With the new year right around the corner, there is no better time to start the practice of meditation. I never realized the power of meditation until I started a daily practice.
Before this, I used to struggle with managing my stress and anxiety levels. My thoughts would often spiral out of control, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. My body just couldn’t keep up with my mind – it was draining! I wanted to research and learn more about meditation, so I began the hunt to find the best meditation book for beginners.
Since incorporating mindfulness and meditation into my daily routine, I’ve never felt more centered. Every morning and evening, I take the time I deserve to reconnect with my body and mind. This allows me to feel more grounded and present.
I also practice meditation and positive affirmations during times when I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Traffic jam, anyone? Taking the time to pause, breathe and observe my thoughts has been an invaluable tool for managing my stress levels. Knowing that I can always turn inward and find inner peace has given me a greater sense of control over my emotions.
We have never lived in a more fast-paced, stressful society. We have distractions all around us. Things are always developing and changing. It’s incredibly difficult to keep up with it all.
But, meditation offers the unique opportunity to slow down and live in the present moment, even in an extremely fast-paced world. More and more studies are coming out proving that meditation does, in fact, work and can drastically help you manage feelings of stress, fear, worry, overwhelm, and burnout!
In this blog post, I am sharing a complete list of the best meditation books for beginners. Each book will teach you everything you need to know about meditation as a complete beginner and has meditation exercises to help you get started.
Meditation Books For Beginners
1. Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life
Author: Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D
Why this book is good: easy to read, can be explored at random or read start-to-finish
A book that promises to help you reclaim the present moment in your life; this is a must-read book perfect for beginners. The name is even in the title! Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of many meditation books, all of which are excellent reads for those interested in practicing mindfulness. He even has a book specifically for being a mindful parent (which I also recommend).
Mindfulness for Beginners is broken up into several, small chapters, making it an easy read with digestible content. What’s nice about this writing style is there is no fluff. Simply learn what you need to learn and start meditating.
2. Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You
Author: Benjamin W Decker
Why this book is good: step-by-step format, simple 10 day routine
If you are someone who learns best from a step-by-step format, then you will enjoy this meditation book for beginners.
This book has been structured to not only teach you about meditation but also to encourage you to start practicing meditation. There are many practical tips on how to integrate meditation into your life and routine over 10 days.
3. Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations
Author: Matthew Sockolov
Why this book is good: less material on the theory of meditation, focuses on diving into the practice
If you are looking for new meditation exercises, or even if you would just like to try a variety of meditations, then you should consider reading or listening to the audio version of this book. Pushing all the theories aside, this meditation book for beginners dives right into the practice. The book includes 75 meditations, each designed to help you build on your meditation practice as your confidence grows.
While this is a great book for beginners, I should warn you that this book does not contain a lot of information or “how-to” about meditation. This information will be important to know as you start your meditation journey, so if you don’t already know the fundamentals, then I would recommend pairing this up with one of the other books shared in this blog post.
4. Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World
Author: Mark Williams & Danny Penman
Why this book is good: easy to follow 8 week plan
If there is one thing I love in life, it’s having a plan. This book is a nicely packaged 8-week plan for practicing mindfulness. The plan contains everything you need, whether you are a beginner just getting started, or if you have been learning about meditation but want to dive into the practice more.
The authors do a wonderful job of explaining what meditation is and how it works. They also take the time to talk about any challenges you might face on your journey, which can be very helpful when you feel you are stuck in the weeds.
If you commit, then by the end of the 8 weeks, you will have a strong foundation for continuing with your meditation practice.
5. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
Author: Thich Nhat Hanh
Why this book is good: written by a very enlightened individual, utilizes stories and exercises
Learning how to be more mindful and present is not something you can do overnight. Mindfulness meditation is a journey you have to experience and learn from as you go, which is why this meditation book is so great for beginners.
Through stories and small exercises, you will learn how to be more mindful in the everyday moments of your life. This can include everything from driving to work in the morning to doing dishes at the end of the day. Yes, you can be mindful when you are doing the dishes.
Written by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk, this is a great book if you want to be more present throughout your day instead of living in a place of worry, fear and stress.
6. Meditations on Self-Love: Daily Wisdom for Healing, Acceptance, and Joy
Author: Laurasia Mattingly
Why this book is good: focuses on self-love and healing
Many believe that self-love is the key to happiness. While the other books listed in this blog post are good for doing daily meditation and living in the present moment, they don’t necessarily address how you can leverage meditation to help you find more joy, acceptance, and self-love. This book will help you with those things, and it does that through a series of daily guided meditations and affirmations.
7. Real World Mindfulness for Beginners: Navigate Daily Life One Practice at a Time
Author: Brenda Salgado
Why this book is good: relatable anecdotes and positive encouragement
Would you say you struggle to deal with challenges, changes, or just the general ups and downs of life?
