thing or two, and if the words are just right, expand my consciousness to new heights.
As a book lover, I enjoy hearing what others are reading and what they have read in the past that has dramatically altered how they process and perceive information. In that same spirit, I have decided to start a series that will be dedicated to monthly updates regarding the books that I am currently reading or have read. These posts may include descriptions, reviews, analyses, reasons why I read the book, reasons why you might need to check it out, or just collections of quotes from each book that I feel summarize the main message
This time around, I have three books to share with you that I read during the month of June. In the future, it is more likely that I'll be going by which astrological sign the sun is in.
1984
I have to start this off by saying that this book is much darker than the reading that I usually take to, but a couple of months ago I asked someone with the most impressive study what books he would recommend that everyone read. Well, George Orwell's 1984 was at the top of his list.
Many people before me have summarized and analyzed this book, so I will not be going into an in depth explanation of the themes it contains. However, I will note that it took me longer than usual to read a book of this, because things start gloomy and continue to spiral downward until the end. It isn't for the faint of heart by any means.
I'll leave you with this lengthy quote that pretty well captures the overall tone.
“Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me.”
Bhagavad Gita
I have the tendency to shy away from really studying eastern spiritual philosophy, because I felt that I could not practically apply it to my life on a regular basis. Reading "The Song of the Lord" has changed my mind entirely. Krishna, The Lord of Love, is the charioteer for the warrior Arjuna who has found himself frozen on the "battlefield" after realizes that he must decide whether or not to fight in a war within his family. While reading the book, it became fairly clear that the external battlefield is a metaphor for the forces within Arjuna.
There is so much wisdom in this book and it has continued to help me as I navigate all this retrograde energy that puts me in a very reflective and internalized head space. I've carried it my bag that I bring to work with me and I'll share some of the passages I go back to when I feel conflict within myself (EDIT: Photo will not upload right side up 😞).
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga
I want to start off by saying that before I read this book and started the 8 week program, I was essentially a novice for all intents and purposes. Only being a few weeks in, I still know very little in terms of experience, but this book has set me up to build a solid foundation.
There are FOUR major reasons that I would recommend this book for beginners and skeptics.
There's a healthy dose of both scientific and spiritual information. It was important for me to find a book that had clearly intended to integrate these two practices. The authors dedicated a sufficient amount of space to outlining the benefits of yoga with cited studies to support their claims.
As a beginner, it can be incredibly overwhelming to see all these variations of yoga, and pick one to practice without any real knowledge to back it up. This book goes over the many styles of yoga and the function that each specific style serves. I haven't picked any specific styles yet, but I know that I can reference this book to find what I'm looking for.
The 8 week program that is included in the back of the book made it so simple for me to just jump in and start learning. Each week, there is a new sequence to learn that is geared towards a specific theme (Ex: Grounding, Compassion, Gratitude). With each week a breathing exercise, meditation, and journal prompts are included.
Poses in the book are accompanied by what injuries are possible, how to modify for previous injuries or current limitations, and how to prevent injuries. This is an important component for me, because I don't learn anything without the intention of sharing and teaching. Now, I can do so with specific points of safety in mind
Thank you to the people who took the time to read this and if you are a fellow book lover, feel free to share what you are reading or books of interest you have read in the past :)
Love & Light
VioletFlame
💜 🔥💜