Best Meditation Books – 10 Reads To Help Relax Your Mind

Meditation is the practice of focused concentration that allows you to remain in the present moment. This can help you address your current state, remain calm, and forget about the past and future. Many studies have found meditation to reduce high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and risk of heart disease.

While meditation may seem like a daunting task at first, just fitting it into your schedule for 10 minutes a day can have life-long positive impacts. That’s why we’ve found the best books on meditation, so you can learn how to use this practice in your life.

Best Meditation Books

Below are the top 10 books that will help you enact your own meditation practice and reap the benefits of mindfulness right away.

1. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn 

This national best-seller has sold over 750,000 copies worldwide since it was first published in 1994. In this, Jon Kabat-Zinn maps out a simple plan on how to cultivate mindfulness in your life through meditation. He explains why mindfulness isn’t a niche specified for a particular group of people, such as Zen yoga instructors or Buddhists. Instead, mindfulness is a beneficial tool that anybody can practice in their day-to-day life to become more aware of both themselves and their surroundings. 

By reading Wherever You Go, There You Are, you’ll be able to unlock your mind’s calming powers that you didn’t have access to before. Through the meditation practices that Kabat-Zinn provides, you can finally fill the gap between your mind and your heart, living in peace with yourself and your values.

2. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Miracle of Mindfulness is an inspiring and comprehensive introduction to the practice of meditation. In this, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh provides practical advice and essential tools to help the reader practice mindfulness. While many believe that meditation is a practice reserved for those who do yoga or follow Buddhism, anyone can implement a practice into their daily life, no matter how crammed their schedule may seem at first.

Practicing mindfulness is not just reserved for the time that you have carved out in your schedule. In this gentle and lucid guide, master Hanh offers advice on how you can practice mindfulness while doing trivial tasks.

3. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

According to Suzuki, in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. In this beloved book on Zen, Suzuki provides teaching as impactful as this motivational first principle. While many are open to practicing meditation, many are closed toward what it’s about. Meditation isn’t just about breathing, but more so how the practice impacts your mind. 

This modern spiritual classic has become one of the best first books to read on Zen and meditation. From the details of posture to an array of breathing techniques, this book has all you need to know to start meditating the right way. 

4. 10% Happier by Dan Harris 

This #1 New York Times best-seller was initially created to be a self-help book that works better than the rest. Going deep into his own personal discovery and experience with meditation, Dan Harris explains the inevitable adrenaline rush he gets as a news anchor who covers live stories. Meditation is a powerful force that has allowed him to thrive in this type of chaotic environment.

According to Dan, meditation does precisely what the title says, makes you 10% happier. Meditation increases happiness by making you more mindful and able to control your mind. While our ego always wants more and is never satisfied, meditation allows us to be grateful for what we have in the current moment. 

5. The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness by Andy Puddicombe 

Bill Gates referred to this book as “the perfect introduction to mindfulness.†Compact but valuable, The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness offers various meditation techniques that are created to positively impact both mental and physical sectors of your life. 

From productivity to personal relationships, meditation has limitless power to improve your life in various ways. Luckily, this book categorizes the various types of meditation, allowing you to go through and practice different types of mindfulness whenever it fits best.

6. Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana

This introduction to both mindfulness and Buddhist meditation is created for anyone, since anyone can benefit from the power of mindfulness in their life. By focusing on the importance of attention to breath, Gunaratana dives into the power of mindfulness meditation and appreciating the present moment.

Ultimately, mindfulness allows us to live in a more enlightened state, not by avoiding difficulty, but by embracing both our strengths and weaknesses. By cultivating mindfulness into your life, you’ll be able to stop overthinking things you can’t control and start appreciating your life in the present moment. 

7. The Little Book of Mindfulness by Patrizia Collard 

The Little Book of Mindfulness teaches you how to spend 10 minutes each day to live in more peace and less stress. By practicing the mindfulness meditation techniques that Collard provides, you’ll be able to live in the moment by letting go of worries. 

Without chanting spiritual mantras or cutting out a specific time each day to meditate, The Little Book of Mindfulness provides the reader modern-day practices on how to thrive in a world full of mundane tasks and an overload of meaningless information.

8. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle 

Mindfulness is all about living in the present moment, and that’s precisely what Eckhart Tolle teaches you how to do in The Power of Now. This #1 New York Times best-seller is not just a spiritual guide, but a book on personal development helpful for anyone of any age.

The central claim: every minute you spend worrying about the future or regretting the past is a minute lost in the present. All you have is the present, and this is why Tolle emphasizes the urgency of paying attention to the current moment. In this book, he provides you actionable tools to start cultivating mindfulness in your own life. By cultivating mindfulness, you’ll be able to minimize worry and maximize happiness. 

9. Get Some Headspace by Andy Puddicombe 

If you think you don’t have time to practice meditation, think again. In Get Some Headspace, Andy Puddicombe explains how just ten minutes of mindful meditation each day can make all the difference. Puddicombe’s simple techniques promise amazing results. While we spend all day rushing to complete various tasks, spending a few minutes in the here and now can make all the difference.

In this, you’ll learn how meditation can help you silence your mind, reduce stress, and find a new level of fulfillment. Pulling together both ancient and modern meditation practices, this book is perfect for anyone looking to adopt a new meditation schedule in today’s world. 

10. How to Meditate by Pema Chodron

How to Meditate is a practical guide to making friends with your mind. After all, that’s what mindfulness and meditation strive to achieve. Named one of the best books of 2013, this book will teach you how to implement a meditation practice that brings peace, understanding, and compassion.

Further, Chodron explains what she believes are the essential tools to implementing a life-long practice. Both first-time and experienced meditators will gain value from this book, learning about new posture points, how breath can alter your attitude, and the power of relaxing with groundlessness. 

Final Thoughts: Best Meditation Books

Ultimately, meditation isn’t just a practice that’s reserved for those who do yoga or teach mindfulness. In fact, it’s estimated that over 200 million people meditate regularly around the world. Implementing a meditation practice into your life has a wide range of benefits, from aligning with your purpose to improving your physical well-being.