Mindfulness books for anxiety
The 11 Best Mindfulness Books of 2022
Research shows that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and raise your quality of life.
- Best overall: Wherever You Go, There You Are
- Best for beginners: The Miracle of Mindfulness
- Best for mindfulness exercises: How to Train a Wild Elephant
- Best workbook: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
- Best journal: Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Best coloring book: Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Best for anxiety: Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Best for kids: My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Best for teens: Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day
- Best for parents and guardians: Growing Up Mindful
- Best memoir: Into the Magic Shop
If you’re looking for a book on mindfulness these days, you’ll have to climb a mountain. A mountain of books, that is.
And you’ll find them rooted in almost every field imaginable — from health to education to psychotherapy, even fashion!
We’ve climbed the mountain of mindfulness books and picked out 11 of the best. They’re all good for different reasons. If you want a beginner’s book, or one to help your anxiety, or one to help your family handle stress, we’ve got it picked out for you.
In this list, you’ll find mindfulness instruction, the science behind it, lots of exercises to try, and even an inspiring memoir. If you want a break from reading, try an audiobook, a journal, or even a coloring book.
Mindfulness is the simple concept of paying attention to the moment. It has been more fully defined by the pioneering mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, who said:
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Mindfulness has been shown to have wide-reaching health benefits:
- One study found mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to be as effective as maintenance antidepressants for preventing depressive relapse.
- A clinical trial showed that a mindfulness-based program adapted to participants with elevated blood pressure helped to reduce both blood pressure and stress.
- Another study reported that people reporting high levels of mindfulness also reported more positive states of mind and lower levels of depression and anxiety.
You can practice mindfulness in many forms, from a few private moments at your desk to a variety of in-person and online courses. Other places to practice what you learn in these mindfulness books include:
- online groups
- workshops
- movement classes
- workplace training
And, of course, you can always learn more by picking up a new book.
Our first concern in picking these books was variety. People approach mindfulness at all levels of experience and for all kinds of reasons. So we wanted different books to match your reasons: one for the beginners, one for those who want to learn new exercises, one for kids, one for parents, and so on.
We also made sure that the books we selected have:
- authors experienced in their field
- a steady sales history
- generally good — often outstanding! — reviews
- accurate content about mindfulness
A note on price
General price ranges with dollar signs ($ to $$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is rather affordable, whereas two dollar signs indicates a higher price range.
Prices for the physical format, most commonly paperback, were used for the price comparison, whenever possible. Most of the books also have Kindle and audio editions, which may increase or decrease the price slightly.
Pricing guide:
- $ = under or at $15
- $$ = over $15
Best overall
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
- Price: $
- Written by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
This is a one-size-fits-all mindfulness handbook that will teach you the concepts, get you started with exercises, and sit on your bedside table as a welcome reference.
The chapters are short and self-contained, so you can dip in wherever you want.
It was written by author and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1994 and has remained a bestseller and classic. Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, which was then associated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
He has written many other mindfulness books, the best-known one being “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness,” which is full of research and recommended applications. It’s the book that ushered mindfulness into medical and scientific circles.
This shorter book is directed to a wider audience and is meant to provide a “brief and easy access to the essence of mindfulness,” Kabat-Zinn writes. “Full Catastrophe Living” is directed toward people with serious medical problems, stress, and chronic pain.
You can also purchase the accompanying “Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2” audiobook or audio CD containing mindfulness exercises narrated by Kabat-Zinn designed to complement the book.
What we like
- has short, self-contained chapters
- offers entertaining personal stories from the author
- features personally led mindfulness exercises in text or audio
Buy “Wherever You Go, There You Are” here
Best for beginners
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
- Price: $
- Written by: Thich Nhat Hanh
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who played a key role in introducing mindfulness to the Western world. This book, first published in 1975, has aged well. It has many different editions available, plus accompanying online meditation exercises. Thay, as he is known, has also written 100 other books in his lifetime.
