As part of the "International Women's Day" series, I dedicate this blog post to books, magazines, articles and brands that are either run by women, co-created or shaped my women. We don't necessarily have to do it all by ourselves. I love to work, create and collaborate with women (and men 😉) and I am always fascinated by the result which have emerged from the heart and with the help of the brain being put into action 💥
I root for the right to let more women shine and be celebrated and rewarded for their effort and excellence!
I am sharing with you the 10 books that have changed my life.
Not exaggerating. It still blows my mind how little I knew about my menstrual cycle, neuroscience and nutrition for female athletes & active women up until my 30ies.
Never learned anything about it in school nor scientific articles in women's magazines - the problem also is that we haven't been studied as extensively as men especially when it comes to brain, nutrition and training.
Some of the books are a bit "whoowhoo" but it's also these books that remind me of a deep truth and ancient history that we all have ingrained and in common and its just really hard to put it into words or describe this "knowing" scientifically. But I love that many of these books try their best to provide studies and data so we can connect the intuition with the logic and understand us and our relationships better (Esther Perel does a great job helping men and women understand each other better 😂) .
Our intuition and hyper sensitivity (even or especially when we come across as badass / tough or tomboys) is our magic skillset not only to be guided through life but also to inspire others who are at this moment not as connected with their true and authentic self. In this sense we are just a bunch of witches who express their creativity, longing, sensuality, strength, vulnerability and dreams through our art, work and motherhood (you dont need to give birth to a child for that 😏)
Here we go...the 10 books that changed my life:
"Woman Code" by Alisa Vitti
"The Female Brain" by Louann Brizendine
"There Heroine's Journey" by Maureen Murdock
"Untamed" by Glennon Doyle
"Women who run with the wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
"Medicine Woman" by Lucy H.Pearce
"Red Moon" by Miranda Gray
"The state of affairs" by Esther Perel
"The Female Body in Western Culture"
"In the flo" by Alisa Vitti
I am 39 years old, I am not married nor do I have kids or want any (neither husband nor children 😂). I own a dog with my ex-partner that we co-raise with his 2 kids, I am in a relationship with a man 11 years older than me, also 2 kids and no intention of getting "serious" aka buying a house, moving together or spending every holiday together. We are playing by our own rules aka we sometimes have zero clue what we are doing and figuring things out about our relationship / travel / alone time / freedom / commitments etc as we go with lots of talking and checking in on each other (Thank you, Esther Perel). I am not saying it's easy but it's actually the only way I can imagine living my life as a woman in a "modern day" relationship who has travelled, lived on her own and worked since she was 18. Paid every rent since then myself (London, New York, Melbourne, Bali, Berlin, Belfast, Newquay, Vienna), never felt like I needed to be a "feminist" to get what I wanted - actually always enjoyed working, living and collaborating with men but got a glimpse of what "family life" could look like when I moved in with my previous partner 4 years ago. I have a long history of family addiction, illness and abandonment issues, I was in hospital for anorexia when I was 14 (missed a whole semester in school) and had to re-define what woman-hood, femininity, health, body shape, beauty, indulgence, moderation and intuition means for me. I could not fit in anywhere therefore I almost "disappeared" but the experience also helped me to become very clear and real about what I want, who I am, what I need and what's just not for me. Books like these have helped me immensely along the way. Luckily I also have a strong friends and women's circle (spread across the world 😇) who have always encouraged each other to go our own way and stand up for what we believe in. I think without that bond and gained self confidence it would have been so much harder - especially when you are going "against the grain" (family, social standards...)
Ladies, let's support each other more than ever and let's not forget that "A real collaborations is when everyone who is there is working together towards whatever is the best thing for the whole thing." Merci Rick Rubin for that quote 🙏
This is a beautifully curated and documented magazine about one of my favorite topics (besides matcha 😬) - CHOCOLATE! Super inspiring interviews, articles and recipes about #womeninchocolate. Get the digital version HERE
And a little collaboration that I am incredibly proud of and also only came to life through the effort of a bunch of incredible ladies that not only helped me source the BEST organic and fair trade chocolate (100% cacao paste) but also published an article and interview about my life as a female entrepreneur.
You can order my "Female Balance Elixir" HERE and if you are interested in learning more about my story, read the full Original Beans Interview HERE
I am also in love with this delicious chocolate from their women's collective in Congo.
Witnessing first hand how women in the Eastern Congo assume leadership roles and live and work in a sustainable manner, despite the dangers facing them in the region, we put our full support behind a project dedicated to improving their lives. Teaching Virunga women how to write, lead, earn money, plant their own cacao and develop their own institutions inspires us all. Original Beans
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