The Best Spiritual Books for Beginners

At Retreat, our mission is to help you heal, through education, coaching, and retreats for those seeking informed and trusted support on psychedelics, spirituality, and holistic healing. 

When individuals heal, communities thrive—and the collective vibes shift.

As the year draws to a close, it’s a powerful time to reflect—not just on what you did or did not accomplish, but on how you lived, felt, and existed in your body. The act of being human is a beautiful, challenging experience—and we’ve found that community and the power of word can have profound healing implications.

Our team loves to use the holiday season as a time to be with loved ones, to reflect, and to nourish ourselves with a good book on a cold day. 

With healing and support in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of the most impactful spiritual books, gathered by our team of healers, builders, and aligned humans. 

The Four Agreements, a Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

By Don Miguel Ruiz

We consider the Four Agreements a 101 for individuals seeking to live a life grounded in meaning and intention. Beloved by Oprah and translated into 52 languages, the Four Agreements is rooted in Toltec wisdom.

Simple yet profound, author Miguel Ruiz takes you through four promises you can make to yourself to live a life grounded in meaning, purpose, and joy. 

The Four Agreements rests on our CEO’s desk, and she turns to it regularly for a gentle reminder of how to prioritize a life beyond regret and full of meaning. 

Our favorite quote? Hard to pick, but as writers & storytellers, here’s one.

“The power of word is completely misused in hell” (Hell is modern life.) “We use the word to curse, to blame, to find guilt, to destroy….. The word is pure magic– the most powerful gift we have as humans– and we use it against ourselves.” 

The Mountain is You

By Briana Wiest

If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic of self sabotage, “The Mountain of You” is an accessible place to start. Author Brianna Weist covers relatable scenarios in which we self-sabotage, looking at both the conscious and subconscious motivators, and frameworks for moving through fear and challenge to embody your highest self in small, daily and meaningful ways.

If you’ve been feeling blocked or self-destructive (and who hasn’t?) this one’s for you. 

Our favorite quote is, “If we want to heal, we have to learn to process.” 

Eastern Body, Western Mind

By Anodea Judith

Western medicine, rooted in scientific research and evidence-based practices, relies on technological advancements, and specialized expertise to diagnose and treat ailments. Its strength lies in its rigorous scientific foundation, which continuously evolves through ongoing research, and in its exceptional emergency care capabilities. Western medicine has been one of the most profound advancements in human history—but it’s not without its limitations.

For many people seeking holistic healing that takes into account the whole human, or focuses on preventative tools versus surgeries and pharmaceuticals, Western Medicine can be lacking.

Many people have found profound healing of the body through Eastern and holistic approaches, such as acupuncture, Ayurvedic cleanses, and meditation.

If you’re interested in diving into Eastern approaches to the mind, “Eastern Body, Western Mind” is an incredible deep dive—and we treat it like an Encyclopedia.

The book utilizes the inherent framework of the chakra system as a navigational tool to explore our Western comprehension of personal development.

Anodea Judith overlays the yoga-based Eastern chakra system with Western frameworks like Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood developmental theory, and metaphysics. 

This book applies the chakra system to pressing modern social issues such as addiction, codependence, family dynamics, sexuality, and personal empowerment—to help us understand how these challenges are understood and can be addressed through an approach encompassing both Western psychology and Eastern spirituality

Each chapter delves into a specific chakra, beginning with an exploration of its defining traits and further examining its associated childhood development patterns, experiences of trauma and abuse, and methods for healing and sustaining equilibrium.

Favorite quotes?

“To love ourselves is to act respectfully toward ourselves, to enjoy our own company when in solitude, to honor our limits and speak our truths.”

Journey of Souls 

By Michael Newton

If you’re interested in reading about the mystery of life after death, “Journey of Souls”, published by Dr. Michael Newton back in 1994, might be worth a read. 

In the book, Dr. Newton details stories of what happens between lives, chronicling 29 individuals' experiences after physical death, gathered through his unique hypnosis technique. 

These individuals’ narratives divulge profound details about the sensation of dying, immediate post-death experiences, the role of spiritual guides, the journey of troubled souls, soul group assignments and activities in the spirit realm, reincarnation processes, varying soul levels, recognition of soulmates, life's purpose, and more, offering a vivid "travel log" of their inter-life experiences.

Newton, who had a doctorate in Counselling Psychology and a certification in Master Hypnotherapy, initially approached metaphysical exploration with skepticism, rejecting past life regression sessions popularized in the 50s and 60s. However, his transformative work with clients in deep trance unexpectedly unveiled the groundbreaking realm of Life Between Lives (LBL), despite his initial atheistic beliefs. In an unprecedented turn, a hypnotherapy session targeting a client's psychosomatic pain unraveled a past life scene from WW1, affirming historical accuracy and steering Newton toward further exploration. 

His discovery expanded during a session with a depressed woman, guiding her into the afterlife, resolving her profound loneliness, and opening the gate to deeper spiritual realms. Over 25 years of meticulous research involving 7,000 clients culminated in the revelation of his work, unveiled through "Journey of Souls"

The Universe has your Back

By Gaby Bernstein 

Gaby Bernstein is like the Oprah of spirituality—love her or hate her, her books are inspiring, accessible, and easy-to-digest

The premise of Gaby’s book is simple to understand but difficult to embody: if you lean into love and our of fear, the universe will support you and work in your favor.

Through practical and personal anecdotates that are honest and relatable, Gaby details how she turned her fear into faith—and experienced the transformative power of love and spirituality in her personal and professional live.

Gaby covers: 

How to unleash the great power that’s within you—but might be blocked 

How to release the blocks to your greatest desires 

How to let go of the need to control, so you can relax into a sense of certainty and freedom

How to make the shift from fear to faith—and live in faith for the rest of your life"