This book is regarded as a classic and is beloved for its kind and lightly humorous tone. It advocates the expansion of meditation into action through mindful speaking, acting, working, and engaging the world.
It has seven short chapters introducing mindfulness meditation and one long chapter containing exercises to start you in your practice and provide a reference for the future. The book features 11 black-and-white drawings by Vo-Dinh Mai.
Some exercises involve sitting and focusing on the body or breath. Others will help you practice mindfulness during daily activities, for example:
- “Following your breath while carrying on a conversation”
- “Washing the dishes”
- “A slow-motion bath”
- “Cleaning house”
You can also access exercises, meditations, and guided relaxations on the author’s Plum Village website, or on the free app, Plum Village: Zen Guided Meditation & Mindfulness.
What we like
- is easy to read and understand
- features beautiful drawings
- offers engaging exercises and storytelling
Buy “The Miracle of Mindfulness” here
Best for mindfulness exercises
How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness
- Price: $
- Written by: Jan Chozen Bays
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, MP3 CD
This is the kind of book you keep on your table or put in your bag and carry with you.
You pull it out whenever you’re waiting in the grocery checkout line or the dentist’s office — any time you have a minute to spare. You can pick one of the 53 mindfulness exercises and enjoy a quiet, calming moment with yourself.
The author Jan Chozen Bays is a physician and Zen teacher at the Great Vow Monastery in Oregon. Her tone in the book is kind, often humorous, and always engaging. Each exercise includes tips on how to remind yourself of it later, plus a short story or lesson connected with it. Examples of exercises include:
- taking three deep breaths before answering the phone
- looking deeply into food
- breathing deeply once before you leave a space (like a room, car, or building)
If you prefer to listen to the exercises instead of reading them, there is a CD version available.
What we like
- presents exercises that involve daily activities
- written in a personal, friendly approach
- has an author experienced in teaching
Buy “How to Train a Wild Elephant” here.
Best workbook
A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, revised second edition
- Price: $$
- Written by: Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This is a workbook to teach yourself mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a program developed by mindfulness author and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, which is taught in clinics around the world. The revised second edition of this workbook includes new meditations and audio downloads, plus content revisions.
MBSR is designed to reduce symptoms of:
- stress
- anxiety
- panic
- depression
- chronic pain
This workbook is not about getting rid of stressors in your life, but rather developing healthier ways of dealing with them.
On the publisher’s book website, you can listen to mindfulness meditations, yoga instructions, and breathing exercises. You can also download a number of accessories to the book including meditation transcripts, practice logs, and worksheets.
Author Bob Stahl, PhD, is a longtime mindfulness practitioner who lived in a Zen monastery and now directs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs in three medical centers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Co-author Elisha Goldstein, PhD, founded the online mindfulness space Mindful Living Collective. He also co-founded the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles and created an online coaching program, A Course in Mindful Living.
What we like
- can be done on your own or incorporated into a course
- written by experienced mindfulness practitioners
- has accompanying audio exercises and workbook accessories available online
Buy “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook” here
Best journal
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Price: $
- Written by: Meera Lee Patel
- Formats: journal, spiral-bound
This is an interactive journal designed to help you learn and practice mindfulness through supportive prompts, exercises, and inspirational quotes.
There is plenty of blank space to encourage your personal writing or drawing.
The artwork in the journal includes hand-lettering and images in vibrant colors. The mood is uplifting, and the quotes inspire meditation and self-acceptance.
For many of us, keeping a journal has been popular ever since we as children got our first diary, lockable with a key. Now many people use journals for self-exploration and expression.
In the last decade, research has revealed the many mental health benefits of journaling, often called expressive writing. One study found significant mental health improvement from expressive writing, particularly in symptoms of anxiety.
What we like
- features bright, vibrant colors
- offers inspirational quotes
- presents logs with room for personal writing and drawing
Buy “Start Where You Are” here
Best coloring book
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Price: $
- Illustrated by: Johanna Basford
- Formats: paperback
This is the book credited with bringing coloring books into the adult world.
