Jhené Aiko Has Some Calming Book Recommendations
On her album Chilombo, which came out earlier this month, Jhene Aiko used sound healing bowls under each track to activate a particular chakra in the listener. “The bowls I use are not your typical white crystal bowls,” she told GQ’s Mark Anthony Green during the latest episode of GQ’s The Drop-In. “They’re infused with different gemstones and minerals and metals. I have one that’s ruby and platinum, so the properties of the ruby are contributing to the vibrations of that particular bowl. They all sound different each time I play them.”
So yes, Jhene Aiko knows what it takes to manufacture both vibes and vibrations. But before Green and Aiko could get to get her calming books recs, it made sense that they also talked about...Netflix’s Tiger King—or, as Aiko calls it, “a docuseries about the world of exotic animal hoarding.” She continued: “There is drama, there is comedy, there is scandal, there is murder. It will pull on your heartstrings, especially if you love cats. It will have you questioning every member of the cast. It’s exciting, it’s stressful, and I don’t know if it’s just ‘cause I’m stuck in the house, but it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen.” And yes, she will accept a check from Netflix for that flawless plug.
Though Aiko has no plans to collaborate with Joe Exotic anytime soon (“He’s got bangers for sure,” she admits, but as a foster kitten mother she couldn’t stand for it), she was not surprised to find out he was a fellow Pisces and ultimately believes in the good in people, even the Tiger King nutcases. “I would like to believe that they just got mixed up in some craziness,” she ventures. “I don’t know!”
While you may have some trouble adopting a cat right now, you can absolutely stream Aiko’s album and Tiger King right this second. In between episodes, read the Aiko-recommended books below to get some spiritual healing during quarantine.
1. Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza
“This one is the most important one. I just started reading it. I have it on audio book and iBook and a hard copy just because it’s inspired me, it’s teaching me, it’s all the things that you can ask for in a book. The way that he writes and explains everything is so simple. He does a great job of explaining the mystical and the scientific. It’s a very easy read, with practical techniques to apply to your life. The power of thinking, the power of thought, the power of manifesting. A lot of people will be, like, “Oh, you are what you think,” and they kinda just leave it at that. And you’re, like, “Okay, whatever that means.” Everyone takes it as, like, you’re just being high. But he shows the studies that have been done. He’s a neuroscientist, so he knows all the science behind it.”
Becoming Supernatural by Dr. Joe Dispenza
$23.00, Amazon
2. No Death, No Fear & Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
”I’ve been reading his books since I was, like, 13. This particular book, I got when I was around 17, and when my brother passed it was very helpful. He explains how there is no birth or death. Things manifest when conditions are right, and things go away when conditions are not right. And he just explains how everything exists because of everything else. So there is no me without you, there is no rain without the clouds, there is no paper without the rain. He breaks it down so beautifully and so poetically. You can read this book in, like, two days and not wanna put it down. It’s super easy to read and it’s not preachy. The first book of his I read is called Peace is Every Step, which sort of changed my life. He is someone I aspire to be like one day. He’s super centered. All of his books, I recommend.”
No Death No Fear
$13.00, Amazon
3. Chakras for Beginners by David Pond & Sacred Sounds by Ted Andrews
”I actually started with Chakras for Beginners in conjunction with Sacred Sounds. Sacred Sounds talks a lot about the different notes, how they correlate with the different chakras. I study both of these books hand in hand because the chakra book goes deeper into what the chakras actually are, and the sacred sounds book goes into the vowel sounds, the tones, the frequencies that resonate with different parts of your body. Both of these books break them down super simply.”
Chakras for Beginners by David Pond
$9.00, Amazon
Sacred Sounds: Transformation Through Music and Word: Transformation Through Music and Word (Llewellyn's Practical Guides to Personal Power)
$11.00, Amazon
4. Exploring Inner Space by Christopher Hills and Deborah Rozman
”I cracked this open for the first time a few days ago, ‘cause I thought it might come in handy at a time when we’re not really going outside. It’s a bunch of games to explore your inner world. You’re supposed to do it in a group setting, between two to eight people. It’s broken down into the chakras. There’s exploring the red world, which is your root chakra. So those are about being grounded. It follows the chakra system. Whoever wrote this book was really in tune with something. But it’s all very practical.”
Exploring Inner Space: Awareness Games for All Ages
$150.00, Amazon
Originally Appeared on GQ
