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Our brains are complex, and definitely one of the most unique yet, unraveled mysteries of life. When it comes to understand the working and mechanism of our brains, Science has limited and incomplete answers to the questions. How our brain truly works is still not clear and the secrets are being explored by scientists, psychiatrists, and neurologists.
However, according to some people. It is not a science, but something far deeper than this logic or science could explain and to those people, science is incomplete knowledge. Most people among us are already familiar with the term “Meditation” and the benefits it has to offer.
What are the Best Sales Meditation to read?
Meditation is a practice used to focus or train your bran at a certain point where you can enable it to work on personalized goals. Some people seek mental peace and health through meditation, some are trying to find their true self and being connected to the soul, while there are clinically approved medication practices as well to reduce depression, anxiety and get rid of all the negativity. Whatever the goal may be, meditation is the best mental exercise that can be done and there are no second opinions to it.
Meditation is not so complicated, and as it involves self-recognition and has a personalized goal, you can learn it easily through the books by reading and interpreting how it could actually work out for you. We have critically read and compiled this list for some of the best meditation books that you can choose from to learn the art of meditation and how it can contribute towards changing your lives.
Best Books on Meditation: Our Top 20 Picks
Here are some of the best meditation books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:
1. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Nothing in our lives is without reason, and each incident taking place around has some meaning or purpose. Written by Jon Kabat-Zinn and published in 1994, the book was a best seller and still remains alive by those who are looking to start meditation by small things and calm their minds in their busy day to day routine.
The book involves simple practices and lessons that you can implement in day-to-day routine and help from it to achieve your goals set by meditation. These practices included in the book do not require special pieces of training or any special arrangements. You can opt for these simply laying in your bed, sitting at your office desk or while having your meal. This is one of the best books for beginners who are looking to achieve mental peace through meditation.
- Authors: Jon Kabat-Zinn (Author)
- Publisher: Hachette Books; 10th Edition (January 5, 2005)
- Pages: 304 pages
2. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Shunryu Suzuki shuns beautifully the art of Zen Meditation with his precise and helpful approach for beginners towards their path of enlightenment. Zen Meditation is an ancient Japanese meditation practice that enables you to explore the limits of your brain and seek out what is in store for you to get hold of.
There are a number of possibilities that are in a beginner’s mind and a lot of ways to choose from. However, experts who have gone through the phase, know exactly what works and which is the best way towards success. The idea of what is possible through Zen Meditation and the right way towards it is explained by Sunryu Suzuki with helpful insights in the laymen’s terms to better understand and practice Zen Meditation in a more effective and productive way.
- Authors: Shunryu Suzuki (Author), Trudy Dixon (Editor), Huston Smith (Preface), Richard Baker (Introduction)
- Publisher: Shambhala; 1st Edition (October 10, 2006)
- Pages: 192 pages
3. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
There are a number of books on how to achieve mindfulness through meditation and truly awake your mind. However, this one is more than a simple guide to learning meditation. This amazing compilation of words by Thich Nhat Hanh is about what is possible through meditation and the height of those possibilities you can achieve through learning and practicing the right meditational techniques.
The book has strongly emphasized that meditation is not just a practice, but a lifestyle you can adopt to change the direction of your life and make each moment count. From doing the dishes to answering a phone call, or driving to work. Meditation has an effect on all, and those effects are highlighted in the book that will make you understand the possibilities and how to get there.
- Authors: Thich Nhat Hanh (Author), Vo-Dihn Mai (Illustrator), Mobi Ho (Translator)
- Publisher: Beacon Press; 1st Edition (May 1, 1999)
- Pages: 140 pages
4. Dear Universe: 200 Mini-Meditations for Instant Manifestations
While most people have long-term goals set and have greater expectations from meditation. There are some people who are looking to have a simple, yet effective method to get rid of their temporary anger or find comfort during a hard time. Meditation has also been proven to be effective in healing mental and physical pain and also seeking enlightenment during the despair and depression.
Sarah Prout has beautifully combined some of the best practices in meditations that are easy to master and through this guide for beginners, you can learn those to help you with the right meditation techniques. The informative and easy to comprehend narrative of the book makes it the right choice for every individual who has sought refuge in meditation. These 200 mini-meditations can be practiced anywhere without much expertise required and are a perfect way to achieve your short-term goals through meditation.
