It would be an understatement to say that we live in difficult times. Even if you’ve managed to remain composed and carry on, you probably need to unwind, and you probably know at least one friend, member of your family, or work colleague who is in dire need of some downtime.
Nowadays, everyone talks about mindfulness, healthy habits, and meditation. So we’ve compiled a list of the best mindfulness books that are available. These all center around the idea of mindfulness and creating a practice, both for adults and children.
Best Mindfulness Books 2023
Fortunately, reading has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to relax and quiet the brain. A 2009 University of Sussex study found that spending merely six minutes a day reading a favorite book can reduce stress by up to 68 percent, making it more beneficial than taking a relaxing bath or sipping tea. According to researchers, this effect occurs because books can genuinely send you to a new reality that is stress-free and possibly far more engaging.
These books can be peaceful reads whether you’re looking for stress-relieving techniques or just want to understand more about the science underlying mindfulness. If anything, they can assist you in making time and space for yourself, two important mindfulness skills in and of themselves.
Here’s a list of some of the best mindfulness books to help you unwind, from helpful and calming mindfulness books to breathtaking photographic compilations stimulating the senses.
Read on to learn more about the best mindfulness books to read :
10% Happier by Dan Harris
We are effectively forced to live in a constant state of stress and concern by modern civilization. Nobody should be surprised that this has negative effects on our physical and emotional health. In a brilliant account of his own life, Dan Harris explains how meditation has improved his sense of fulfillment and compassion.
Dan is the ideal illustration of a typical, non-religious guy who learns that meditation doesn’t always mean fundamental life change; sometimes, it just makes your current one lot happier. This book, which I found to be quite relevant to my meditation practice, would be an excellent read for anyone curious about meditation but dubious about its practical applications.
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Each of us has an internal monologue that runs nonstop throughout the day, every day, like a machine. This voice never stops speaking, altering the course of our life, and hardly ever goes away. Realizing what is happening is the first step toward living a life of freedom and serenity because it allows you to take a break, take a step back, and look at your ideas from a whole different angle.
My top book recommendation for anyone trying to transcend their ego, gain a grasp on their anxiety, and get out of their own brain is The Untethered Soul. This was the book that served as the catalyst for my own exploration of mindfulness and self-awareness.
My favorite lesson from this book is that your thoughts are only the products of an active mind and do not define who you are. This lesson is pretty obvious from the beginning.
Hello, Habits, by Fumio Sasaki
The author of the worldwide bestselling book Goodbye, Things offers tips and techniques to help us adopt habits and improve ourselves.
Fumio Sasaki’s conversion to minimalism altered the course of his life. Nevertheless, he had to develop a practice of minimalism before it could truly take hold. Every aspect of how we live—from the time we wake up in the morning to the food and beverages we consume to the likelihood that we’ll actually go to the gym—is based on the habits we’ve developed. In Hello, Habits, Sasaki outlines how to develop the new habits we want while letting go of the ones that don’t serve us well.
He dispels widespread misconceptions about “willpower” and “talent” and provides a step-by-step blueprint for success. He does this by drawing on cutting-edge theories and advice about the science of habit formation from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, as well as examples from popular culture and tried-and-true techniques from his own life. In the end, Sasaki demonstrates how regular individuals like himself may apply his positive habit-making concepts to better themselves and change their life.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The sparkling reader favorite from the renowned author of How To Stop Time and The Comfort Book is about the decisions that go into a well-lived life.
A library with an endless number of volumes, each of which tells the tale of a different world, is located somewhere beyond the edge of the cosmos. The story of your life is told in one book, and the story of the life you might have had if you had made a different decision at any moment in the past is told in another. We all wonder how our lives might have been. What if you had the chance to visit the library and discover for yourself how your life might have been? Which of these alternate lives would be genuinely better?
Nora Seed has to make this choice in Matt Haig’s enthralling bestseller The Midnight Library. She must look within herself as she moves through the Midnight Library to determine what is truly fulfilling in life and what makes it worthwhile to live in the first place. She may be faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, pursuing a different career, going back to old breakups, or realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist.
The Husbands by Chandler Baker
How far will a woman go to get her husband to lend her some extra assistance?
Even though Nora Spangler is a successful lawyer, she manages the household duties like packing lunches, making doctor visits, finding extra paper towel rolls, and designing and ordering holiday cards. Her hubby is also a hard worker. But why does she appear to be working so much harder all the time?
Nora meets a group of successful women with admirably supportive spouses when the Spanglers go house searching in the affluent suburban community of Dynasty Ranch. These ladies include a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, and a bestselling author. She gets drawn into the lives of the ladies there when she decides to assist with a resident’s wrongful death case. She notices that the air at Dynasty Ranch is different. The women are not barely hanging on.
The Husbands by Whisper Network’s Chandler Baker, a New York Times bestselling author who makes a gender switch a la Stepford Wives, imagines a society where the weight of the “second shift” is evenly shared and explores what it might take to get there. However, as the investigation develops, Nora unearths a conspiracy that might shed light on the key to success. One that is worthy of death.
