Top five meditation books for new students - a teacher's reading list

San Diego Meditation Teacher's Top Five Meditation Books

by Kathleen Lisson

The text I use to teach mindfulness to my students at IPSB in San Diego is Simple, Easy Every Day Meditation Method by Sarah McLean. I like this text because it is small, portable and gets to the point, offering a number of mindful practices as well as solid advice for many beginning meditator's concerns. This book is sometimes hard to find on Amazon, so I will mention five others that are easier to order.

Many students find meditation a very valuable wellness practice and want to read more about the scientific research behind mindfulness practices. I recommend the following books for further reading.

RECOMMENDED MEDITATION BOOKS:  

The Relaxation Response, Herbert Benson, M.D.

Benson is an early pioneer in bringing meditation to the practice of medicine. Find instructions on how to elicit the Relaxation response and more resources here: http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/

Buddha’s Brain, Rick Hanson, Ph.D

This book offers several practices that will use your mind to change your brain.

Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D

This is the first meditation book I ever bought. Kabat-Zinn offers over 500 pages of advice and experience in meditation.

How God Changes Your Brain, Andrew Newberg, M.D.

Some new meditators and loved ones of aspiring meditators are concerned about whether mindfulness is a religion. A deeper search into the link between ourselves and spirituality can be found in this book.  I especially appreciated the exercise in yawning.

Fully Present, Susan Smalley, Ph.D and Diana Winston

I took an online meditation class from Winston through the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. This book is offers a guide to meditation and the science behind it in a reader-friendly way.

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Kathleen Lisson is a certified Meditation Teacher and Labyrinth Facilitator and teaches Meditation and Mindfulness at IPSB college in San Diego. Sign up for a private meditation lesson or labyrinth walk in the comfort of your home here: https://www.massagebook.com/San_Diego~Massage~sandiego?src=external