tina 00:00:00 This week, I wanted to share with you one of the things that is a big part of my everyday self-care routine. It helps me relax. It helps me spark creativity. It helps me expand and learn, and it helps me heal. Let's get into it. You're listening to the Soul Online Self-care podcast. I'm your host, Tina Stinson, and I had a stroke at the age of 39 from stress and burnout that shook my world. Now I'm laying it all out. The deep level self-care practices and mindset shifts that I needed that kept me healthy, balanced, and thriving. Join me in this intimate space as we explore healing, resilience, and the soul's journey to alignment. This is where real conversations about deep level self-care happen. Let's get into it. Hey everyone, it's Tina and I'm so excited to share today's episode with you. But before we get started, I want to share something else that's going to be coming up on the Soul Aligned Self-care podcast. As you all know, spring is on its way.
tina 00:01:15 Or it might be here depending on where you live, but for me, it's on its way. Still snow on the ground here, but it's the perfect time for a fresh start. And every year I do a spring reset and I usually do this with private clients. I don't usually talk about it too much on the podcast, but this year I want to do a whole series. It's a brand new series for the podcast called The Spring Reset, and it's all about hitting the reset button on your mind, your body, and your soul so that you could step into the next 6 to 12 months feeling clear, aligned and energized. And here's what we're going to cover. We'll talk about resetting the mind. So we're going to dive into like how to declutter mental chaos and define your core values and get crystal clear on what you want experience for this next chapter in your life. Then we'll move on to resetting your body, where I'll share somatic practices with you to help you release stress, ease anxiety, and reconnect with your body in a way that feels grounding and empowering.
tina 00:02:15 And then finally, we'll explore resetting the soul. And this is where we're going to tap into your intuition, that inner guidance system that we all have, but we don't always use. And I'll show you how to connect deeper with it so that you can make decisions with confidence and clarity. So this series is for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just ready to shake things up a bit to create a fresh start. And here's the best part if you want to go deeper, I'm opening up a few private coaching spots this month to help you do the spring reset with a personalized touch. Want more details? Then head over to the show notes for all the info. The first episode I'm doing will drop next week, so make sure that you subscribe so you don't miss it. And let's make this spring your most aligned, intentional and happy as season yet. I can't wait to reset with you. Okay, now let's get into today's podcast. Okay, so as I said, this is part of my self-care routine.
tina 00:03:12 So that was this kind of like a I guess you could say like a hint, right? so I wanted to share this with you. It helped. As I said, it helps me relax. It helps me spark creativity. It helps me expand, it helps me learn, and it helps me heal. And what I'm talking about is reading. Okay? Now, mama don't like, like, disappear. If you're like, oh, I don't like reading, I really want you to listen because there's so many different ways that you can experience. Listen, I mean, reading, one of the ways that you could do this is by actually buying a physical book or going to the library and taking out a book and actually reading it, reading it. Or you could listen to the book on audible or so many other services. And maybe before I go, I will share one of those services that I use that is not audible. I have to look it up on my phone, but I could do that as I'm sitting here.
tina 00:04:07 And then you could also get, like, a digital book and use your electronic devices to, to read it. I do all three of those and it just depends on like, my mood really. but I've been very into reading my whole life with a slight like period of time during when I was raising my kids, where I didn't read a lot, but I've always loved it. I dreamed of being a writer when I was a little kid. I remember reading that Pippi Longstocking series. Well, this is going to probably tell you exactly how old I am, which is fine. but I loved I loved that series, and I decided at that moment that I was going to be a writer. I was sure of it. but no, I haven't written a book yet, but I'm sure I will at some point when I feel like the topic is right and that one day that pops into my head, something I really feel passionate about. But today, I want to share with you a few books that I reread every year that have been so powerful to me, like a personal mentor and one of the books I added to this list this year.
tina 00:05:15 It's brand new, but I love it so much. I know I'm going to read it like a million times, and there are so many more books that I have that I reread. Like so many of my books I reread. And I'll tell you, I'm going to give you the reasons why I do that all the time, but these are the ones that I come back to the most. These are the ones that I have read the most. I don't even know how many times I've read these. So I'm going to share with you. Let me see how many do I have here? I can't even remember. I have six, and as I said, one of those books is I'm just I'm reading it right now. I haven't even finished it yet, but I love it so much. I love the author. I read all of her books. I think I've read almost all of them. There's only a few I haven't read yet. but anyway, I added it to the list because I'm just feeling that passionate about it and I think it will help so many people too.