Just Sit by Sukey and Elizabeth Novogratz
Isn’t it time we all made an effort to just sit? Studies have shown that meditation can assist with everything from reducing anxiety to enhancing body image. That’s the basic tenet of Sukey and Elizabeth Novograd’s self-help book for doubters, which they wrote together as co-founders of The Well Daily newsletter. This accessible, lavishly illustrated reference to meditation will assist you in developing a routine, quieting your inner critic, and blocking out outside pressures.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Barkley Cove, a little village on the coast of North Carolina, has been plagued by tales of the “Marsh Girl” for years. Thus, when attractive Chase Andrews is discovered murdered in late 1969, Kya Clark, the rumored Marsh Girl, is quickly suspected by the townsfolk. Kya, however, is not who they claim. She has spent years surviving alone in the marsh she calls home. Sensitive and intelligent, she has found companions in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then comes the period when she longs to be cherished and stroked. Kya opens herself up to a new life when two young guys from the town are drawn to her wild beauty—until the unimaginable occurs.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a stunning homage to the natural world as well as a tragic coming-of-age tale and a startling murder mystery. Owens serves as a reminder that we are all exposed to nature’s beautiful and violent secrets and that we are all forever influenced by the children we once were.
The Dogist by Elias Weiss Friedman
The Dogist is a lovely, amusing, and motivational ode to the cherished dogs in our life. There are attention-grabbing canine portraits on every page. The photographs will make you ooh and aah, smile, and fall in love, whether it’s due to the expression in a dog’s eyes, its inherent beauty, or even the clothes its owner has clothed it in. Every image in the book, which Elias Weiss Friedman took, aka The Dogist, tells a tale and explores the dog’s unique personality and soul. Every dog lover will find something to savor in the themed sections, which include Puppies, Cones of Shame, Working Dogs, and Dogs in Fancy Outfits.
Beaches by Gray Malin
The elite in Hollywood and fashion are currently fans of Gray Malin. He uses doorless helicopters to capture his breathtaking aerial photos of beaches all around the world, which are fun and beautiful celebrations of light, shape, and perspective, as well as summer happiness.
Malin created his namesake lifestyle brand out of a profound love for photography and interior design, fusing the spirit of travel, adventure, luxury, and artistry. His creations create the perfect visual retreat by combining experience and wanderlust.
From the most beautiful beaches on earth to his immensely successful Instagram page, Gray is popular. It was comparable to social media in its early stages. “Every shot I started to take progressed from photography to fine-art photography to photographs that are supposed to look fantastic inside your home,” the artist said of his creations.
Deep Listening by Jillian Pransky
Jillian Pransky, a well-known therapeutic yoga instructor, started practicing yoga to cure herself. She had a relentless work-hard, play-hard mentality for a large portion of her life, burying aspects of herself beneath the quest of busy-ness and success. She didn’t stop running about until a terrible personal loss and health issue sent her into smothering worry. She discovered that she could release long-term stress in her body and mind when she started to halt and consider her behavior and feelings. Since then, Pransky has spent his time learning about and imparting the benefits of meditation, deep breathing, and compassionate listening.
Integrative wellness’s newest frontier is mindfulness, which is intended to promote recovery. Pransky offers her renowned Calm Body, Clear Mind, Open Heart program—a 10-step self-discovery journey that she has taught all over the world—in Deep Listening. The practice of deep listening urges you to pay great attention to your body, mind, and heart and is derived from the methods that healed her. You learn how to focus inward and unwind into a condition of availability, comfort, and clarity.
Final Words
The advantages of mindfulness practice for your mental and physical health can last a lifetime. Your mood, resiliency, motivation, and general well-being can all be improved.
Best mindfulness books can help you get started with your practice, or they can stay on your nightstand for you to pick up later when you need a lift or motivation to continue.
Once you get going, you might even want to attend a mindfulness meetup where you can interact with people in person or online. You’ll be able to impart what you’ve discovered thus far and get guidance on any potential problems. Who knows, you may even learn of a brand-new book about mindfulness!
FAQ
What are the 3 Principles of Mindfulness?
Generally speaking, they aim to cultivate three crucial aspects of mindfulness: a desire to develop awareness (and return to it again and again), Paying attention to what is happening right now (simply observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they arise) a gentle, kind, and non-judgmental attitude.
What is the Core of Mindfulness?
Being mindful means intentionally focusing on the here and now. When you practice mindfulness, you keep your focus on the here and now, simply observing what is occurring in each moment rather than getting caught up in the past or worrying about the future.
Can You Learn Mindfulness on Your Own?
You can meditate mindfully on your own at any time and at any place. However, listening to simple guided meditations can also be beneficial, especially when first beginning.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Mindfulness?
Even though some studies have shown that 8 weeks of persistent mindfulness practice might yield a variety of benefits, this does not indicate that your issues will magically go away. Being mindful does not work for everyone the same way and is not a miracle cure.