Open your mind and renew your heart with these collections of poems.

Like yoga, poetry is a time-honored tradition that provides a respite from modern life. A good poem is like a yoga pose for your brain; it refreshes you and gives you a new perspective on the world. April is National Poetry Month, the perfect excuse to discover new poets and delve into their wondrous works. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite female poets that capture the spirit of Onzie.

The Sun & Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator known for pairing sparse yet powerful poems with delicate, sensual drawings. This 2017 collection explores the tenderness and vulnerability of love, the agony of womanhood and its abuses, the challenges of self-acceptance, and the trials of immigration. Determined and harrowing, Kaur’s work reads like a rallying cry for women to stand up for themselves and one another, to put pain into words, and to use art as a form of healing. “My whole life has been an uprising,” she writes. “One burial after another / - i will find my way out of you just fine.”

Wild Embers by Nikita Gill

Nikita Gill is a young British-Indian poet who made a name for herself – and her distilled, profound poetry – on Instagram and Tumblr. In this 2017 collection, Gill encourages, uplifts, and inspires with missives like “Miracle,” in which she writes: “I hope you never doubt again / that even when you are in pain, / that you are a miracle, / that every part of you is incredible.” Themes of perseverance, strength, empowerment, and rebirth offer hope for tough times. “I know you said you wouldn't survive this day / but across our beautiful universe, / what is impossible is happening every day,” she writes in “The Possibility in Impossibility.” Gill compares people to the cosmos, imagining mortal creatures as ancestors of planets and supernovas and constellations. “There are stars glittering inside you,” she writes, “that have never been handled.” Pick this book up when you need an infusion of light in the darkest days.

Explorations of a Cosmic Soul by Allie Michelle

In this self-published debut collection of poetry, Allie Michelle, a California-based yoga teacher and co-host of the “Your Own Magic” podcast, shares 88 reflective poems that re-center the mind and remind readers what truly matters. In “Cosmic Connection” she writes, “Look into a person’s eyes / And be present for their soul / This is more healing / Than you could ever know.” Michelle nudges readers to stretch beyond preconceived notions of what they could be to discover the divine within. “On my path I seek to create new turns,” she writes. This accessible book of poetry will have your mind doing backbends.

Also Read: Letting Go Of Your Ego To Expand Your Life

Everything At Once by Audrey Emmett

Everything at Once is another self-published debut by a California-based poet. Audrey Emmett blends both poetry and short stories into this book spanning themes from heartbreak to grief to spirituality. Divided into three sections (Dreaming, Remembering, and Awakening), the narrative catalogs a journey of self-discovery and a longing for wholeness. “My cracks / expose the flowers blooming / beneath my skin,” she writes. Emmett’s poems are infused with subtle sexuality and enhanced by imaginative illustrations. “She had a birthmark like a globe on hip / and he had always liked to travel,” she writes. Take this book to a seaside asana session and soak up the loveliness.

Salt by Nayyirah Waheed

Poet Nayyirah Waheed is mostly a mystery; we know she is based in the U.S. and has a massive Instagram following. But her cutthroat poetry speaks for her; it is the bare-boned truth of a woman who has survived the unspeakable and is learning to love herself, others, and life as it is. “If / the ocean / can calm itself / so can you,” she writes. Waheed addresses loaded topics like immigration, racism, and toxic love in her tiny poems but still provides a glimmer of hope to readers struggling in similar situations. “Where / you are. / is not / who/ you are,” she reminds us. You will see yourself reflected on these pages and feel relieved to know you’re not alone – and then you will feel empowered to move forward. Waheed implores: “do not choose the lesser life. / do you hear me? / do you hear me. / choose the life that is. yours.”