Do you know that we generally lose attention after 8 seconds? Even the oft-cited goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds.
The impact of the digitalized lifestyle on our brains isn’t deniable. But what can you do about?
Apart from changing your toxic email habits, you should get into meditation.
We’ve compiled a (subjective) list of the 10 best books on meditation to help you to get started.
Jaime Pfeffer, Meditation Teacher at jaimepfeffer.com
“My favorite meditation book is the Meditation Bible by Madonna Gauding. It’s an older book from 2005, but it is the most definitive guide I’ve seen in terms of the range of meditations it offers. There is also a nice beginner section focused on how to meditate, how to prepare, etc.”
2. Meditation Illuminated: Simple Ways to Manage Your Busy Mind by Joy Rains
This book will help you to learn how to meditate, reduce stress, increase focus and feel better. It’s specially designed for beginners to give them a comprehensive overview.
Joy Rains, joyrains.com
“I’ve written a primer on how to meditate for beginners.
People have told me the book has transformed their lives.
Here’s what Elisabeth Leamy, Correspondent for “The Dr. Oz Show” said about the book:
‘Joy Rains has a gift. A gift for explaining abstract concepts like meditation through clever analogies and metaphors. FOR THE FIRST TIME in my hectic, harried life I actually UNDERSTAND how meditation is supposed to work and WHY I should give it a TRY! This book is fabulously basic yet beautifully profound. I was skeptical that I could learn something like meditation by reading about it. I thought surely I’d need a guru, a sage, to meet with me in person and show me the way. WRONG! Joy IS that person, one of the most sought-after meditation coaches in the nation’s capital… now available to YOU and ME! Read Meditation Illuminated and let her guide you –with wisdom and humor– toward a less cluttered, chaotic mind.'”
Alexa Nikiforou, Account Executive at K2 Krupp Kommunications
“This book is easy to digest and offers illustrative examples on how to meditate and tie it into your everyday life, from the office to traveling to walking- Just Sit has it all.”
Kim McIntyre , Meditation teacher and Stress Relief Specialist at Joyful Being.
“This is my favorite meditation book. It’s well written and easy to understand. He is a very experienced meditation teacher, who has taught meditation programs in hospitals for help with stress and pain management. It’s a book I have often recommended to my students.”
Sharon Woodhouse , Principal at Everything Goes Media.
“I am 49 and have been practicing meditation since I was 16. I picked up Bliss More because I was having trouble meditating normally for me almost two years after a concussion. Not only was it very useful for me to take a beginner’s approach to concussion after decades of routine meditation, but following the advice in the book seemed to heal me in a way that is delightfully ironic.
Most people mediate to de-clutter their brain and calm their thoughts. I had been experiencing a blank brain without my normal level of inner, activity and meditating according to the advice in Bliss More seemed to fill my brain back up to normal activity, reactivate my settings etc.
It brought me back to myself.”
Jeff Martin , Meditation Practitioner at HealthLabs.
“The reason this book is one of the best meditation books is because it simplifies meditation. There are thousands of books out there that write about the thousands of ways to meditate. Intermediate practitioners get caught up in the best way to meditate. It is the ego that gets caught up in the fastest, most efficient and newest method to meditate.
The main focus of this book is to just sit – it is as simple as that. No fancy breathing techniques, postures, music or mantras. This is what makes this book such a masterpiece. For the intermediate to advanced practitioners, it reminds them of the fundamentals, which are so easy to forget. For the beginner practitioner, it simplifies it and outlines how the beginner practitioner’s mind is the perfect mind for meditation. The beginner’s mind has no expectation, and expectations often prevent the advancement of meditation. All practitioners of mediation should read this book when they’re starting out meditation, and periodically to remind them of their beginner’s mind. “
Stacy Caprio , Owner of Dealsscoop.
“It has very true, very calming life advice quotes that are easy to meditate to. “
8. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
10 % Happier is not a common meditation book. The reason why this book was written was an on-air panic attack of the author Dan Harris. It’s written in a serious and in a funny way while providing actionable advice that will help you to reduce stress and anxiety.
Jenay Rose , Yoga and meditation teacher at Namaste Jenay.
“I found this book totally randomly, and I have come to seriously love and appreciate Dan Harris. He tells his relatable story of having a breakdown and how he found meditation, and now he even has an app released that’s all about meditation.”
9. Practising The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now offers actionable instructions and techniques on how to live by the moment and how to find joy and peace.
Brad Ormsby, Owner of Freedom Genesis
“The one book that changed my life more than any other was Eckart Tolle’s The Power of Now. Almost everyone who meditates has read this book at one time or another. Here’s why it worked so well for me: One day, at a
particularly low point in my life, I was racking my brain trying to figure out how I had gotten to this place – so I wouldn’t make the same mistakes in the future. I’m walking by a bookshelf at a business and I see, out of the corner of my eye, this book with its soft blue and green aura. I picked it up, felt its soft silky cover and immediately bought the book. Over the next week, I read it from cover to cover. So many things resonated with me that I decided to begin meditating and I’ve bee grateful ever since.”
Gigi Langer, Author
“For those who are interested in “A Course in Miracles” but don’t want to delve into the sometimes difficult text. The teachings help people learn to reject negative, self-defeating thinking and focus on loving, positive truths. Casey translates the essential truths into simple, accessible language. A wonderful companion to Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love. “
Conclusion
You can find many great books on meditation. This is our (subjective) list of the best books on meditation. If you want to get into meditation, you can either read one of these books or also plainly start by relaxing and using this Spotify playlist. It’s up to you. The only thing that is important is caring about your body (and soul). 🙂
If our list lacks your favorite meditation book, feel free to let us know about it in the comments. We’re happy to add it to our list if it fits.
Max is a SaaS enthusiast and loves actionable content that provides direct value.