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What are the best mindfulness books?
What books will help you find peace, enlightenment, and a better way of living? What is mindfulness?
These are questions many people have when they hear how books on mindfulness can change their lives for the better.
Just in case you are new to mindful living, let’s quickly go over the last question first.
What is mindfulness? When you strip away religious and metaphysical trappings that sometimes surround the concept of mindfulness, you find that mindfulness is simply using extreme focus to pay attention to a single thing.
You can be mindful of just about anything that matters. That is why you may have heard about so many types of mindfulness:
Mindful eating.
Mindful meditation.
Mindful relationships.
Mindful walking. The list goes on and on.
The reason it matters is because of what you notice (and figure out) when you are being mindful. People rarely spend time listening to what other people are saying, much less really being mindful about the things in their lives.
When you approach things in a mindful matter, a whole new universe opens up. A good example is simply being outside. When you are outside, chances are you are going somewhere, and your mind is filled with the things you want to do when you get there.
But if you are resting outside, thinking mindfully, you will notice the breeze on your skin, the sun on your face, the shapes of clouds, the way the elements interact, and the joy of the children playing across the street.
Being mindful can open up a new world that is always there, but that we may not always have time for.
Below is my list of the best mindfulness books. These books on mindfulness will not make you a guru, but should give you a great understanding of what mindfulness means, and how to achieve it.
24 Best Mindfulness Books to Help You Find Peace in a Crazy World
1. Make Peace With Your Mind by Mark Coleman
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Takeaways:
- Cultivating mindfulness. The book emphasizes the practice of mindfulness as a means to quiet the mind, reduce stress, and foster inner peace.
- Self-compassion and acceptance. It delves into the importance of self-compassion and self-acceptance, offering tools to overcome self-criticism and embrace one's inherent worth.
- Challenging negative thought patterns. The book provides techniques for challenging and reframing negative thought patterns, empowering individuals to cultivate a more positive and balanced mindset.
- Nurturing mental well-being. It offers guidance on nurturing mental well-being through meditation, self-reflection, and cultivating a deeper understanding of one's thought processes.
- Integrating mindfulness into daily life. The book provides practical strategies for integrating mindfulness practices into daily life, promoting greater emotional resilience and mental clarity.
In Make Peace With Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You From Your Inner Critic, the author makes the argument that everyone has an inner critic in their mind that reminds them that they are never quite “good enough.”
Because of these thoughts, people often second-guess their actions and doubt their value as people. This voice inside everyone's head feels overpowering, but people can learn to manage it.
Mark Coleman is a meditation teacher and therapist who helps his readers release themselves from their inner critics through the use of mindfulness and compassion. In each chapter, Coleman gives the reader an understanding of what creates and quiets the critic.
He offers stories of real people to help guide the reader, and teaches simple practices that anyone can use to help find peace in their lives.
This book is written in an engaging and informal style that allows a serious topic to be approached in an easygoing way. One of the best things about this book is that the author really practices what he preaches. He has true self-respect, and it may be surprising to some that his mind was once very critical.
He offers himself as a great example of what the book is about, and that making peace with your mind will work if you apply what you learn in the book to your own life.
2. Declutter Your Mind by SJ Scott and Barrie Davenport
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This is actually one of my books, but I humbly believe it belongs on this list. Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking has been a consistent bestseller in mindfulness for over six months.
It has sold tens of thousands of copies and generated hundreds of positive reviews, such as the one below.
“Man, I wish I had this book decades ago—literally would have saved me a lot of grief. This isn't some New Agey woo-woo book about just being mindful and living in the present moment. It's actually jam-packed with things to DO: tactics, tricks, exercises that you can use to strengthen your mental “now” muscle. We feel guilt or regret when we live in the past; we feel anxiety or stress when we're living in the future. This book will help you to realize that the time is always NOW.”
3. Cure by Jo Marchant
Takeaways:
- The mind and body are deeply interconnected, and the book explores the impact of mental states on physical health, presenting evidence for the power of the mind in healing.
- Placebos have a significant effect on health outcomes, and the book delves into the science behind the placebo effect and its potential for improving medical treatments.