- Authors: Sarah Prout (Author)
- Publisher: Piatkus (April 2, 2019)
- Pages: 288 pages
5. Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program
Benefits of meditation are undeniable and one cannot simply resist the temptation of living a happier, peaceful and satisfactory life. Getting rid of stress and anxiety might be the first goal for you. However, once you start your journey towards meditation and happier you, there is no ending to it.
The brain’s powers are not limited and while you can achieve a happier version of yourself within a week, there is much more meditation has to offer. This book by Sharon Salzberg explains how you can take your little steps towards learning meditation in a more efficient, effective and better way and find the meaning of life through this extensive 28-day program that is easy to learn and practice.
- Authors: Sharon Salzberg (Author)
- Publisher: Workman Publishing; Pap/Com Edition (February 25, 2011)
- Pages: 225 pages
6. The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness
John Yates is a former neurologist who started researching meditation and its benefits in the light of science and has turned meditation master, as he believes the best healing for our brains is through our brain itself and no outer forces or measures can be equally effective.
Buddhism is undoubtedly the very basics of meditation and the teachings of Buddha are still the roadmap for all those who are seeking peace in their life through meditations. Being a former neurologist, John Yates explains the benefits and best techniques to master meditation in the science of lights. He connects the bridge between science and meditation by explaining how these are connected yet two different ends of a pole. The effectiveness, strategies, and practices are explained in scientific terms, so if you are the one who believes more in logic, yet looking to learn meditation. This is definitely a must-read for you.
- Authors: John Yates (Author), Matthew Immergut (Author), Jeremy Graves (Author)
- Publisher: Atria Books (January 3, 2017)
- Pages: 512 pages
7. 8 Minute Meditation Expanded: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life
The chaos and thoughts in mind can be distressful and be the only hurdle that is stopping you from performing optimally and be the most productive version of yourself. In this great book, Victor Davich explains thoroughly some simple practices that are not going to take longer than 8 minutes, yet will enable you to be at peace and increase your focus on the points where it matters the most.
Being focused on reducing stress, anxiety, and increasing the productive output in your life, this book contains practices that will be no longer than 8 minutes a day and by investing those 8 minutes a day for yourself through meditation, you can achieve the constructive element needed for you to be the best version of yourself.
- Authors: Victor Davich (Author)
- Publisher: TarcherPerigee; Anniversary Edition (December 2, 2014)
- Pages: 208 pages
8. Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation
Written by Norman E. Rosenthal MD and Foreword by Mehmet C. OZ M.D. Transcendence is one of the most popular and highly endorsed books by numerous leading meditation teachers, neurologists, and other mediation practitioners.
This book is a complete guide that will enable you to learn the first step through healing yourself using the transcendental meditation and using it towards the greater good for your personality by enabling it to help you in transforming yourself to be a better version of yourself. This book is one of the best sellers, top-rated and most appreciated one by numerous experts and you must get hands-on if you are looking for a transformation in your life through meditation.
- Authors: Norman E Rosenthal MD (Author), Mehmet C. Oz M.D. (Foreword)
- Publisher: TarcherPerigee; Illustrated Edition (August 30, 2012)
- Pages: 336 pages
9. Meditation for Beginners
Written by Jack Kornfield, meditation for beginners is about the basics of meditation. The book is a perfect guide for anyone who has been thinking to start meditation to achieve his personal goals, yet was unsure about where to get started from. Jack Kornfield emphasises on continuity and making meditation a routine.
In the book, he has highlighted some most simple practices that you can begin with and stick to them in order to learn how to meditate properly and attain the mental peace you seek. This book entails all the knowledge required to use fundamentals like your breathing, physical sensations and channeling strong emotions into your strength and not weakness. The book contains a touch of humour and some greatly insightful lessons to make it simple and effective to learn meditation.
- Authors: Jack Kornfield (Author)
- Publisher: Sounds True; 1st Edition (August 1, 2008)
- Pages: 106 pages
10. How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind
Written by Pema Chodron, How to meditate: A practical guide to making friends with your mind is all about actual practices that you can learn and imply in your daily routine to achieve the highest levels of mental peace. Meditation lets you enter the level of mental peace that is invincible and at that point, nothing or no one can disturb/bother you.