tina 00:06:01 So let's get into it. Okay, so the first book and now I also want to add that I share this book with people all the time. So if you're listening to this and I've shared these books with you, you're going to be like, she told me to read that right. Sometimes I actually give physical copies to people. Like if they're in my space physically, I give copies to them. I buy multiple copies of this next book. I've I've bought so many copies of this book and given them to people, I can't even count, because this is one of my favorites. And it's called The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. I think I'm saying that right, but I'm not sure. but think of this book as your personal guide to living your best life, with less drama and more joy. This book always like, resets me. It puts me like in my place. the author shares that four simple but like powerful principles to help you break free from your limiting beliefs and help you kind of like, live authentically, you know, help you love and find happiness.
tina 00:07:07 It's like a little spiritual pep talk in a way, in book form. And it's short. It's such an easy read. You could read it so quick. And I have to say, it's life changing. And the reason I reread it all the time is because it, it kind of just it's like a yearly reminder to, to get myself back into this because we flow into, like, these bad habits every year. and we all do. Nobody's perfect. Right. And so reading this book, it really helps me. It's a reminder of how I want to keep myself balanced, like mentally. And it always helps me resolve conflicts, whether that's with other people, with myself, but it always helps me move forward. And so rereading this every year, I usually this is one of the ones that I usually think about at the beginning of the year or my beginning of the year is March. Like, I'm not ready to start a new year and like January, it just doesn't feel aligned with me.
tina 00:08:03 I think I've talked about this a lot on the podcast, and so this is like my new year right now. And that's why I'm sharing this right now, because this is what I'm thinking about right now. Some of these other books I just read randomly during the year, I don't like start every year off reading all these books like one after the other. These are just the books that I've reread the most, but this one is one that I like reading at the beginning of a year because it's a really good reminder. Now, the second one might not be for everybody, but I wanted to share it because if I'm being honest, I've read this book so many times and it was gifted to me by a friend, my friend Michelle. I don't know if she listens to the podcast, but she gave this to me when I was moving away and I wasn't going to see her too much anymore. And what was funny about this gift was, I don't know. It's like she intuitively knew that I was going to love it, but we never had a conversation about any of these topics ever.
tina 00:08:56 Like there was nothing to tell her that I would like this book. So that's why I say intuitively I think she knew I would like it. So anyway, she gifted me this book and I've shared this book with many people. And as I said at the beginning, it's not for everybody. Like, I've noticed that people who are religious don't seem to like it because it talks a lot about death, and people have a lot of different things they believe about death that may bring them comfort and this kind of challenges, those thoughts. But this, this book, it's like mind blowing. It's a cool it's a cool book. It's, it's written by Doctor Brian Weiss. He's a psychiatrist, and he shares his fascinating experiences with past life regression therapy through the story of one patient. Right. And it's such a such an amazing book. I can't even tell you. It's so interesting. He explores the idea that our souls have lived many lives, and that the healing can come from understanding our past.
tina 00:09:53 It's part science, it's part like mystery, And I don't know this. This actually gave me so much peace. It really helps me. It helped me heal in so many ways. It helped helped me really deal with any loss that I've ever experienced. And it helps me not be afraid of death honestly and reframe how I define death. And it's definitely a great reminder. That's why I reread it all the time. It makes me feel so good. It's something that really helped me when I was dealing with the loss of my mom, and I've read it a while after my mom passed, but it was the first thing that ever gave me some peace. It's also, I think, you know, I want like if you go to read this book, I want you to like, just have an open mind to how interesting. And, to me, it's a little like whimsical, even though some of the things that this man discovered were so interested. And it's like, I don't know, you have to read it and say so.