- The role of stress in illness is examined, highlighting the detrimental effects of chronic stress on the body and the potential for mind-body interventions to alleviate these impacts.
- The book discusses the influence of social connections and community on health, emphasizing the importance of supportive relationships in promoting well-being and resilience.
- It explores the potential of mind-body practices such as meditation and mindfulness in improving health outcomes, presenting research on their impact on various health conditions.
Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body offers the reader a cautious investigation into how the brain can help heal the body. It also addresses how brains that are damaged by stress may make the body more susceptible to illness and accelerated aging.
People easily accept that stress and anxiety can damage one's overall health, but rarely consider the idea of healing thoughts. This book addresses evidence that one's thoughts, emotions, and beliefs can stop or reverse the damage that has been done to the body.
In this book, award-winning science writer Jo Marchant goes around the world to talk to doctors, patients, and researchers about this new idea of healing.
The reader learns how meditation can help protect against diseases such as depression and dementia, how social connections improve one's health, and how patients who have a support system can recover from surgery faster than those who do not.
The author uses specific real-life stories, such as one about a transplant patient who uses the scent of lavender to relieve his immune system, and another about an Olympic runner who is able to improve his performance through positive thinking.
This is a great book for people who do not have faith in the placebo effect. The content is interesting and enlightening, offering ideas for managing chronic illness and other areas of health.
The author goes into great depth in her research, and is honest about her own initial skepticism about the topic. Using both clarity and compassion, the author teaches the reader about a system of medicine that treats people holistically.
4. Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition) by Jon Kabat-Zinn
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Takeaways:
- Mindfulness meditation can be a powerful tool for managing stress and improving overall well-being, as the book outlines practical techniques for incorporating mindfulness into daily life.
- The mind-body connection is explored in depth, emphasizing the impact of mental states on physical health and the potential for mindfulness practices to promote healing.
- The importance of living in the present moment is highlighted, with the book offering insights into how cultivating mindfulness can lead to greater clarity, resilience, and emotional balance.
- The book provides a comprehensive guide to the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, offering readers a structured approach to integrating mindfulness into their lives and addressing various health challenges.
- The role of self-awareness and compassion in promoting personal growth and well-being is emphasized, with the book providing practical wisdom for cultivating these qualities through mindfulness practice.
This landmark work on mindfulness, meditation, and healing is now revised and updated after 25 years.
Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, written by the founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, is based on author Kabat-Zinn’s well-known mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
The reader will learn how to use meditation-based mind-body approaches to reduce stress, establish a greater balance between the body and the mind, and encourage healing.
The mindfulness practices offered in this book are meant to be integrated into the reader's life to help manage chronic pain, promote healing, reduce anxiety, and improve one's quality of life and relationships. This book includes results from studies into the science of mindfulness, and recent statistics about the practice.
This book is written for people of any age who are looking to live a healthier and more peaceful life. It is especially great for those who are interested in the Mindfulness Stress Reduction Program.
It provides a thorough explanation of the program that is easy to understand. The writing is succinct, making the entire book relevant and revealing.
5. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
Takeaways:
- The book emphasizes the transformative power of mindfulness in everyday life, offering practical guidance on how to cultivate awareness and presence in each moment.
- Thich Nhat Hanh introduces the concept of “mindful living,” encouraging readers to approach daily activities with full awareness and appreciation, leading to a deeper sense of fulfillment.
- The importance of breathing as a tool for anchoring oneself in the present moment is highlighted, with the book providing simple yet profound breathing exercises for calming the mind and body.
- The book explores the connection between mindfulness and inner peace, offering insights into how the practice can lead to greater clarity, joy, and harmony in one's life.
- Thich Nhat Hanh presents mindfulness as a path to healing and transformation, demonstrating how the practice can help individuals overcome suffering and cultivate a profound sense of interconnectedness with the world around them.
In this guide, Thich Nhat Hanh offers the reader stories and practical exercises to help teach the skills of mindfulness.
This is one of Hanh's most popular books because it is an interesting read that is about how to take hold of one's consciousness and teach you to live in the present reality, no matter how mundane the task at hand is.
Even if you are just washing the dishes or eating a snack, the author shows how the meditative mind can be achieved all the time, and how it can help people heal.
