Resources
Self-Care through Knowledge
For the majority of my life, self-help books were my only accessible source of care. I hadn't experienced a professional massage until I attended massage school, and I've navigated periods without health insurance. Recognizing the privilege required for one-on-one sessions with a practitioner like myself, I am committed to ensuring that those who may not currently have the means to see me regularly—or at all—are aware of valuable resources they can tap into during various phases of their lives.
I'm passionate about freely sharing information rather than hoarding it. If you're curious about the books that have shaped my journey, you can find a comprehensive list in my Book Highlights on Instagram @NikkiMassaj. These lists are regularly updated with each book I finish.
If I were to recommend just one book that has profoundly impacted my life, it would undoubtedly be "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" by Dr. Joe Dispenza (2016). This transformative guide has illuminated blind spots, expanded my realm of possibilities, and ushered me into some of the most profound experiences of my life. It even led me to Dr. Joe’s week-long meditation retreat in Malta and its advanced follow-up in Marco Island. I share this not just as an endorsement but as an invitation for others to discover a resource that can genuinely catalyze positive change.
While my business motto centers around the idea that bodies are made to feel good, acknowledging that achieving this state can be challenging, I've compiled a list of books that have personally helped me feel a little better about various aspects of life. I hope they can offer a similar sense of improvement and solace to you. What you need to know might not always be easy to hear, but knowing is everything. Knowledge is power, no one can take it from you.
Body:
Move Your DNA - Katy Bowman
The Body is Not an Apology - Sonya Renee Taylor
The Wim Hof Method - Wim Hof
Breath - James Nestor
Rest is Resistance - Tricia Hersey
Food:
The Fuck It Diet - Caroline Dooner
Intuitive Eating - Evelyn Tribole
How Not to Die - Dr. Michael Greger
Gender:
All of Lisa Lister’s books
Pussy - Regena Thomashauer
Untrue - Wednesday Martin
Man Enough - Justin Baldoni
Trauma:
The Myth of Normal - Gabor Maté
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel van der Kolk
Tired as Fuck - Caroline Dooner
Call of the Wild - Kimberly Ann Johnson
Waking the Tiger - Peter Levine
What Happened to You? - Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey
My Grandmother’s Hands - Resmaa Menakem
Tribe - Sebastian Junger
Life:
All of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Books
All of Brené Brown’s Books
The Untethered Soul - Michael A. Singer
Visionary - Graham Hancock
Space:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
Sex & Relationships:
All of Esther Perel’s books
All of Harriet Lerner’s books
Sex at Dawn - Christopher Ryan
The Ethical Slut - Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Eaton
The Smart Girls Guide to Polyamory - Dedeker Winston
The World:
Sapiens - Yuval noah Harari
Think Again - Adam Grant
The End of the World is Just the Beginning - Peter Zeihan
The People’s History of the United States - Howard Zinn
Existential Kink - Carolyn Elliot
Creativity:
The Artist’s Way - Julia Cameron
Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert
Race:
So You Want to Talk About Race? - Ijeoma Oluo
Dear White America - Tim Wise
Do Better - Rachel Ricketts
Me and White Supremacy - Layla F. Saad
Fearing the Black Body - Sabrina Strings