This book includes some of the best practices that a beginner can learn conveniently and start implying them in his life at all times. There are times when you are bothered by an incident, a thing or a person so much. This book is about understanding your mind deeper than before and eliminating any reasons that might be causing the distress through meditation. This book is a complete guide for beginners to get the hold of meditation properly and start by learning how their own mind works.
- Authors: Pema Chödrön (Author)
- Publisher: Sounds True; 1st Edition (May 1, 2013)
- Pages: 184 pages
11. Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice
Among the hustle and bustle of life, it is hard for everyone to find times for their own selves. Although, time spent on the betterment of yourself is one of the best investments you can make and that will prove to be greatly beneficial for all.
Make Space by Thich Naht Hanh is the right way for all those busy office workers, businessmen, students and professionals out there who find it hard to make time in their busy routines for meditation and calming their minds. The book contains a simple and informative guide with useful tips on how you can make your time effective from your routine tasks and practice some easy meditation techniques that will not be consuming much time and can be co-practiced while doing other things as well.
- Authors: Thich Nhat Hanh (Author)
- Publisher: Parallax Press; Original Edition (November 3, 2011)
- Pages: 96 pages
12. Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You
To learn how to meditate is no rocket science and this book beautifully explains how you can easily learn the best meditation practices step by step, which will enable you to be happier, calmer and relaxed in mere 10 days.
Written by Benjamin W. Decker. Practical Meditation for beginners offers a 10-day program for learning 10 meditation techniques in no time at all. These practices can be mastered within 10 days and the guide has to offer all you need with a chapter for each day, step-by-step instructions and an insightful writing style that is easy to understand for a beginner who is stepping in the world of meditation with short and long-term goals towards achieving mental peace.
There is also a variety of instruction and practice methods to choose from, giving you the freedom of choosing the most suitable method that fits your lifestyle and needs perfectly.
- Authors: Benjamin W. Decker (Author)
- Publisher: Althea Press (May 15, 2018)
- Pages: 172 pages
13. Insight Meditation: A Step-by-step Course on How to Meditate
The name Sharon Salzberg is not so common and almost everyone who is interested in learning meditation or practices meditation in the modern world is aware of his teaching methods that are deemed best.
Cofounders of meditation insight society, Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein have worked together on this unmatched guide and immersive course on immersive meditation that is all you need if you are a beginner and want to reshape your life through meditation. There are 9 lessons representing each stage that you have to work on and achieve gradually to find the mental peace you are seeking. Each lesson also contains top practices and the best methods to enable those teachings in your daily routine.
- Authors: Sharon Salzberg (Author)
- Publisher: Sounds True; Unabridged Edition (September 1, 2004)
- Pages: 104 pages
14. Insight Meditation: A Psychology of Freedom (Shambhala Classics)
Joseph Goldstein has spent over 20 years of his life learning the buddha’s philosophy and ideology of meditation and making this world a better place. He being one of the most renowned meditation practitioners and teachers explain the Shambhala classic technique of ancient Buddhism in the light of insight meditation.
He has explained how our psychology perceives freedom and how wrong we are. To be actually free is to free of the materialistic approach, depression, anxiety, negativity, greed, and everything weigh down your soul. Meditation is the right approach to make your life better not only for yourself but for people around you by getting yourself free of all the burdens on your heart and mind. Some of the best techniques are included with guidance towards setting the goals and realizing the achievable possibilities in this must-read for all meditation enthusiasts.
- Authors: Joseph Goldstein (Author)
- Publisher: Shambhala; Later Printing Used Edition (March 25, 2003)
- Pages: 179 pages
15. Real Happiness at Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement, and Peace
The workplace is part of your life, where you need peace of mind the most. To achieve profoundly and get success in your professional career, your mind needs to have satisfaction, peace and free from any thoughts that may cause an adverse effect on your performing abilities.
Written by the world’s leading meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness at work is the right guide that you need to make it count and carve your niche at your workplace. You cannot give out your best performance until you have inner peace and are free of every negative thought. Meditation can help you to achieve mindfulness, compassion and best practices to adopt at work. As described extensively in this book, you can sort the best and tested practices at the workplace that will lead you to a sense of accomplishment, achievement, and Peace through it.