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation is written very sincerely, and includes useful, literal steps to guide the reader through introspection. The author uses simple words to explain the concept of mindfulness. This book is especially great for people who are new to the practice.
6. The Now Effect by Elisha Goldstein Ph.D
Takeaways:
- The Now Effect introduces practical strategies for cultivating mindfulness in daily life, offering accessible techniques for reducing stress and increasing resilience.
- Elisha Goldstein emphasizes the power of “being present” as a means of experiencing greater peace and well-being, providing actionable steps for integrating mindfulness into various aspects of life.
- The book explores the intersection of neuroscience and mindfulness, presenting research-backed insights into how the practice can positively impact the brain and overall mental health.
- Goldstein highlights the role of self-compassion in promoting emotional balance and offers tools for developing a kinder, more accepting relationship with oneself.
- The Now Effect emphasizes the potential for mindfulness to enhance relationships, improve focus, and foster a deeper sense of fulfillment, providing a practical roadmap for incorporating mindfulness into everyday routines.
The Now Effect: How a Mindful Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life aims to help the reader alleviate stress, let go of emotional burdens, find a healthy mindset, and ease pain using cutting-edge mindfulness techniques.
Dr. Goldstein offers the reader techniques to help connect to the present moment, relieve anxiety, and increase focus. This book also helps people learn how to feel empathy and approach problems in their lives with grace.
The advice in this book is able to make deep, permanent life changes that allow the reader be present in their lives and connect with the positive things that matter. This book essentially teaches how the present moment can change the rest of one's life.
Readers have found this book to be a very practical introduction to the benefits of mindfulness. The author offers a simple and clearly understandable presentation using practical methods to give the reader immediate benefit.
Dr. Goldstein consistently makes the reader feel welcome in this book with his emphasis on the importance of self-care and respect for oneself. This is a great book for both novice and advanced mindfulness practitioners.
7. 10-Minute Mindfulness by SJ Scott and Barrie Davenport
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This is another book on mindfulness that I co-authored with my writing partner Barrie Davenport.
Rather than teaching you mindfulness in its entirety, like every other mindfulness book out there, 10-Minute Mindfulness: 71 Habits for Living in the Present Moment presents a number habits you can use to achieve mindfulness.
It includes a total of 71 habits, which you can incorporate into your life to achieve more mindfulness. Most of us are pressed for time, and mindfulness takes time, so this list is limited to fairly “short” habits.
It is not intended for readers to do all 71 habits at once. This is more of a “menu” of mindfulness choices, so you can pick the right three of mindfulness habits for you and bring them into your life.
8. The Mindful Way Workbook by John Teasdale, Mark Williams Phil, and Zindel Segal
Takeaways:
- The Mindful Way Workbook offers a structured program based on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for managing mood and preventing relapse into depression, providing practical exercises and guidance for participants.
- The book emphasizes the integration of mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy techniques, offering a comprehensive approach to addressing negative thought patterns and emotional reactivity.
- It provides a step-by-step guide for cultivating mindfulness skills, including meditation practices, body awareness exercises, and cognitive strategies for managing difficult emotions.
- The workbook encourages participants to develop a compassionate and non-judgmental stance towards their experiences, fostering greater self-acceptance and emotional resilience.
- The authors highlight the evidence-based effectiveness of MBCT in reducing the risk of depressive relapse, making the workbook a valuable resource for individuals seeking to enhance their mental well-being through mindfulness practice.
The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress works through an eight-week program to help users beat depression, anxiety, and stress by learning helpful ways to respond to their own thoughts and feelings.
This mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program has proven itself to be effective in clinical trials worldwide.
This book allows the user to get the benefits of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy at any time and in any place by working through the guide.
The authors introduce the reader to specific mindfulness practices to focus on each week, in addition to offering questions for reflection and tools to help keep track of progress. This is a great step-by-step guide on a path toward change. Many readers have found this program to be life-changing.
9. The Worry Trick by David A Carbonell PhD
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Takeaways:
- The Worry Trick explores the nature of chronic worry and anxiety, offering practical strategies for breaking free from the grip of excessive worrying.
