Winter Words
Books for Reflection & Renewal
Photo by Jovan Vasiljevic / Unsplash
Winter invites us inward.
The pace slows, the air stills, and we’re offered a quieter rhythm—a chance to tend to the soul. For me, this season is a sacred time to sit with words that nourish and expand my understanding.
Before I was a coach or a performer, I was a reader. A writer. An English and Communication major who fell in love with the alchemy of language. Writing was my first ritual—my first way of understanding the world and myself.
In today’s fast-moving world, I long for the slower pace of turning pages—and winter is my invitation to return to that rhythm.
Writers like Kahlil Gibran, Henry David Thoreau, and Thich Nhat Hanh have long been creative companions—offering not just insight, but a kind of spiritual nourishment. What draws me to each of them is the way they write about the inner life: reflective, reverent, and rooted in nature and spirit.
Gibran’s poetic mysticism, Thoreau’s deep communion with the natural world, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s unwavering presence—all offer language that grounds me in truth, stretches me toward what’s possible, and softens even the most complex emotions. Their words don’t demand or rush; they invite. They remind me that reflection is sacred, that stillness is not passive, and that our inner landscape deserves just as much attention as our outer one.
If you’ve been longing for words that restore and reset, like I often do in winter, these three offerings come from that place.
Two are for reading, and one invites you to write your way inward. May they open something soft and spacious in you, too.
1. The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh
A graceful guide to mindful communication—how we speak to others and ourselves. Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that every word is an offering, and that deep listening is an act of love. This book helped me soften my inner voice and speak more clearly from the heart.
2. The Subtle Body by Tias Little
A beautifully layered exploration of the energetic body. It connects Western anatomy with Eastern wisdom, giving language to the unseen systems we move through and hold within. I return to this book when I want to teach—or live—from a deeper, more embodied place.
3. Practice You: A Journal by Elena Brower
I completed this journal cover to cover during the stillness of 2020. It remains one of the most meaningful practices I’ve done. The prompts are gentle yet powerful, asking you to return again and again to what matters most. It’s not just a journal—it’s a sanctuary.
To carry with you.
As winter wraps around us, I hope you find the stillness to turn inward—and the words to meet yourself there. This season is an invitation to pause, to tend to what’s stirring beneath the surface, and to root deeper into the practices that sustain you.
If you feel called to explore more of the books, brands, and ritual-friendly tools that support my daily rhythm—whether for grounding, inspiration, or simply beauty—I’ve gathered them for you here. May they nourish your own sacred rituals, however they take shape.