tina 00:10:59 I think that it really I really like, you know, going deeper into this belief system that we've lived many lives. And on a funny, funny note, like one of them, a movie that kind of explores this a little bit, is defending your life with Mel Brooks, and I can't remember the actress. Really good actress. It might come to me. She was in Mamma mia! but anyway, it's a kind of a funny movie about death. And, you know, it talks about, like, how some people that aren't on this earth right now experiencing life have been here many, many times before, and they're just doing a better job. And then some people, you know, it's like their first time. And so, you know, they're struggling a little bit. You know, it's kind of how we talk about people like, oh, they're an old soul, you know what I mean? Where they're just like, have this knowing, you know, my, my daughter is this way.
tina 00:11:54 She just has this knowing. And actually all my kids are constantly teaching me, all these really powerful lessons. And I don't know if everybody learns lessons from their kids like I do, but I definitely, know that my kids, their souls, were meant to be in my life, and I experience that fully when I, learn from them. Right. So I think that this book really kind of scientifically backs, the first time I watched that movie defending your life, I was like, I kind of like the thought of that. Like, even though it's a silly, very silly movie and it's meant to be funny, the just like, I really like the basis of us having all these different past life experiences. And I think it's just really the book really kind of like backs it kind of scientifically, for me at least. Okay. So anyway, I, I like the reminder of I like how this book helps me experience my life. I think that's the best way for me to put it.
tina 00:12:56 It's just a really cool book, so give it a read. Also, a very short, easy read. Now the next one. This one's a bigger book. But this one, this book really changed the way I think about food. And as you know, I'm a holistic health coach, but I'm also a culinary nutrition educator. Right. And I based most of my learning on plant based nutrition. Okay. And this book is called salt, sugar, fat. It's by Michael Moss. And it's just so if you okay, if you ever wondered why you can't just eat one potato chip. So Michael Moss dives into the sneaky world of processed foods and how the whole food industry hooks us on salt, sugar and fat. And it's it's a real, like, juicy exposure of the food industry that's equal parts shocking. And when I say shocking, it is going to be shocking for everyone that is not deeply educated in food science. Okay, so if you're not deeply educated in food science, you're going to be like, Holy shit when you read this book.
tina 00:14:01 And it's also enlightening. Okay, so one of the warnings I could say is that you might start side eyeing your snack cabinet after reading this. You might go in there and just throw everything out. And, you know, this book was written a while ago, so I feel like if he rewrote this book, there would be so many things, so many messed up things added to this. But this one, this book keeps my ass in gear. It keeps me on a path of health. And I never, you know, I never expect myself to be perfect. I like to enjoy food, right? I love food, everybody knows that about me. If you know me well, you know I love to eat, right? But it helps me refrain from eating processed food by just knowing how they were created and why they were created this way. Okay? And it's very like a very, very dark side of the food industry. But if you want to improve your diet and you want to understand the way processed foods work.
tina 00:14:57 Read this book and I think if you're all you're automatically going to eat better when you read this book, right? And it's not about losing weight, although you will lose weight if you start eating like this. But he doesn't tell you how to eat. He's just telling you about what the food industry is doing. Okay? It's also, and I have to say, this should be a must read if you have children and a must read if you're going to have children. as if you're going to get pregnant and you're going to be putting food into your mouth. Right. So very important book. I every time I read this book, I'm like, those motherfuckers. That's the first thought in my head. That's just what runs through my head. The whole time I'm reading this. I'm shaking my head. I'm getting angry. But what I love about it, it really educates me over and over again. Every time I read it, I notice something new, or maybe something I just didn't notice it before because it wasn't really in my my mindset at the time.
tina 00:15:52 And so, and this is also a book I love to share with people because I think it's so important, especially people who really eat a lot of processed foods. Now, there might be people out there that are like, I don't eat a lot of processed foods, but believe me, we all eat processed foods. Like even me, who tries to avoid processed foods, who will say to you with confidence that I really don't eat a lot of processed foods. But when I think about it, I do though, like I do like I buy canned beans, right? I, I eat bread from the store sometimes. I'm trying to think like I don't eat a lot of processed foods compared to most people. I do buy prepackaged veggie burgers. Although last week I made my own veggie burgers that came out awesome, I might say. But anyway, Great book. It's it's a little bit more of a read. It's pretty thick, but so as far as I'm concerned, it is so interesting.