- David A. Carbonell introduces the concept of “the worry trick,” shedding light on the deceptive nature of worry and providing insights into how it can be disarmed.
- The book offers cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness practices for managing worry, helping readers develop a more balanced and constructive relationship with their anxious thoughts.
- Carbonell emphasizes the importance of taking action in the face of worry, providing actionable steps for confronting fears and regaining a sense of control.
- The Worry Trick empowers readers to challenge the habitual patterns of worry and anxiety, offering a roadmap for building resilience and reclaiming peace of mind.
This might be the right book for you if you suffer from anxiety. In The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It, anxiety expert David Carbonell shows the reader how anxiety can take over the brain, and offers techniques to help break the worry cycle once and for all.
This book is based on acceptance and commitment therapy, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy to help the reader stop questioning their decisions and constantly worrying about the future.
The techniques used in this book show the reader how to recognize their anxious thoughts, and teaches then how avoiding these thoughts can backfire and even make anxiety worse.
The book explains a natural function of the brain, which is to seek out danger so it can be avoided. While genetics and training impact the severity of one's anxiety, it is important to learn how to accept the natural feeling without giving into it.
Readers like this book because it frees up a lot of space in one's mind to live and enjoy, rather than obsessively trying to gain perfect mind control. It is written in an approachable manner by a well-informed professional who is able to easily gain the reader's trust.
10. Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
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Takeaways:
- Unfu*k Yourself delivers a no-nonsense approach to personal development, urging readers to take ownership of their lives and break free from self-imposed limitations.
- Gary John Bishop emphasizes the power of language and self-talk in shaping one's reality, providing practical insights and exercises for changing internal dialogue and mindset.
- The book encourages readers to embrace discomfort and take bold action towards their goals, challenging them to confront their fears and step into their full potential.
- Bishop highlights the importance of accountability and self-responsibility, offering a straightforward framework for making decisive changes and creating a life aligned with one's values.
- Unfu*k Yourself serves as a wake-up call for readers to stop making excuses and start living authentically, providing a refreshing and empowering perspective on personal transformation.
This refreshing book is a self-empowerment guide that offers the reader an honest tough-love approach to overcoming self-imposed limitations.
Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life is a straightforward book that provides the tools and advice that people need in order to get rid of the thoughts that prevent progress. The author urges the reader to understand that it is their own negative self-talk that is keeping them from succeeding.
Readers come away from this book understanding that they are able to win, that they can embrace uncertainty and let go of expectations, and that they do not have to be controlled by their thoughts.
Many have found that this is a great book to read if you are stuck in a rut. It lays out clear steps to help change one's life, and provides the reader with the motivation that is needed to make habit changes and achieve goals.
11. The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams
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Takeaways:
- The Mindful Way Through Depression offers a compassionate and evidence-based approach to managing depression, integrating mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy techniques.
- Mark Williams emphasizes the role of self-awareness and acceptance in healing from depression, providing practical exercises and meditations to cultivate mindfulness skills.
- The book explores the relationship between mood and thought patterns, offering insights into how mindfulness can help individuals disengage from negative thought loops and develop a more balanced perspective.
- It provides a structured program for individuals to learn and apply mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to prevent relapse into depression, offering a roadmap for long-term emotional well-being.
- The Mindful Way Through Depression empowers readers to develop a new relationship with their experiences, fostering resilience and providing a path towards greater emotional balance and vitality.
This is a useful book for anyone who has struggled with depression. It focuses on mindfulness as a simple but powerful tool to help people learn how to pay attention to their difficult experiences and emotions. Williams argues that people can break the cycle of depression by learning mindfulness.
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness offers the advice of four uniquely qualified experts to help the reader understand why attempts to snap out of depression typically lead to a downward spiral.
This book includes lessons inspired by Eastern meditative traditions as well as cognitive therapy to demonstrate how to avoid mental habits that lead to depression, such as rumination and shame.
This book comes with a CD that is narrated by Jon Kabat-Zinn to guide the reader through meditations. This complete package is meant for anyone who is seeking to regain their sense of hope and comfort.
