5 Mindfulness Books for a Fresh Start
Happy New Year!
Welcome to January, a time for writing down lofty goals we may or may not achieve, opening gym memberships we probably won’t be using come October, making vows like “no more sugar, ever again,” and turning over new leaves, such as “I’m going to read more.”
Whether or not you’re a resolution maker, it’s hard not to be moved by the “fresh start'“ feeling the new year brings. If you’re sensing that impulse to start the year in a new and meaningful way; if you’re humming “made up my mind to make a new start” like you’re the fifth member of Led Zeppelin; if you’re wondering where in the world you’re supposed to start a new start:
Keep reading. (Literally. Keep scrolling for five great books to inspire and motivate you in the new year.)
Journey to the Heart, by Melody Beattie
A collection of 365 short reflections, this little book will bless and inspire you daily. Beattie writes about everything from love to loss, fear to courage, inspiration to disappointment. Whatever the theme for the day however, her message is uplifting and warm. Whether you start your morning with it, or read a passage before bedtime, Journey to the Heart will be an encouraging companion the whole year through.
One of my favorite passages:
“Accept yourself. Love yourself just as you are. Your finest work, your best moments, your joy, your peace, and healing come when you love yourself. You give a great gift to the world when you do that. You give others permission to do the same: to love themselves.”
A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle
Perhaps the most perfect guide for making a fresh start in the world, A New Earth is a profound but simple manifesto for living a more present and conscious life. I have found it especially helpful to return to during times when I am feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or helpless. Tolle’s teachings are simultaneously spiritual and common-sense. Plus, Oprah.
One of my favorite passages:
“Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?”
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
If you want to begin a mediation practice, or if you meditate and want to deepen your experience, or if you don’t mediate and don’t intend to but just want to cultivate some peace of mind this year:
READ. THIS. BOOK.
Wherever You Go offers honest and encouraging reflections on mindful living, as well as opportunities to practice various sitting mediation techniques. Reading this book feels like wrapping yourself in a warm, loving blanket and giving yourself a big hug. It’s a great companion for anyone looking to remain focused on compassionate living.
One of my favorite passages:
“Such is the power of mindful, selfless generosity. At the deepest level, there is no giver, no gift, and no recipient…only the universe rearranging itself.”
Start Where You Are, by Pema Chödrön
No puns intended here, but Start Where You Are quite literally started me on my meditation journey. Pema Chödrön is the Beyoncé of Buddhist nuns. Is it ok for me to say that? Really though, her writing cuts to the chase and breaks down the mysteries of meditation and buddhist philosophy in a way no other writer comes close to. I’ve read many of her books, but this remains my favorite. It contains a series of reflections on compassionate living as well as instructions for beginning a simple meditation practice. It’s meant for anybody, and can change everything.
One of my favorite passages:
“Searching for happiness prevents us from ever finding it.”
The Book of Awakening, by Mark Nepo
Like Journey to the Heart, The Book of Awakening is a collection of 365 daily reflections for the year. Mark Nepo is a cancer survivor and poet, so his writing comes from a place of both beauty and brokenness. His devotions are sacred and thoughtful, and each passage ends with a meditative reflection. For example, on May 4th, he offers this invitation: “Bring to mind all you have to do today. Feel it crowd you. Center yourself and inhale each task slowly and exhale each urgency. Rise and enter this day as if it is your first and your last. Now drop all that is not necessary.”
One of my favorite passages:
“The further I wake into this life, the more I realize that God is everywhere and the extraordinary is waiting quietly beneath the skin of all that is ordinary. Light is in both the broken bottle and the diamond, and music is in both the flowing violin and the water dripping from the drainage pipe. Yes, God is under the porch as well as on top of the mountain, and joy is in both the front row and the bleachers, if we are willing to be where we are.”
Happy Reading!
Full disclosure: putting this post together took me at least three times longer than it needed to, because each book I opened up to review sucked my right back in. I hope you glean as much inspiration from them as I have.
Do you have any reading suggestions for me? Leave your recommendations in the comments below!
xoxo.