The 6 Best Mindfulness Books
Everybody’s doing it, doing it, doing it. Yes they are and it is fair to say that Mindfulness is presently (see what I did there?) having a real moment in time. So it should too, the process of being mindful is free, simple and terrifically easy to do, the only thing it costs is practice.
I get asked by my delegates attending my Stress Management course on book recommendations and as there are so many books out there too, including colouring books it can be tricky to navigate them and to find the very best. I have read so many of these and quite frankly there are a lot that say the same things, but what I have put together here are six really good books that have different approaches depending on how deep you want to immerse yourself.
Top Pick – The Mindfulness Edge by Matt Tenney & Tim Gard
This is one of the latest books to hit the shelves and it is really my favourite so far. It has a great tone that resonates straight away making the subject matter really approachable and easy to understand. Matt Tenney (author of the brilliant Serve to be Great) has a unique voice in the book and this is peppered with ‘neuro- notes’ box out sections to give readers a deeper insight into the area that has been discussed in the chapter. Focussing on positive outcomes the book brings in humour (Poo Bus anyone) very early on that allows us as readers to see the funny side of things and not to take ourselves to seriously. This is a must read and I highly recommend this book.
Frazzled by Ruby Wax
We all know her and very funny she is too, her first book Sane New World and accompanying Ted Talk were outstanding and this latest book allows the reader to see Mindfulness from her unique perspective. Make no mistake, there might be humour in this book, however it has a serious message and puts information across in a way that is unique and practical. There are some science bits included just to show how clever Ms Wax is, and my goodness is she, and these are laid out in a way that allows to the reader to go over what has been said and revisit so that the it stays in place rather than running off the page. This is a cracking book and compliments Sane New World, so buy both.
Mindfulness -A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein
Prepare yourself Dear Reader, this one’s a beast! in a good way though, this book gives you a much deeper view of mindfulness especially from some of the spiritual approaches. Broken down into sections about the body, the feelings, the mind and the Dhammas this truly wonderful tome with allow readers to truly immerse themselves into this subject. I often found myself having to read things over and over to become more familiar and to truly understand the language and meaning such was the depth. However upon finishing this book I have found that it is now a go to resource and well worth the investment of time.
Wherever You Go, There You Are – Jon Kabat-Zinn
So straight off the bat this is a true masterpiece and essential reading for anyone getting into the Mindfulness groove. When I trained in Mindfulness and have heard recommendations for books this one is always present. A precursor to his brilliant book Full Catastrophe Living, this book takes you right through the Mindfulness process from the how and why to deeper areas of meditation and then into the more spiritual aspects. This book I would recommend you buy before the previous recommendation as it sets the scene for a deeper knowledge.
Mindfulness: a Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
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Mindfulness for Health: A Practical Guide to Relieving Pain, Reducing Stress and Restoring Wellbeing by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman
Two for one here. I bought these very early on in my journey into Mindfulness as I was suffering the effects of drastic change and needed something unique and effective that could simply break through ‘the noise’. The ‘Finding Peace’ book comes with a CD and it forced me to create the habit of practice and that was quite something and the book answered some key questions I had around self destructive habits.
The second book around Pain and Stress just made sense to me and continued and expanded on my journey. It also helped me with Migraine as it allowed me to channel Mindfulness together with my love of Crystal Healing and the benefits were simply brilliant. This latter book may not be everyone, and you might need to park any scepticism at the door; yet if you give yourself over to it, you really will start to get yourself into a better place.
If you need help with Mindfulness or helping to alleviate Stress please get in touch with me in confidence on 07979 537824 or email me Simon@serialtrainer7.com