While this book will not solve all of a reader's problems, it will provide the reader with the necessary guidance to help them deal with their depression and prevent a downward spiral.
12. The Unlimited Mind by Zoey Mckey
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Takeaways:
- The Unlimited Mind emphasizes the power of the mind in shaping our reality, highlighting the importance of mindset and belief in achieving success and fulfillment.
- Zoey Mckey explores the concept of neuroplasticity and how the brain can be rewired to overcome limitations and achieve personal growth.
- The book delves into practical strategies for cultivating a growth mindset, including visualization, positive affirmations, and mindfulness practices.
- Mckey discusses the impact of emotions and thoughts on our mental and physical well-being, offering insights into managing stress and enhancing resilience.
- The Unlimited Mind encourages readers to embrace a mindset of abundance and possibility, empowering them to pursue their goals with confidence and determination.
This book is great for people who are constantly nervous about making bad decisions or missing great opportunities. It aims to teach the reader the methods of the best thinkers and highest achievers.
The Unlimited Mind: Master Critical Thinking, Make Smarter Decisions, Control Your Impulses is a collection of all of the tips and tricks that the most successful people use to develop their intelligence.
This book is about learning how to think smarter and find one's inner genius. It includes research and scientific studies about making smart decisions and improving one's intuition. It focuses on people's everyday thought patterns, and highlights small but serious mistakes that can be corrected.
Readers appreciate how this book details the personal experiences of the author, as well as some of the most well-known studies in cognitive improvement to demonstrate the way to improved critical thinking, decision-making, and judgment.
While some people find that the book uses a few too many clichés, most really like the tone and presentation. The book presents a self-improvement message of taking control of your mindset and your life to see the results that you want.
Specific-Purpose Books on Mindfulness
This list is a little bit different from many of my other book review lists, because of the way I separated it into two parts. There is nothing wrong with the books in the second part. In fact, they may have just the answers you are looking for from books on mindfulness.
Each one of the remaining books focuses on using mindfulness to help a specific group of people, or focuses on using mindfulness to solve specific problems. We have mindfulness for 20-somethings, relationships, meditation, money, eating, parenting, cognitive therapy, and children.
13. The Mindful Twenty-Something by Holly Rogers
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Takeaways:
- The Mindful Twenty-Something offers practical guidance for young adults navigating the challenges of modern life, emphasizing the benefits of mindfulness in promoting well-being and resilience.
- Holly Rogers explores the intersection of mindfulness and emerging adulthood, addressing common stressors such as academic pressure, career uncertainty, and relationship dynamics.
- The book provides mindfulness exercises and reflections tailored to the specific experiences and concerns of individuals in their twenties, promoting self-discovery and personal growth.
- Rogers highlights the importance of self-compassion and self-care in managing the demands of early adulthood, offering tools for building emotional intelligence and coping with transitions.
- The Mindful Twenty-Something encourages readers to cultivate a balanced approach to life, integrating mindfulness into daily routines to foster greater clarity, presence, and overall fulfillment.
The co-founder of the popular Koru Mindfulness program at Duke University uses The Mindful Twenty-Something: Life Skills to Handle Stress…and Everything Else to present the reader with a unique and evidence-based approach to making confident life decisions.
Many young adults feel stress and vulnerability during this developmental stage, when they are faced with critical decisions that can have a long-term impact on their lives.
This evidence-based mindfulness training program for young adults has been proven to benefit sleep, stress, and self-compassion. Through this book, the program is accessible to everyone who is entering adulthood and feeling its stress.
Readers have found this book to be a useful tool that is easy to read. With the approach that is taken in this book, readers are able to cultivate skills such as compassion and mindfulness that are necessary to manage life’s challenges in a calm way.
14. Mindful Relationship Habits by Steve Scott and Barrie Davenport
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This is the newest book from my partner Barrie and me. It deals with a specific group of people (couples) who are trying to solve a specific problem (relationship problems), or are looking for ways to make strong relationships stronger by using mindfulness.
If you are in a committed relationship and interested in how mindfulness can help you, I hope you give Mindful Relationship Habits: 25 Practices for Couples to Enhance Intimacy, Nurture Closeness, and Grow a Deeper Connection a chance.