If yes, then you should consider this meditation book for beginners. While other books teach you what meditation is and how to apply it to all areas of your life, this particular book drills down to help you navigate the ups and downs through mindfulness.
It includes meditation exercises that you can experiment with, super relatable anecdotes, and encouragement as you start on your meditation journey.
8. The Mindfulness Journal: Daily Practices, Writing Prompts, and Reflections for Living in the Present Moment
Author: Barrie Davenport
Why this book is good: the practice of journaling reinforces the meditation practice
Okay, I know this is a journal, not a book. However, I highly recommend this for beginners just getting started with meditation.
As a beginner, you might notice that meditation is difficult. First of all, it can be difficult to find a quiet place to sit and meditate. You might also struggle to do a meditation exercise without being flooded by a million thoughts.
This is completely normal and is all part of the journey of learning how to meditate. But, one thing that can make it easier is utilizing a journal.
You can either fill this in before you meditate, while you are meditating or even after. It can help ground you, force you to slow your thoughts down, and ground you. This particular journal even includes writing prompts that can help guide you while you are meditating.
9. The Power of Now
Author: Eckhart Tolle
Why this book is good: considered life-changing for many, takes you on a journey of enlightenment
This book manages to be simple and straightforward, but also incredibly deep at the same time. It’s filled with wisdom and powerful messages to help you along on your spiritual journey. While this book can be difficult to comprehend at times, I do believe it belongs on this list as one of the best meditation books for beginners. It was one of the first books about meditation I purchased, and I have since recommended it many times to family and friends.
10. 10% Happier: How I Tamed The Voice In My Head
Author: Dan Harris
Why this book is good: autobiography/essay format with useful information trickled the whole way through
If you have begun the process of researching meditation, the name Dan Harris may ring a bell. Creator of the mobile app 10% Happier, as well as the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Dan Harris is a retired American journalist that writes all about dealing with the chatter in your head. Sound familiar?
If you’re looking to slow your inner dialogue so you can respond to situations, rather than react, this meditation book for beginners is worth a read. Written as more of an autobiography, I found the journey of Dan Harris truly inspiring and motivational.
What To Look For When Choosing Your First Meditation Book
Alright, you’ve decided that you want to start meditating, and all these books look great. But how do you choose which one to get started with?
Tip #1: Consider The Structure
Everyone learns differently, so what might work well for someone else may not work as well for you. When trying to decide which book you want to get started with, consider what type of structure you think will be the most beneficial for you. Would you benefit from an 8-week plan, or would you rather dive right in at random? Or, maybe you prefer reading about someone else’s journey first. These are all important things to consider when choosing the best meditation book to start your practice.
Tip #2 : What Are Your Goals?
There are so many good books available that will teach you about meditation. However, the objectives can vary. So, to pick the best book for yourself, it can be helpful to understand what you want to come from doing meditation.
Are you looking to live a more mindful and present life? Then you should choose a book that focuses on daily-living meditations that you can practice while you are driving to work, doing the dishes, and so on.
Are you looking to meditate to help you reduce stress and anxiety over time? Then you might find one of the books with a timeline and long meditation exercises the most beneficial.
Tip #3: Learn The Basics
As a beginner, it is important that you learn the basics and fundamentals of meditation. This will help you as you become more advanced and start doing deeper meditation exercises. While the theory of meditation may not appeal to you as a beginner, I recommend getting your feet wet. It helped me tremendously in my practice.
How do beginners learn meditation?
There are two parts to learning meditation.
- The first is to understand the theory and what meditation is, how it works, and the basics. You can learn this by reading one or more of the books recommended in this post. But, make sure you don’t fall into the trap of only reading and never doing any meditation exercises.
The theory of meditation has to do with understanding the philosophy, beliefs and principles behind it. This part involves delving into the spiritual aspects of meditation. It also touches on topics such as types of meditation, its history and benefits, as well as discussing different methods that can be used to meditate.
- The second part is the practice of mediation. The practice of meditation is where you actually put the theory into action. It may take some time until you can become more adept at keeping your mind focused on one thing for a certain amount of time, but with practice, it will become easier to do. Additionally, incorporating guided meditations into your routine can help you develop the skills that are essential for successful meditation practices. I prefer to meditate early in the morning, or right before bed.
To truly learn how to meditate as a beginner, you need to meditate and do the exercises you learned as consistently as possible. By doing this, you will be able to learn what works for you and what doesn’t.
It is important to note that learning to meditate is a process that takes time, effort and patience. It is not something that can be achieved overnight, nor will you master it in just one session. Through consistent practice, however, you will begin to experience the many benefits of meditation.
These books are meant to give you the foundation for your meditation journey. But ultimately, you have to put in the effort and do the work to learn meditation.
I know that starting meditation can feel overwhelming, but I don’t want you to worry. No matter which book you decide to read first, you will be in good hands. Good luck as you start your meditation journey!
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