tina 00:16:46 And it's very it's a good education to have. Okay. Now the next one I'm going to say this before I even say it out loud. So many people have read this book. It's I think it's a hard read. And that's and that is one of the reasons why I reread it all the time. Also, it it's an education for me. It helps me help myself and my clients. And it's called The Body keeps a score by I'm going to mess up this name. Bessel van der Kolk I don't know, I think I did it, I think I did it pretty good. MD okay, it's a deep dive into how trauma shapes our minds, our bodies and our lives. He goes. He he. The author blends science stories and like practical advice to show you how we can heal from trauma and reclaim our lives. So there's a lot of studies noted in this book, which I think is good because it's really good to know the science behind your own trauma. But I think it for me, this might other people might like reading about studies and stuff like that, but for me it makes it makes it a little harder.
tina 00:17:47 There's a lot of stories which I think are very validating for me, but I think sometimes I get bored with the story. So it's it's a heavy book. Okay. and, yeah, it's, it's incredibly. It gives you. I like it because it like, adds hope, right? It's a must read for understanding resilience and recovery. And it's so in-depth that I feel like I have to keep reading it in order to completely understand it and even to, like, keep learning from it. It's great if you experience trauma, which is pretty much everybody in the world right now. And if you want to understand how your body responds to trauma and how to help yourself and to help others or help you understand other people, it's a must read for me and for my clients, for me to help my clients that I work with and that need to heal. So it's a good one. That's I love that book and I reread this book constantly, but the way I do it, honestly, I listen to it more than I actually read the physical copy.
tina 00:18:48 So I have this in an audio form and I never, like, listened to the whole thing at once. It's a it's a monster of a book. Really. so I'm constantly like, listen to listening to different parts of it. So I couldn't tell you how many times I've actually read this book, but because I'm just constantly an ongoing process of reading it, if that makes sense. Now, the next one is from another author that I absolutely love. Absolutely love. There's two books here, right? For me, these two books are connected. The first one is Breaking the Habit of being yourself, and the second one is you are the placebo. And it's by Doctor Joe Dispenza. I love these books. These really help with like my mindset. It's like, it's actually these books are really great for a personal transformation and breaking the habit of being yourself. It kind of shows you how to rewire your brain and step into a new, better version of yourself. And there's a lot of science in here, too.
tina 00:19:47 and the placebo one. He explores the power of your mind so you can see how they're connected, the power of your mind to, like, heal your body and create change. Both books are packed with science, inspiration and dislike for me. Like so many of those moments, no matter how many times I reread these, I reread this book to remind myself how powerful my mind is and how to benefit from this power. It's a must read if you're human, right? I think everybody should learn how the brain works, and these two books are like a really good way to start. Like I would say that that's a start to read those two books. I read these two books the same way I read The Body Keeps the Score. I'm just constantly rereading them, and there's meditations in there that you could do. I've definitely purchased some of his meditations. I love his meditations. Some of them are kind of long, but I save them for those times where I need like a long meditation. Now, the next one is the one I was talking about that I added to the list and it's called Read Life Accurately by Sonia Shawkat.
tina 00:20:55 Now Sonia Shawkat, as I said, is one of my most famous favorite, I'm sorry, favorite writers. I think she is one of the most interesting people. I would love to have her on the podcast. If she somehow listens to this, I would love to have her as a guest. she is a very, very interesting upbringing that I'm not really going to go into because she does talk about it in a lot of her books. So you'll find out about do believe she talks about it in this book. but anyway, she is my go to person for intuition. And, you know, when I, when I experienced a lot of trauma in my life, being in a very abusive, narcissistic relationship, coming out of that relationship, I was completely disconnected with my intuition, and I had to be very intentional about reconnecting myself to that. That intuition, that inner navigation that we all have. This isn't some magical woowoo thing. A lot of people think it's woowoo, but it's not everybody has us.
tina 00:21:58 and so I would say that this is like a very refreshing guide to tuning into your intuition and like, navigating life with clarity and confidence. This book is like having a wise, fun friend whisper in your ear, helping you kind of start to trust your gut and make decisions that align with your true self. It's practical. It's uplifting. It's perfect for anyone looking to live more authentically. This one is, as I said, a new book that I love. and I think I've read most of Sonia's books. I think there's a few I haven't read, but I've read most of them, and I reread a lot of them. But this one is such a quick, easy read and it's so, like, sensible and to the point. It's almost like she's she's coming out with this book to kind of like if you read her other books, she talks about intuition and a lot of her books, but if you read this book, it's almost like she's she's, she knows that there's a need for people to really start trusting their intuition right now in this period of time that we're living here on this planet.