15. Mindfulness for Beginners by Jeff Halloway
Takeaways:
- Mindfulness for Beginners emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and cultivating awareness of one's thoughts and emotions.
- The book provides practical techniques and exercises to help readers develop mindfulness, such as meditation, breathing exercises, and body scans.
- Jeff Halloway encourages readers to approach mindfulness with an open and non-judgmental attitude, allowing for greater self-compassion and acceptance.
- Mindfulness for Beginners highlights the potential benefits of mindfulness, including reduced stress, improved focus, and enhanced overall well-being.
- The author emphasizes the idea that mindfulness is a skill that can be developed over time with consistent practice, offering hope and encouragement to beginners on their journey.
Mindfulness for Beginners: A Simple, Concise & Complete Guide to Mindfulness Meditation combines the science behind mindfulness with easy exercises to allow the reader to make a lasting positive change.
The author teaches about the form of awareness and way of life that mindfulness embraces to help readers become free from stress.
After reading this book, the reader will be more aware of the science of mindfulness, how practicing mindfulness can calm the mind, how to become hyper-aware, how to practice mindful meditation, and how mindfulness can benefit one's life.
This book also includes information that is specifically for people who are suffering from anxiety. In this section, the book uses developments in neuroscience to help the reader rewire their brain and free themselves from anxiety and panic attacks.
Readers have found this to be a very interesting book. It is well written, and it provides clear instructions on how to practice meditation techniques. This book has encouraged many skeptics to start practicing mindfulness and stick with it.
16. Mindful Money by Jonathan K. DeYoe
Takeaways:
- Mindful Money offers practical advice on how to cultivate a mindful approach to personal finances, emphasizing the importance of aligning money decisions with one's values and goals.
- Jonathan K. DeYoe provides insights into the psychological and emotional aspects of money management, helping readers understand and address their relationship with money.
- The book advocates for the practice of mindful spending, saving, and investing, encouraging readers to make conscious and intentional financial choices.
- Mindful Money emphasizes the connection between financial well-being and overall life satisfaction, promoting a holistic approach to money management. Jonathan K. DeYoe empowers readers to take control of their financial lives through mindfulness, offering tools and strategies to create a more secure and fulfilling financial future.
The author of this book is both a financial planner and a Buddhist. He argues that it is possible to be a conscientious citizen while also growing wealth. DeYoe states that money drives many decisions that people make.
Most people worry about money in some way, whether it is about earning it, spending it, or saving it. However, very few people truly understand money’s nature.
In Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend, DeYoe helps the reader create a unique financial plan that is guided by one's beliefs. It helps teach people how to save money, invest it, get out of debt, and save for retirement.
Many readers believe that this book should be required reading for young adults. It really addresses how to live in comfort in this world, and how managing money and other resources is mandatory.
The author's Buddhist approach is useful and applicable to the world around us.
17. The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution by Lynn Rossy, PhD
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Takeaways:
- The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution introduces the concept of mindful eating as a way to develop a healthier and more positive relationship with food and body.
- Lynn Rossy, PhD, offers practical exercises and meditations to help readers cultivate awareness of their eating habits, emotions, and physical sensations related to food.
- The book emphasizes the importance of savoring and enjoying food mindfully, promoting a balanced and non-restrictive approach to eating.
- The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution encourages readers to explore the underlying reasons for their eating behaviors and develop self-compassion and self-care in relation to food and body image.
- Lynn Rossy provides a comprehensive guide to integrating mindfulness into eating practices, offering tools for creating sustainable and nourishing eating habits for overall well-being.
This book asks what people are really hungry for. The author is a mindfulness expert, and offers an effective, whole-body approach to uncovering the real reasons why people are overeating.
In The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution: Proven Strategies to End Overeating, Satisfy Your Hunger, and Savor Your Life, the reader is offered an innovative and effective program to help slow down the process of eating, savor every bite, and eat less.
This book is encouraging for anyone who wants to adopt healthy eating habits by showing the reader how to listen to the body’s intuition, discover the psychological causes of your overeating, and be mindful during meals.
