5 of my Favorite Mindfulness Books

Posted on April 05, 2021 by Paula Castillo, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Here 5 of my favorites books to learn about the nuts and bolts of mindfulness.

#1 Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy.

by Shauna L. Shapiro, Daniel J. Siegel, et al.

This book has it all—science, practices, and even sweet little summaries at the end of each chapter called “Golden Nuggets” that can help you remember the lesson.

The authors weave rich examples and clear instruction, with detailed (but easy-to-understand) science behind why these practices work on a neuro-biological level. Covering a wide range of mindfulness philosophies/schools of secular mindfulness, the readers can sample what works for them and how each type of mindfulness can apply to different situations. I loved the “shifting perspective” practice which is a journaling exercise that helps you put yourself in the perspective of a person you are having tension with to dissolve tension in the body.

I highy recommend the Audible version, which is narrated by Dr. Shapiro.

#2 Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations to Reduce Stress, Improve Mental Health, and Find Peace in the Everyday.

By Matthew Sockolov

With easy-to-follow instructions, this book is practical guide to 75 short and simple meditations that build on one another that grouped into three sections:

1) Basic Mindfulness Exercises: the building blocks of a meditative practice ranging from finding the breath, to breathing and noting;
2) Everyday Mindfulness: applied meditations to different aspects of life including “doing the dishes,” “mindful cleaning,” “bedtime,” “shopping,” and more.
3) Mindful Moods: additional meditations that help you with those days where emotions are less settled, some meditations include “What is this Emotion?,” “Liking Yourself”, and my personal favorite, “Space for Feeling”.

This book is great as a practice companion guide.

#3 Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

By Mark Williams and Danny Penman

If you’re interested in diving into a classic 8-week mindfulness program, this book is for you.

Examples vividly illustrate each of the concepts explored that week, and it comes with a set of beautiful audio meditations that you can access online. Here’s an outline of their program:

*Week One: Waking Up to the Autopilot
*Week Two: Keeping the Body in Mind
*Week Three: The Mouse in the Maze
*Week Four: Moving Beyond the Rumor Mill
*Week Five: Turning Toward Difficulties
*Week Six: Trapped in the Past or Living in the Present?
*Week Seven: When Did you Stop Dancing?
*Week Eight: Your Wild and Precious life

4. When Things Fall Apart

By Pema Chödrön

A fantastic book for dealing with challenging moments.

Written in Pema Chödrön’s usual easy-to-read language, the book skillfully integrates Buddhist concepts with practical tips for difficult times.

Chödrön dives into Bhuddist Mindfulness concepts and stories such as the “Six kinds of Loneliness” and the “Four Maras” and creates applicaotions to every-day life. The book contains a couple of practices that I cherish including Tong Len (giving and receiving) and focusing on the exhalation. Despite its focus on Buddhism it never felt like Chödrön pushes a religion, she uses them more as psychological frameworks, which I appreciated.

5. You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment
h3. by Thich Nhat Hanh

With both depth and simplicity, this book translates mindfulness in a comprehensible way.

This is a great book to start learning mindfulness or for the practitioner who is looking for reminders of the nuts and bolts of the practice.

I hope you enjoy these books!

As a life purpose coach I provide mindfulness as a tool to help us navigate our purpose. I support clients with building a meditation practice while reaching the goals they desire in their lives and careers. I offer a free Discovery Call.