Meet My Modern Day Gurus

Our body, mind and emotions are the greatest guru we could ever ask for but sometimes, we need help tapping into that innate wisdom. And this is where my modern day gurus come in.

Along my path to living out loud, I’ve come across many people, books, quotes, therapists and coaches that have influenced me, my journey and, ultimately, my work in the world. From some of these people, I learned many, many things and others, they taught me just one great lesson. Combined, they have all helped me in their own ways in learning to trust my body, my emotions and my spirit.

As you peruse the work of my modern day gurus, I encourage you to consider that no one person or one book or one quote is going to have all of your answers. And you may even disagree with certain aspects of some things and have life changing shifts with the next breath. The most important thing is to find what works for you.

You are the only one who can ever know that.

Blaze your own trail.

I trust that some of these resources can help.

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(In alphabetical order by first name)

Anita Johnston

When I was in the throws of working through what my relationship with food really meant, I went through a group therapy program that focused on the work of Anita Johnston. I have also gone to her workshop which was a truly powerful experience for me – particularly when looking at why I would often sabotage my own efforts with food and exercise.

  • Eating in the Light of the Moon – Anita has a beautiful way with metaphors and story telling and her book is a wonderful tool for anyone who really relates to this style of teaching. It has profound insights into why we use food and the real issues beneath our relationship with food.

You can check out her website here.

Brooke Castillo

I have been following Brooke’s work for a long while now and am trained and certified in her approach. We are similar in many ways – direct, honest, funny – and I wholeheartedly recommend her work to each and every one of my clients and to you. One of my favorite quotes by Brooke is:

It isn’t your weight that is the problem, it is your thoughts.

That about sums it up. Check out her work:

  • Self Coaching 101 – I 100% believe that I am a good coach because I am always “doing my own work”. And this book will tell you how to do that.

You can also check out both of her websites here and here.

Byron Katie

I was introduced to the work of Byron Katie a couple of years ago and it literally changed the path of my life forever. When I realized that my thoughts were creating my reality and that if I changed my perspective my life could change, I was simply enamored. I recommend all of her books but you can get started with:

Loving What Is – This book will teach you her method called “the work”. It will change your life. Seriously.

You can check our her website here.

Eveyln Tribole and Elyse Resch

These ladies are co-authors of the book that turned my path to right living and weight loss around. It was by serendipity that I stumbled upon their book almost five years ago. At the time, I had no idea the impact it would have on my life and where it would take me. Now, I am a certified intuitive eating counselor and believe that their work is a great starting point if you are ready to heal your relationship with food.

  • Intuitive Eating – The Book – This book will teach you the basic principles of intuitive eating. Please note that my philosophy of intuitive eating is a bit different from that of the book but, as I said, is a great starting point for the basics.
  • Intuitive Eating – The CD – This CD is not read verbatim like audio books, it is the authors discussing what the principles mean along with vital exercises in making the steps happen. I think it is more assessable and easier to understand.

Check out the intuitive eating website here.

Geneen Roth

Geneen Roth is what many consider to be a pioneer in the field of emotional eating and her worked has shaped an molded my journey and my work for many, many years.  She has written so many books and I recommend every single one of them. I also have about 10,000 quotes from her but my favorite is:

The shape of your body obeys the shape of your beliefs about love, value, possibility. To change your body, you must first understand that which is shaping it. – Geneen Roth

As I said, I recommend every book she has ever written but here are my favorites.

  • Women Food and God – Light bulb moments abound in this book. And no, it isn’t a religious book. If you read nothing else by Geneen, read this one.
  • Breaking Free from Emotional Eating – Many women struggle with calling themselves emotional eaters and this book was the one that made me realize that it wasn’t actually about the food. Even if you don’t think you are an emotional eater, read this one.

You can check out her website here.

Karen C. L. Anderson

Karen is a self-acceptance author and is someone I have the honor of calling friend. She is a shining light in the world of loving yourself now without that meaning you are giving up on achieving something greater.

  • AFTER The Before & After – This book is a real, authentic look at the journey of what happens “after” being a weight loss success story and then regaining the weight.  Karen, the author, shares what happened when she realized that lasting weight loss and true happiness are only found with total self-love and self-acceptance.

Check out Karen’s website here.

Martha Beck

Martha Beck is the woman I refer to as “the original life coach”. She is a best selling author, writes a monthly column in O Magazine and founder of the Martha Beck Institute where she trains life coaches all over the world. Martha is funny, extremely intelligent and has a way with words like no other.  I think both of her books are fantastic and worth the read.

  • Finding Your Own North Star + Steering by Starlight -  Both of these books are packed with insight and exercises to help you get in touch with YOU. They are great for anyone who is “lost” and doesn’t really know what they truly want from their life.

You can check out her website here.

Tara Wagner

I discovered Tara’s work before she became a life/parenting coach. And though I do not have children, I really resonate with the work she does and her view on life.

  • The Diggin’ Deep Workbook – Tara created this brilliant workbook to be a coach in worksheet form. It is packed with wonderful tools to help you inquire and question your beliefs, thoughts and feelings. I highly recommend it to anyone who is really to dig deeper.

You can also check out her website here.

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Resources Disclaimer:

Please note that some (but not all) of my resource recommendations are affiliate links – this means that I will make a commission if you make a purchase using one of my links. Rest assured, however, that I am extremely picky about the resources I recommend and I will never, ever recommend a resource that I do not wholeheartedly believe in.