Many people find themselves eating without thinking, due to boredom or sadness. But emotional eating is a slippery slope that can lead to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The program that is offered in this book teaches the reader how to listen to the needs of the body in order to stay happy and healthy, without having to go on a strict diet.
This is a great book if you want to lose weight while still being able to enjoy food. It offers easy strategies that anyone can incorporate into their daily routines.
18. Mindful Parenting by Kristen Race PhD
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Takeaways:
- Mindful Parenting emphasizes the importance of incorporating mindfulness into parenting practices to cultivate a calmer and more connected family environment.
- The book offers practical strategies for parents to manage stress, regulate emotions, and respond to their children with greater awareness and compassion.
- Kristen Race promotes the idea of “brain-based parenting,” providing insights into how mindfulness can positively impact children's emotional regulation and overall well-being.
- Mindful Parenting encourages parents to prioritize presence and active listening, fostering deeper connections and understanding within the family dynamic.
- The book highlights the potential benefits of mindful parenting, including reduced conflict, improved communication, and a more harmonious family life.
Mindful Parenting: Simple and Powerful Solutions for Raising Creative, Engaged, Happy Kids in Today’s Hectic World is aimed towards parents who are looking to adopt a mindful approach to parenting that will help their children be happier, healthier, calmer, and less stressed out.
This book focuses on the science of the brain, and uses cognitive neuroscience to help explain child development.
In this book, Dr. Race refers to our generation as “Generation Stress,” which can be helped with mindfulness practices that stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain, helping people feel happier, healthier, calmer, and less stressed, and have the ability to concentrate and think clearly.
This book addresses how the brain works, and why families today are more stressed and anxious than ever before. He offers solutions to this problem through examples of things that parents can do to teach their brains to be more relaxed and happier.
He offers quick tips called “brain coolers” to be used at any moment a family needs to feel relaxed and recharge. Readers have found that the author does a good job of understanding the reality of raising children in the modern world, and that the solutions he offers are both reasonable and easy to use.
19. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy For Dummies by Patrizia Collard
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Takeaways:
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Dummies introduces the concept of using mindfulness to manage and overcome depression, anxiety, and other emotional challenges.
- Patrizia Collard provides practical exercises and techniques to help readers develop mindfulness skills and apply them in the context of cognitive therapy.
- The book emphasizes the integration of mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy to promote greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Dummies offers guidance on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns through the lens of mindfulness, promoting a more balanced and compassionate approach to one's inner dialogue.
- Patrizia Collard empowers readers to take an active role in their mental well-being by incorporating mindfulness into their daily lives, offering tools for managing stress and fostering psychological resilience.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy For Dummies takes the reader through an eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course, using cognitive behavioral therapy alongside the principles of mindfulness.
The reader will learn how using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can reduce one's risk of developing depression and other mental health problems, such as stress and anxiety.
Readers have found that this book provides the solid foundation that people need when they are on the road to positive mental health. It comes with downloadable audio files that have guided meditations to talk the reader through the practice.
This might be the right book for you if you suffer from depression, anxiety, insomnia, or other mental health disorders. This book helps to keep the reader in the present moment and build a positive future.
20. Mindful Games by Susan Kaiser Greenland
Takeaways:
- Mindful Games offers a collection of playful and engaging activities designed to teach mindfulness to children and adolescents.
- The book provides practical and creative exercises that help young people develop attention, emotional regulation, and empathy through mindfulness practices.
- Susan Kaiser Greenland emphasizes the importance of incorporating mindfulness into everyday activities and interactions, promoting a holistic approach to children's well-being.
- Mindful Games encourages the use of games, visualizations, and movement to make mindfulness accessible and enjoyable for children, fostering a positive and sustainable mindfulness practice.
- The book highlights the potential benefits of mindfulness for young people, including improved focus, resilience, and emotional intelligence, offering a valuable resource for parents, educators, and mental health professionals.
Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation With Children, Teens, and Families offers a playful approach to mindfulness to children. It contains 60 games to help children develop their attention and focus skills while also learning how to identify their emotions.
The author has found that playing games is an effective way for children to develop their attention skills and become more mindful. She is a successful mindfulness teacher, and offers her experiences in this book. She shows how parents and teachers can develop mindfulness qualities at home and at school.
