Books
Book: I Contain Multitudes Ed Yong
We are not really a single life form but a complex balance of bacteria and virus, eukaryote and prokaryote cells trying to live in homeostasis. What is human or not human is not simple. Where the ‘self’ starts and the ‘non-self’ ends is a... read more
Book: Yoga For Everyone
Something that I hear way too often is something like “I tried yoga once but it was too hard – I couldn’t keep up”. I feel that in our modern Western society we are so obsessed with training and sculpting this meat suit that we walk around in... read more
Book: Breath by James Nestor
I feel like every month I write a book review and every book I say “this is a must read”. But this one really is! Okay, they all are… James Nestor so beautifully explains the science of breathing including the power of breathing through the nose (and... read more
Book: Untamed
Okay, this is a big statement to make, but I believe that every woman should own this book. I have been buying my local book stores out of every copy to gift to the women in my life. If you don’t know Glennon Doyle yet, do yourself a favour and check her out. I... read more
Film: My Year of Living Mindfully
If you have been to Billabong, there is a good chance that you have watched The Connection. Well, good news. The Director, Shannon Harvey has just released a brand new documentary – this time exploring the wonderful world of Mindfulness. After looking (and... read more
Film: 2040
There has been so much coverage about climate change recently and it all seems very doom and gloom. A lot of conversations about the problem but I haven’t found that as many people are talking about real solutions. I found 2040 really inspiring because the film... read more
Book: Attached
As someone who has always struggled to find balance and functionality in relationships, the book Attached was a huge sigh of relief for me. In the book, Dr Amir Levine and Rachel Heller outline the three different attachment systems that differentiate the ways that... read more
Books: Cook Book Christmas Gift Ideas
Wanting to cook with more whole foods but need a little inspiration? Here are four cook books I have been loving.. The perfect Christmas gift for someone wanting to spend more time cooking delicious and healthy meals at home. WHOLE BY NATURAL HARRY This is a... read more
Book: Meditation for the love of it
Meditation… We all hear that it is good for us and many ‘wish’ they could do it daily, yet most still struggle to get it done. Why is that? In this book Sally Kempton encourages you to uncover your love for meditation. She implores us to stop making... read more
Book: Why We Sleep
We have been told for decades that sleep and exercise are crucial for optimal health but we don’t really consider sleep to be just as important… until now! Matthew Walker is a neuroscientist and psychologist that has dedicated his days to understanding... read more
Book: The top five regrets of the dying
Have you ever spent time with a loved one at the end of their life and asked them about their regrets? What they wish they spent more time on? Less time on? Things they wish they did? In the film Embrace, Nigel Marsh talks about how we all wait for the big four before... read more
Book: First We Make The Beast Beautiful
It seems like almost everyone I speak to has some form of history with anxiety. Is it an epidemic? What is happening to make us so anxious and overwhelmed…? Author of “I Quit Sugar”, Sarah Wilson, delivers this candid, lighthearted book exploring her... read more
Book: Yoga – The Path to Holistic Health
I would be really surprised if you have practiced yoga for a long time and have not heard of “Iyengar”. BKS Iyengar is considered one of the founding fathers of modern yoga and the creator of the Iyengar Yoga brand / style of yoga practice. He was a... read more
Book: 12 Rules for Life
By Jordan Peterson, reviewed by Paul von Bergen # Warning: We have had reports that some people are offended by some of the things that this author has said in public. We make no judgement or support for the author. Below is simply a review of this one book # This is... read more
Book: This Naked Mind
Wow – this book is a game changer. This is going to do for alcohol what the Alan Carr book did to help millions of people come off the crazy addiction of smoking. I highly recommend listening to the audio book rather than reading it as the audio book is narrated... read more
Book: Making Peace Before You Eat
We might be a little bit biased, since Angie used to be a chef at Billabong, but we think that this is one of the best cookbooks out there. More than just a cookbook, Making Peace Before You Eat inspires the reader to connect with their meal, eating with mindfulness... read more
Book: Recovery – Freedom from Our Addictions
When you think of ‘addiction’, what do you think of? Addiction comes in many forms, from the more obvious and in your face like drug addiction and alcoholism to the more subtle forms of food addiction, materialism and addiction to technology. Russell Brand... read more
Book: Ishmael – An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
The thing I love about Ishmael is that it is written as a novel which means it is so easy to read! Too often I buy books that are full of wisdom but I struggle to sit down and actually read them. But not Ishmael. Daniel Quinn finally got this book published in 1992... read more
Book Review: Everyday Blessings – Mindfulness for Parents
it is no secret that Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of our heroes! He was the real powerhouse behind getting mindfulness out of temples and into everyday homes and his program “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” is helping thousands of people around the world. Jon... read more
Book Review: Lost Connections
If you haven’t already heard of Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions, you should have. For me, it has been one of the most insightful books that I have read for a long time. Written by Johann Hari, this book... read more
Book: Wholesome Child
A fantastic book for all parents out there that would love to incorporate more healthy food into their child’s diet. Mandy Sacher is passionate about feeding whole foods to even the fussiest of children. Even if you don’t have children, the recipes are... read more
Book: The Untethered Soul
A fantastic book encouraging you to explore who ‘you’ really are. Are you the voices in your head? Are you simply a body? Are you something more? Michael A Singer explores the notion of consciousness using methods of meditation and mindfulness. We really... read more
Book: The Mind Workout
A really simple and user friendly book that was recommended by a recent guest that explains basic mindfulness practices in ways that are really easily digested and put into practice in every day lives. Mark talks about learning to notice urges, break compulsive... read more
Books: A New Earth and The Power of Now
Here are 2 books we would recommend to everyone! A New Earth and The Power of Now, both by Eckhart Tolle. “Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious... read more
Book: Loving What Is
This book is extremely helpful if you ever find that you have disturbing emotional thoughts that are very hard to ignore or to get rid of. In this book Byron Katie gives format and formula for conversations which create breakthroughs and transformation. read more
Top Three Books: Pregnancy Yoga
Here are 3 books our yoga teachers recommend for all the pregnant goddesses Yoga Mama, Yoga Baby: Ayurveda and Yoga for a Healthy Pregnancy and Birth by Margo Shapiro Bachman M.D Yoga Mama: The Practitioner’s Guide to Prenatal Yoga; by Linda Sparrowe Yoga for... read more
Book: We’re All Going To Die
This is a beautiful joyful book that understands one of the keys to enjoying life is to come to terms with our own inevitable death. Written by an Australian medical doctor this book explains the wisdom that comes from reconciling ourselves with death, a skill that... read more
Altered Traits Book Review
This book is amazing. For those of us who like a bit of science with our ancient wisdom then look no further than ‘Altered Traits’ by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson. Both these authors are well know and are well established within the mindfulness and... read more
Book: Sapiens
This book gives a great understanding of how us humans evolved and the biological and cultural history that has shaped each and every one of us today. Once you fully understand where you come from and the forces that have created you it is far easier to break free... read more
Book: Wherever You Go, There You Are
“Wherever you go, there you are. Whatever you wind up doing, that’s what you’ve wound up doing. Whatever you are thinking right now, that’s what’s on your mind. The important question is how are you going to handle it?” Jon... read more