tina 00:23:11 And it's almost like she's like, here, here's like the quick, easy version of how to, you know, tune into your intuition and read life accurately. And here you go. It's almost like it's like really like a practical guide. It's so quick and easy and to the point and easy to understand and I think easy to implement. so I, I absolutely think that I'm going to reread this book many times. I actually think I'm also going to buy it so I could listen to it, like when I'm walking or something like that. I think it would be really cool to do that. Now, if this book is for you, if you're looking to tune in to your intuition or like me, you've become disconnected and you really want to reconnect. It's, intuition. As I said, it's a gift that everybody has. I, you know, actually, maybe we shouldn't call it a gift. Maybe we should just count it as one of our senses. It's something that we have. If you're looking at all your senses as gifts, then you can call it this a gift, too.
tina 00:24:09 this book is for you, if that's what you're looking for. And I think I can't think of why we wouldn't want to tune into and use the all of the tools that we have in our life, you know? So this just this book is really reminding me of how powerful I really am. And I hope that it does the same for you. So, I love so many books. it was hard for me to pick, but what I did was exactly what I said. I picked the ones that I read the most. You know, reading books, rereading books every year is like revisiting, kind of like an old friend or returning to a favorite vacation spot. It's comforting. It's enriching, and often, like, so surprisingly rewarding. Also, depending on where you are in your life, this book will hit you differently. It'll teach you new lessons. So here are some reasons I have that you should reread books. So every time you read a book, reread a book, you notice new things.
tina 00:25:11 you also bring your current experiences that you're experiencing, your knowledge, your perspective to it. So this means that you'll pick up on different details, themes, and insights that you might have missed the first time. It's like discovering a hidden treasure in a familiar place. Okay? And we all know that this happens, right? We we notice new things when we move through life. It just depends on where we are. also, it helps you grow, and so does the book. You as you grow and change the way you interpret and connect with a book evolves. Also, the book, might have meant one thing to you, like five years ago. Like, I've read so many books that I thought I understood, and then I've read them later in life and been like, oh, now I understand. I don't know how many people can, like, raise your hand and say you've experienced that. So it kind of grows with you, right? It also reinforces lessons and ideas. So some books are packed with wisdom.
tina 00:26:05 This is like the body keeps the score for me. Rereading them helps cement those lessons into my mind. It reminds me of those lessons. It teaches it to me, whether it's like a self-help book, a spiritual guide, or a novel with life lessons. I think all books hold lessons because we're experiencing stories from other people, from their experiences in life, so revisiting it keeps those ideas fresh and actionable. also, sometimes it's just like like I said before revisiting an old friend, it's comfortable. And this is like many lives, many masters to me. I just I just love rereading this book. There's something like, deeply comforting about returning to an old story or a message that you love. It's like wrapping yourself, like in a cozy blanket. It's like a safe space where you know exactly what to expect. Okay, so it's very grounding, I guess you could say, let's see, what else does it do? So like you start to understand it deep, like I said, like sometimes I read a book and I think I understand it, but then I read it later and I'm like, oh, now I understand it.
tina 00:27:13 So complex books. So to me, the body keeps the score was complex to me, especially the first time I read it. The more I read it, the more like it becomes familiar to me, and it doesn't seem as complex. So you might read it and be like, I don't know what she's talking about. This isn't complex at all. Or you might read it and be like, oh my God, this is like driving me crazy. It's hard to read, so it just depends on where you are. So, I think that each reread can kind of deepen your understanding and appreciate it, appreciate what the author is trying to kind of, you know, say to you in this book, it's also some books like, you know, salt, sugar and fat. It's a time capsule. Reviewing a book can transform transport you back into time at a place where you first read it. But it also you could look at the, the, the history of it, like I said, with salt, sugar, fat.