Readers have found that this book offers a playful way to introduce kids to breathing practices for developing their focus, concentration, sensory awareness, and other skills.
Some of the games include “anchor” games to help cultivate concentration, visualization games to encourage kindness, analytical games to help children think clearly, and awareness games that help children learn how to manage relationships.
While the games in this book are written for children, they can also be used for adults. The author encourages parents to develop their own skills. She teaches the reader that a parent's mindfulness has a powerful effect on everyone around them, especially children.
Children notice when parents are calmer, composed, and joyful, and learn by the example that their parents set.
21. Practicing Mindfulness by Matthew Sockolov
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Takeaways:
- Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday emphasizes being present in the moment, paying attention to thoughts and feelings without judgment, and cultivating self-awareness.
- Practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression by promoting a sense of calm and acceptance.
- Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises, can be integrated into daily life to enhance overall well-being.
- Developing a regular mindfulness practice requires patience, consistency, and a non-judgmental attitude towards oneself.
- Mindfulness can lead to greater emotional resilience, improved focus, and a deeper connection with oneself and others.
22. The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD by Jon Hershfield, MFT and Tom Corboy, MFT
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Takeaways:
- Mindfulness can be an effective tool for managing OCD symptoms by helping individuals observe their thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in compulsive behaviors.
- The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy provides practical exercises and strategies that integrate mindfulness with traditional cognitive-behavioral techniques to address OCD symptoms.
- By cultivating mindfulness, individuals with OCD can develop a greater sense of self-awareness, reduce reactivity to intrusive thoughts, and decrease the impact of obsessive thinking.
- The book emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and non-judgmental awareness in the process of managing OCD, fostering a more balanced and compassionate relationship with one's thoughts and experiences.
- Integrating mindfulness into daily life can help individuals with OCD navigate triggers, uncertainties, and discomfort with greater ease and resilience.
23. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
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Takeaways:
- Pema Chödrön emphasizes embracing life's difficulties and uncertainties as opportunities for growth and transformation, rather than trying to escape or avoid them.
- The book explores the concept of “groundlessness” and encourages readers to develop a sense of openness and fearlessness in the face of life's challenges.
- Chödrön offers practical teachings on mindfulness, meditation, and compassion as tools for finding inner strength and resilience during times of struggle and pain.
- The importance of leaning into discomfort and exploring the nature of suffering is a central theme, with an emphasis on cultivating a sense of curiosity and openness towards difficult emotions.
- When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times invites readers to embrace impermanence and change, recognizing them as integral aspects of the human experience, and to find peace and wisdom in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
24. How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
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Takeaways:
- Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes the importance of deep listening, understanding, and compassion in cultivating healthy and fulfilling relationships.
- The book encourages readers to practice mindfulness and self-awareness in order to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their capacity to love.
- How to Love offers practical guidance on nurturing love and intimacy through communication, appreciation, and the cultivation of joy and happiness in relationships.
- Hanh emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings and the significance of loving-kindness and empathy in fostering harmonious and loving relationships.
- The book highlights the transformative power of love, offering insights on letting go of fear, anger, and attachment to create space for genuine love and understanding to flourish.
Final Thoughts on Mindfulness Books
Mindfulness is not just a practice; it's a way of being, and these books are here to accompany you on that transformative journey.
Remember, the path to mindfulness is a personal one, and these books are like trusted guides, providing you with tools to navigate the journey within.
Whether you're just beginning your mindfulness practice or you're deepening your understanding, each book on this list is a treasure trove of mindfulness wisdom waiting to be explored.
Try to integrate these teachings into your life and find moments of peace in the midst of chaos, clarity in the midst of confusion, and a deeper connection with the present moment.
And if you're looking for more resources about mindfulness, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 25 Top Meditation and Mindfulness Podcasts
- How to Practice Mindfulness: The Complete Guide
- 71 Daily Mindfulness Challenge Exercises & Ideas
I’ll definetly have to check a few of these out! The first book I ever read about mindfulness was ‘Wherever You Go There You Are’ by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Still one of my favorites!
Thanks Bree. Yeah, that is another good one! 🙂