A carefully curated library of books, teachers, podcasts, research, and wisdom resources that have informed my work and continue to guide my practice. This is not an exhaustive list, but a reflection of what has been transformative in my own journey toward embodiment and wholeness.
by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Essential reading on how trauma is stored in the nervous system and body. Van der Kolk's research-grounded approach shows why talking about trauma isn't enough—we must work with the body's physiological responses to truly heal.
Why this matters: Foundational for understanding the nervous system's role in trauma and the embodied nature of healing.
by Peter A. Levine, PhD
The foundational text on Somatic Experiencing. Levine's accessible writing on how animals naturally discharge trauma through bodily movement reveals how humans can do the same through conscious somatic practice.
Why this matters: Core framework for somatic trauma healing and understanding how the body completes survival responses.
by Peter A. Levine with Ann Frederick
A practical guide to recognizing and releasing trapped trauma through awareness of bodily sensations. Less clinical than "In an Unspoken Voice," this book offers concrete practices for self-directed healing.
Why this matters: Practical somatic tools for working with the nervous system independently.
by Dr. Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté
A brilliant deconstruction of how we pathologize natural human responses to an abnormal world. Maté's work reveals how trauma, disconnection, and stress manifest as "disorders" when truly they're adaptive responses.
Why this matters: Reframes mental health and neurodivergence within context of systemic trauma and disconnection.
by Emily Nagoski
A revolutionary exploration of women's sexuality grounded in neuroscience and the nervous system. Nagoski reframes sexual response not as individual deficiency but as embodied, contextual, and nervous-system dependent.
Why this matters: Essential for understanding women's bodies, pleasure, and the nervous system's role in sexual experience.
by Dr. Mona Lisa Schulz
Women's brains are different. Schulz explores how female neurobiology creates unique capacities for intuition, relational awareness, and embodied knowing—not deficiencies compared to male models.
Why this matters: Celebrates the neurobiology of feminine embodiment and intuitive intelligence.
Trauma Neuroscientist & Somatic Pioneer
Director of the Trauma Research Foundation. Her work on how trauma lives in the body and nervous system is foundational to contemporary embodied healing.
Trauma & Addiction Specialist
Brings compassion and wisdom to understanding how disconnection from self and body creates suffering. His reframing of addiction, ADHD, and mental illness is liberatory.
Women's Health Pioneer
Bridges conventional medicine and embodied wisdom. Her work on the mind-body connection in women's health centers women as wisdom keepers of their own bodies.
Somatic Practitioner & Nervous System Specialist
Creates accessible frameworks for nervous system understanding. Her work bridges trauma therapy and daily embodiment practice for real people with real bodies.
with Dr. James Hopper
Deep dives into trauma science, nervous system healing, and embodied recovery. Accessible yet neuroscience-grounded conversations with leading trauma researchers and practitioners.
with Keith Witt
Explores consciousness, embodiment, and relational healing. Keith weaves together psychology, spirituality, and somatic practice in conversational, thought-provoking episodes.
with Danielle Egnew
Focuses on embodied spirituality, women's wisdom, and the marriage of sacred and somatic work. Conversations with teachers across many traditions united by grounded spirituality.
with Dr. Laurie Mintz
Brings scientific, compassionate, destigmatized conversations about sexuality, pleasure, and embodied intimacy. Excellent resource for understanding your nervous system in relational contexts.
Stephen Porges, PhD
Revolutionary framework for understanding the vagus nerve and how the nervous system categorizes safety, danger, and life threat. Essential for grasping why bodies freeze, fight, or flee.
Daniel Siegel & other neuroscientists
The framework explaining the zone of optimal nervous system arousal and how trauma shifts us into hyperarousal or hypoarousal. Foundational for understanding regulation.
CDC & Vincent Felitti
Groundbreaking research linking childhood adversity to lifelong health outcomes. Important for understanding how early relational trauma shapes the nervous system.
Norman Doidge & others
Evidence-based research showing how the brain can rewire itself through embodied practice, mindfulness, and somatic work. Offers hope for trauma recovery.
Alexandra Pope & Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer
Transforms how you understand your menstrual cycle as a gateway to embodied wisdom, creativity, and leadership power. Not about optimization—about reclaiming your cyclical nature as strength.
Visit Red School →Ariele Myers, L.Ac
An embodied, acupuncture-informed approach to fertility, cycle health, and womb wisdom. Emphasizes intuition, vulnerability, and the sacred feminine in reproductive health.
Visit Wisdom of the Womb →Resources on gynecological health
Evidence-based information on reproductive health, pelvic floor wellness, and embodied gynecology. Bridges conventional and embodied approaches to women's health.
Visit Womb Wellness →Sound frequencies can shift nervous system state. Learn the basics of solfeggio frequencies, binaural beats, and how sound affects the vagus nerve and parasympathetic activation.
Immersive experiences with singing bowls, gongs, and other instruments designed to shift brain wave patterns and support deep nervous system regulation and healing.
Using your own voice—toning, humming, singing—as a tool for nervous system regulation and emotional release. Your voice is your most accessible healing instrument.
I approach indigenous wisdom with deep respect and humility, recognizing that I am a learner, not an expert. These resources offer pathways to reconnect with earth-based knowing and honor ancestral wisdom while centering the voices of indigenous teachers.
Lineage, ritual, and cultural healing
Learn about your own ancestral lineage and how to honor your roots. Ancestral healing supports nervous system regulation through connection to place, family, and earth.
Visit Ancestral Medicine →Many indigenous cultures have frameworks for aligning human activity with seasonal rhythms. Learning to live with rather than against natural cycles supports embodied wholeness.
Grounding, barefoot walking, time in nature, and earth-based ritual as nervous system medicine. We are meant to be in relationship with the earth—not separate from it.
Retreat center & learning hub
Offers workshops, retreats, and trainings in somatic practice, mindfulness, and holistic wellness. A residential learning community that honors embodied knowledge.
Visit Omega →Residential learning center
Sanctuary for embodied learning through yoga, mindfulness, and somatic practices. Offers programs for personal development and professional training.
Visit Kripalu →Professional training & research
Global organization dedicated to somatic experiencing as a trauma healing modality. Rigorous training for practitioners and ongoing research supporting the method.
Visit SEI →Research & clinical training
Evidence-based trainings integrating neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and somatic approaches. Rigorous, research-informed continuing education for clinicians.
Visit NICABM →This library is not meant to be consumed all at once. Instead, let it serve as a map for deeper exploration based on what calls to you right now.
Members receive additional curated resource guides, deeper explorations of each recommendation, guided reading lists aligned with monthly themes, and access to discuss these resources in our community circle.
Learn about membership →