The book Altruism by Matthieu Ricard is perfect for the 21st century. I love the idea of associating kindness and compassion to strength. Very well documented, Altruism proves that it is the way of the future on the planet.
Talking about sexuality to our children without taboo allows them to dedramatize the subject while protecting them. Hence, to be informed is the first step to make conscious and smart choices. Yes, I want my daughter to be cautious and intelligent when it comes to sexuality. At the same time, I do not want to stay silent as regard to the beauty of what sexuality can be, with the right partner. My aim is that my daughter become a self-confident woman, delighted to be in the skin she is.
I love the book (French edition) “Parler du vagin à ma fille” or How to talk about vagina to my daughter, because it is clear, honest, without taboo. Written by an OB-GYN, it contains all the important and necessary information, like hygiene, sexual transmitted diseases, pleasure and contraception. The book is written like a dialogue between the author and her 20-year-old daughter. The beginning of the book offers lots of historical data as regard to the place of women in medicine in general, then more precisely as midwives then OB-GYN. Thank you Catherine Rinieri for this open-hearted book. It is the second time I read it, safe for the fact that today I have an extraordinary teenage daughter next to me. I cannot find a better time to start tackling the topic of sexuality, with kindness, simplicity and truth.
Please share if you know similar books in English!
I felt less lonely after I escaped abuse, when I discovered the great book by Veronique Moraldi (French edition) Gardez-vous d’aimer un pervers. It is a warning against falling in love with a narcissistic man. But can we really use the word love in an abusive relationship? It is incredible what an abuser can make a woman do. Domestic violence has nothing to do with the intelligence level. It is a gradual process which aims at killing a woman’s self-esteem so much that she will cope with all kind of abuse. Do not be fooled: physical abuse does not happen immediately in an abusive relationship. Emotional abuse always precedes physical abuse.
Do not fall for an abuser. Do not have children with him. Do not die. Escape. Rebuild your life. Choose life, self-respect and light.
A dear friend of mine recommended me the great book “Budhism for mothers” when my daughter was very small. I loved it so much that I am still thinking about it more than ten years afterwards. It is very important to keep it real as mothers. Single motherhood is not glamorous, it is real and raw. It is also a way of growing ourselves as human beings.
Then Renegate Beauty reminds us that comparison is a killer, whether it is comparison with how we should look or comparison with other women. It was utterly fascinating to read the story of how Nadine Artemis discovered essential oils, after a detour in Paris (and its perfumes) and her upbringing close to nature (she was already making potions when she was a little girl).
Renegate Beauty insists on the benefits of the sun for all nature, including human beings. This touches me deeply as I am preparing to move and live south for this specific reason: to be able to be outside more and to feel the golden beloved sun on my skin. As regard to the water element, it was fascinating to learn that our brain and our hearts contain 73% of water. Then, there is a chapter about the Air element before the Earth element. Again, I am moving out of Paris because I need to breathe more oxygen. It is also a beauty decision!
Moreover, Renegate Beauty initiates us to vitalism, which I understand as a true communion between us and nature and the entire cosmos.
Above all, the best beauty secret actually resides in a healthy colon, which contains beneficial bacteria. I feel encouraged to carry on my regular enemas.
Furthermore, I was shocked by the eye-opener chapter about breast health and it should be required reading for every woman.
Why is this book life changing? Because having the confidence not to wear make up is very recent for me. I spent my teenage years to cover my skin with a thick layer of chemical cosmetics, thinking I was ugly without them. Whenever I look at photos of the old me with so much make-up on, the contrast is striking. Indeed, today my face looks cleaner and sharper, in the purity of the absence of make-up.
I highly recommend this beautiful book by Nadine Artemis, which is adorned by stunning photography, full of purity, grace and beauty.
I read The Four Agreements one year after having escaped a dangerous and toxic relationship and one year prior going back to college to become a lawyer. This book literally changed my life. The four core life principles are:
May we be impeccable with our word: I teach my children that their mouth shall be clean both ways. As much as we strive to feed ourselves the most nourishing food, we must strive to talk in a respectful way, without bad language, making sure we do not hurt the feelings of others with the words we speak,
May we do not take anything personally: other people criticism and judgement of ourselves has in fact nothing to do with us, we are their mirror so how they behave towards us only means so much as regard to them, their mindset and their values,
May we do not make assumptions: again, judgement is useless because if only we could take a bird’s-eye view, we could see all the missing data on a given situation, we cannot see the full picture so may we keep an open mind and an open heart while walking bravely on the path, even if they are some circumstances which we cannot understand fully right now, and
May we always do our best: may be honestly assess if we have given our all to something, if the answer is yes, we are enough, and we can be proud of ourselves sister.
I was eager to read this book by Christophe André, Matthieu Ricard and Alexandre Jollien. I gave my first book written by Christophe Andre to a very special person, as I recall in my book, because I admire this author so much. I especially loved the advice as regard to listening, cultivating gratitude and letting go of ego. However, I do try not to make an enemy of my ego. It is a part of me, as are my shadows.