- Authors: Sharon Salzberg (Author)
- Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (December 31, 2013)
- Pages: 273 pages
16. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Meditation (Shambhala Classics)
The insight meditation and the way towards it are explained in a personalized language to be understood by most people and especially the beginners by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield in this masterpiece of meditation guides.
The book is about understanding our bodies, mind, and souls to make your life more peaceful, and calmer. The book enables you to understand and identify the hindrances that are stopping you from achieving the mental peace you deserve and eliminating them gradually to grow your meditation skills and make it count towards the best mental state where you are happier and calmer. Some of the best teachings have been explained along with the insights on how you can practice them and use them in your daily routine to lead a better life.
- Authors: Joseph Goldstein (Author), Jack Kornfield (Author), Dalai Lama (Foreword), Robert K. Hall M.D. (Foreword)
- Publisher: Shambhala; Reprint Edition (March 6, 2001)
- Pages: 216 pages
17. The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation
Written by Joseph Goldstein, The experience of Insight is the clearest and easy to follow guide with instructions and guidance to learn and practice Buddhist meditation through Shambhala Dragon technique.
It might seem difficult to learn and understand the technique, yet Joseph Goldstein has done a commendable job in putting the right techniques and methods in the form of words that will enlighten your mind and lead it towards a self-forwarding path of happiness, and insight meditation. The instructions are simple and easy to follow for everyone, making it popular among the beginners starting their journey towards mental peace through meditation.
- Authors: Joseph Goldstein (Author)
- Publisher: Shambhala; Reissue Edition (October 24, 2017)
- Pages: 204 pages
18. Guided Meditations, Explorations and Healings
Every individual is different and seeks different objectives from meditation. While some might have the goal to get rid of anxiety, depression and make happiness in their lives. There are certain people, who are looking to heal their souls from past traumas haunting their life or some unforeseen phobia. Meditation is limitless and there are individuals who seek to learn and practice meditation for the purpose of exploring the limits of their brain and the world across them.
Revered meditation teacher Stephen Levine, shares his personal experiences of human interactions and diversity of possibilities through meditation in the group. He has emphasized some highly effective practices towards guided meditation that will allow every person to make sure that they get their fair share of happiness through meditation.
- Authors: Stephen Levine (Author)
- Publisher: Anchor; 1st Edition (December 1, 2010)
- Pages: 349 pages
19. Satipatthana Meditation (enhanced and non enhanced): A Practice Guide
Buddhism is undoubtedly the origin of meditation and all ancient techniques are thankful for Buddhist teachings. The modern scientific techniques that are being learned and practiced by most meditation teachers and scholars are the advanced version of Buddhist techniques that still remain most efficient and powerful on the journey towards self-enlightenment.
Satipatthana is one of the most ancient meditation techniques that is explained elaboratively in this masterpiece by Buddhist meditator and scholar, Bhikkhy Analayo. With so many techniques to confuse, Satpatthana is the direct and clear path towards mastering meditation and living a happier and better life that is being taught in this book.
- Authors: Analayo (Author)
- Publisher: Windhorse Publications Ltd (July 31, 2018)
- Pages: 234 pages
20. Practical Zen: Meditation and Beyond
Zen is one of the most advanced and effective techniques of meditation that can certainly lead you towards a happy, satisfied and better life. However, to master ZEN meditation techniques is not so simple and one requires guidance and supervision through the journey to have optimal results and proficiency over ZEN meditational techniques.
ZEN Master Julian Daizan Skinner, guides individual in this book to get at the expert level from beginner with simple and easy to follow step-by-step guide that enables the mind-opening and using ZEN techniques for not only meditation but many other possibilities as well. Based on his very own, extensive experience on Rinzai ZEN traditions in the light of ancient masters Hakuin and Bankei, he allows deeper insight into his traditional teaching method and shares the experiences with all those who are looking to learn and practice ZEN techniques.
- Authors: Julian Daizan Skinner (Author), Shinzan Miyamae (Foreword)
- Publisher: Singing Dragon (June 21, 2017)
- Pages: 259 pages
Choosing the Best Meditation Books
While meditation is a broad subject and the scope is hard to be covered through a single book. These books can be the perfect guides for each of the requirements and you can read this review as we have critically analyzed each of the books and sorted out the best application. Each individual with different needs can choose the best book to help him through the long-term or short-term goals he is looking to achieve through meditation.
