Random Questions | What Are Your Favorite Meditation Books?

What Are Your Favorite Meditation Books?

If you don’t have any favorite meditation books yet, but are looking for a meditation book with instructions on meditation for beginners this post will give you three options to consider. Over the years I have read many books on meditation and the three books reviewed below stood out from the rest and are my personal favorites on the subject.

While using a meditation CD or meditation software is a simpler way to get started with meditation you will want to get a firm understanding of your own at some point if you are anything like me. And nothing compares to books when we want to truly grasp the ideas behind what we are doing and answer all our random questions. With no further ado here are my three favorite meditation books starting from the bottom and ending with my all time favorite.

The Tibetan Book of Meditation – Lama Christie McNally

This book comes out of the Tibetan tradition written by a western born practitioner. It is a nice modern and easy to read introduction on the Buddhist approach to meditation. To be honest I’m not a huge fan of the traditional religious approaches, because of all the dogma and fluff that generally is a big part of it. And this book does have some of that, but the author did a good job of limiting the religious non-sense. I know many people who love that stuff and this is the book I’ll recommend to any friend with an inclination towards Buddhism.

When that is said it does contain some solid instructions on several different meditation techniques and the fact that it dives right into death meditation is a big plus in my book. It also contains all kinds of practical tips regarding meditation chairs and anything else you need to know to meditate.

8 Minute Mediation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life – Victor Davich

8 Minute Meditation is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum compared to the first book. I can’t imagine a more Americanized book on meditation. And even though that sounds like a bad thing if you are serious about meditation, truth is that it is one of the most powerful meditation books ever written. The author meets his reader where they are and gently shows them what it takes to get a daily meditation practice going.

This book is for anyone who wants to meditate, but don’t know how, don’t feel like they have the time, think it’s too complicated or whatever other reason you can come up with to procrastinate getting started. It’s created to get people started and it does a really good job of just that. When you have made meditation into a habit it’s will be much easier to extend the practice and try on new stuff. The author does lead you on the way and you could always come back to one of the other two books here if you want further instructions.

I recommend this book to anyone with a slight interest in meditation that just want to know what it’s all about and give it a try and the fact that it’s well written and funny doesn’t hurt it either.

Wherever You Go, There You Are – Jon Kabat-Zinn

The reason this is the best meditation book in my opinion is perhaps because it entered life at just the right moment. I remember reading it, applying the instructions and being deeply affected as if it was yesterday. I had read Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now a few years earlier and was frustrated about how to implement his teachings in my own life and this book showed me how to do that.

It’s an instruction in the meditation technique called mindfulness and it tells you everything you need to know in plain English. Mindfulness is basically being aware in the present moment and the book is an elaborate guide with many useful angles.

The author is the founder and Director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at Massachusetts Medical Center where he is teaching meditation to hundreds of people with stress related issues every year. He has a background in Buddhism, but left it behind and just stuck with the meditation.

This is the book I recommend to my friends who have been introduced to meditation and the benefits and are looking for a practical approach as well as anyone dealing with stress or chronic pain.

For what it’s worth those are my favorite meditation books and I hope you find just the book you need. For more reviews check out the links to Amazon.com below:

Related posts:

  1. What Is Meditation Software?
  2. What Is The Best Approach To Meditation For Beginners?
  3. What Should I Know Before Getting A Meditation CD?
  4. What Are The Best Meditation Chairs?

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