tina 00:28:07 And like if that book was rewritten today, there would be so many other things added, you know, like bioengineered food. I don't I can't remember if they cover that topic in the book, but there's so many things that can be added to that book. But also it kind of brings you back to the place when you first read that book. Right? So like, when I first read this book was when I think it was before I became a culinary nutrition educator, I was I'm pretty sure I was a health coach because I was like, on that health journey. and then I read it now, and I have a whole different perspective. But it's it's a fun to reflect on how far you've come when you reread books and how your life has changed since then. That's every book you reread will kind of put that into perspective. That one sentence, how far have I come and how is my life changed since I've read this book last time? Always okay, it also reignites your inspiration, which is another reason why I reread books.
tina 00:29:03 books that inspire or like motivate you like the Four Agreements. You are the placebo. Those books, they can lose their impact over time if you don't revisit them. So rereading reignites that spark, and it reminds you of the changes that you wanted to make. or the mindset that you wanted to adopt. It also helps you strengthen any kind of like, emotional connections there. Like some of the books that you read are tied to powerful emotions or like pivotal moments that you experienced in your life. So rereading them can help you reconnect with those feelings, process them, or even heal from past experiences. And last but not least, you know it's just a lot of fun. I don't know, I reading is such a powerful tool to me. sometimes you just want to relive the joy of a great story. So, like, I don't just read like self-help books or science books. I read stories. So there's many books I reread that are just really, really good stories, like Braiding Sweetgrass. Such a beautiful story.
tina 00:30:03 I haven't read her new book yet, but that's on. That's one of the books on my list right now. I'm reading the dragon books and the fairy books with my son. All those series, those are great stories. I don't know if I'll reread them because there's so many books. Anyone who's reading those books raise your hand. There's so many people reading them right now. But like, you know, it's a fun escape. You know, the dragons, the dragon and the fairy world. So I love I just love reading them. But some stories you just want to read over and over and over and over again. as I said, I've been an avid reader most of my life. I'm always amazed that I get access to some of the most amazing people and their best work, their best thoughts and their best stories and their best lessons, all for Offer around $20. I mean, come on, it's crazy to me and I can't help it, but try to read as many as I possibly can, right? I'm always like this.
tina 00:31:01 I'm always dumbfounded when I think of it this way, because when someone writes a book, you know, I've known a few people that have written books and they put they put their best thoughts into these books. A lot of people their best work, they want to share it with the world. It's like a it's a donation to the world. It's such an amazing value. And that's the way I look at every book that I read. Now, I don't always have that experience. And when I'm finished with the book, but for the most part, I think most people put a lot of a lot of their heart and soul and knowledge into the books that they write, and it's so valuable. And when I first started the Soul Aligned Self-care insiders, which is a group that I have on Patreon, it was a book club, actually, because I just I was like, I'm reading all these books, why not have people join in? And if you go over to the My Patreon and you join one of the tiers, you'll actually have access to those recordings where I used to like pick a book every month and go through them and pull out the important, important points and stuff like that.
tina 00:32:10 But I didn't keep doing it because there wasn't enough interest. And, I still dream about having like a big book club, and I'm thinking about adding it back into the Patreon again. There were so many. There's so many other like, assets right now inside of that Patreon. There's so many other things, that Patreon is all about self care. So if you look into like deepen your self-care head over there, you could follow for free if you want. But I'm just also thinking about making the book club a part of the free community over there. Not one of the tiered groups that cost money. Now, if you can afford to support the soul aligned self-care, the podcast, the blog, everything that I do, then yes, join one of the tiers. But if you want to just be a part of the free community, head over there and follow me for free. so I'm thinking about starting this in April and just sharing the book that I'm actually reading at the time. which I'm not I'm probably not going to share it like one of the dragon or the fairy books on there, because, like, I'm in the middle of those series, but other new books that I'll be reading, I'll definitely share over there.
tina 00:33:17 So if you're interested in diving into a book with me over there and definitely head over there, the link will be in the show notes and just follow me for free. as I said, I think I'm going to be starting in April because I'm going to be starting the new series that I talked about at the beginning, the spring reset. so everything about the spring reset, if you want to do private coaching for the spring reset, will be also be in the show notes. So until next week, have a wonderful weekend and be sure to practice self-care every single day. Love you. Bye!
