Cozy Somatic & Seasonal Reads for 2026 * Video*

Read in rhythm with your nervous system

If traditional “new year, new you” reading lists feel like pressure, this year can be different. Instead of hustling through self-help, you can move through 2026 with a stack of cozy, somatic, and seasonal books that actually honor your energy, sensitivity, and capacity. This video guide was created by Irene Maropakis, a licensed creative arts therapist and founder of Enodia Therapies in Brooklyn, who specializes in working with sensitive, creative adults navigating anxiety, depression, and burnout.​

In this blog, you will find an overview of the books featured in the video, how to use them seasonally, and ideas for integrating them into your own therapeutic or creative practice. You can watch the full YouTube video here (and then come back to reference this list anytime):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9SnLSbZiWQ ​

What this video is about

In the video, Irene invites you into a cozy living room and walks you through her favorite somatic, creative, and seasonal reads to accompany you through the year. The focus is on books that help you befriend your body, soften self-criticism, reconnect with nature’s cycles, and approach creativity in a playful, low-pressure way.​

This reading guide is especially supportive if you are a therapist, creative, or highly sensitive person who tends to feel overwhelmed by seasonal expectations and self-improvement culture. Rather than trying to “fix yourself,” these books help you create ritual, rhythm, and gentle structure so your nervous system feels supported instead of pushed.​

Featured seasonal & somatic reads

Below is a written overview of the main titles mentioned in the video so you can skim, bookmark, or build your own seasonal reading stack.​

Tarot & Lunar guides

• Tarot Almanac by Bess Matassa
  A beautifully designed tarot companion that takes you month-by-month through the year with themes, spreads, journal prompts, and poetic reflections on selected major and minor arcana. Each month includes practices for the beginning, middle, and end of the month, plus “taroscopes” and a mini card reference to help you learn tarot in a grounded, embodied way.​

• Lunar Abundance: A Reflective Journal by Dr. Ezzie Spencer
  A guided journal that teaches you how to work with the eight phases of the moon through intention setting, reflection prompts, and manifestation practices. It includes space to chart lunar cycles in your time zone, write intentions at the new moon, and follow them through the full lunar cycle in a way that feels structured but intuitive.​

Nature-based & seasonal living

• Slow Seasons by Rosie Steer
  A creative, nature-based guide structured around the Celtic wheel of the year, including Imbolc, Beltane, Litha, Samhain, and Yule. Through personal vignettes, seasonal reflections, recipes, and DIY projects (like bird “fat balls,” hand-poured candles, crafts, and baking), Rosie shows how to live cyclically and creatively whether you are in the countryside or a city apartment.​

• Word Witch by Kate Baer / Bellow (astrology & poetry prompts)
  A poetic, astrology-infused guide with prompts tied to zodiac seasons, moon phases, and astrological events such as Mercury retrograde. The book walks you through creating a simple altar, setting up a “word witch” journal, and then using fill‑in‑the‑blank poem prompts to generate your own ritual poetry aligned with the seasons.​

Creativity & aligned projects

• A Year in Practice: Seasonal Rituals and Prompts to Awaken Cycles of Creative Expression by Jacqueline Suskin
  A seasonal creativity guide that frames winter, spring, summer, and fall as different phases of the creative process. For example, winter is treated as a resource-gathering and reflection period rather than a time to push new projects, with themes like quiet, rest, solitude, and dormancy, plus journal prompts, poems, and gentle movement practices.​

This book is perfect if you are a creative person who oscillates between overworking and burnout and wants a more sustainable, seasonally aligned way to make art or build projects.​

Somatic & trauma‑informed favorites

Irene also shares several somatic therapy–oriented books she uses personally and recommends to clients for nervous system awareness and body-based healing.​

• The Somatic Therapy Workbook by Livia Shapiro
  A short, accessible introduction to somatic work with simple movement exercises, body-awareness practices, and reflection prompts you can complete directly in the book. It includes chapters on themes like boundaries and mind–body connection, making it a good choice if you are new to somatics and want a gentle, guided start.​

• Becoming the Body by Keren / Ken Michaels
  A more in-depth somatic therapy resource with exercises, journaling, and tools for trauma, stress, and strengthening mind–body connection. If you already have some somatic experience and want a deeper practice toolkit, this can be a supportive companion throughout the year.​

• Awakening the Heroes Within: 12 Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform Our World by Carol S. Pearson
  A classic archetypal psychology book that explores Jungian archetypes through exercises, meditations, and journaling. Irene talks about first working through it as a teen and wanting to revisit it now to see what has changed, suggesting it as a year-long practice—such as focusing on one archetype each month.​

• Reading through the Bible (or another sacred text)
  Toward the end of the video, Irene shares that she is reading through a journaling edition of the Bible as part of her own spiritual and relational journey with her partner, noting that even if you are not religious, engaging a sacred text can be rich, complex, and creatively inspiring. You are invited to choose any spiritual or mythic text that resonates with you and approach it with curiosity, reflection, and plenty of margin for note-taking.​

How to use this reading guide in 2026

You do not need to read all of these books at once—in fact, please do not. Instead, consider using the video as a seasonal menu and picking one or two companions per quarter, depending on your bandwidth and what your nervous system is asking for.​

Here are some ideas for structuring your year:

• Winter: Pair A Year in Practice (for reflection and resourcing) with either The Somatic Therapy Workbook or Becoming the Body to gently reconnect with your body while resting more.​

• Spring: Explore Lunar Abundance as you set fresh intentions and track the moon phases, with Tarot Almanac as a monthly ritual for checking in on your growth.​

• Summer: Lean into Slow Seasons for outdoor rituals, crafts, and recipes that keep you grounded in nature, even if you live in the city.​

• Fall: Play with Word Witch prompts and Awakening the Heroes Within to explore your inner archetypes and write through transitions and endings.​

You might also:

• Start a dedicated seasonal journal where your tarot pulls, moon intentions, somatic reflections, and poems all live together.​

• Bring these books into therapy, sharing passages or practices that resonate so you and your therapist can deepen the work collaboratively.​

• Create small rituals—like a specific tea, blanket, playlist, or candle—that you associate only with your reading time, so your body learns to anticipate rest and safety.​

Watch the video & work with Irene

If this style of gentle, cyclic living speaks to you, you can watch the full “Cozy Somatic & Seasonal Reads for 2026” video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9SnLSbZiWQ For ongoing support with anxiety, depression, creative blocks, or nervous system overwhelm, Irene offers somatic art therapy, EMDR, and integrative trauma-informed care for adults in Brooklyn and across New York State.​ Book Your Free Consult Here