Although there have been other coloring books for adults, this book turned it into a genre and brought it into the mainstream.
It brought adults the engrossing focus and joy that kids remember from coloring a picture with individual colors that only they decide. This is where mindfulness comes in. Focus and joy are good descriptions of mindfulness itself.
Research in the past decade has found that coloring can reduce anxiety, as well as improve both mindful attention and creative stimulation. Researchers say more study is needed to determine how helpful coloring is for high levels of anxiety, and how long the benefits last.
This coloring book has detailed pictures of flowers, garden benches and pagodas, and secret garden places. There are pictures to color, mazes to travel, patterns to complete, and lots of blank spaces for you to add your own drawings.
There are also hidden items to find in the elaborate drawings. The book opens with a list of things to be found, including:
- 63 beetles
- 20 songbirds
- 116 butterflies
- 1 shark
This book was on top of the New York Times bestseller list.
It led to a whole series of coloring books by Basford. If you’d like to see more, try “Enchanted Forest,” “Magical Jungle,” or “Worlds of Wonder.” And there are coloring tutorials on Basford’s blog, like this one on How to Color Flowers.
Coloring has become so popular that people often meet online to share info and projects. You may be able to find one near you on this list of coloring meetups.
What we like
- features lovely intricate drawings
- is a fun treasure hunt
- can be used anywhere
Buy “Secret Garden” here
Best for anxiety
Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Price: $
- Created by: Claire Weekes
- Formats: audiobook, audio CD
This is an eight-part radio series broadcast in the United States by the Australian doctor Claire Weekes in 1967. She coaches you personally and compassionately about how to overcome anxiety, phobias, and panic.
This instruction is mindfulness before mindfulness became a household word.
We recommend this title primarily because of the remarkable intimacy and support you feel from Dr. Weekes, even though she passed away in 1990. When she describes how she has heard a parrot in St. Louis “strike his beak against the cage” in the background of a phone consultation, you almost feel she could be on the other end of the phone line with you, too.
Her fresh approach of “face, accept, float, let time pass,” struck a chord in popular audiences. Her three books about accepting and passing through panic and anxiety moved into the bestseller lists in the United States and the United Kingdom from the early 1960s onwards.
Her compassion has awakened hope and optimism for those who feel trapped by anxiety. As one patient wondered: “How can you know exactly what’s going on inside me when we don’t know each other?” Weekes’s reply is reassuring to many who have felt bewildered by the symptoms of anxiety: “I don’t need to know the patient.
I know the illness very well.”
What we like
- has a personal, compassionate approach
- is short enough to listen to in one sitting: 1 hr 55 mins
- changed the lives of many reviewers
Buy “Pass Through Panic” here
Best for kids
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Price: $
- Written by: Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
- Formats: hardcover, audiobook
This is a book that shows children mindfulness by leading them in interactive mindful breathing. In one exercise, they take a deep breath and blow their “magic breath” full of happy feelings out onto the page. Later, they’re led to use their happy breath to blow difficult emotions “right off the page.”
This book is a good reminder for kids (and adults too!) that the simple act of taking a deep breath can help you enjoy your “happy times,” or feel calm when you’re not so happy.
The book leads kids through several deep breaths and one big yawn before going to sleep.
For example, in one exercise, the book asks, “What happened today that made you smile?” Then it encourages you, saying, “Take a big breath in and picture that moment in your mind.” And it finishes up with, “Let’s blow out all those happy thoughts on the page. Now that looks like happiness!”
This book is intended for children ages 2 to 6 years old. It’s especially useful at the end of the day when youngsters might be overwhelmed by thoughts or worries and unable to sleep.
What we like
- is fun and enjoyable for kids to practice on their own, or have read to them
- encourages interactive practice using the “magic breath” to blow away unhappy feelings
- has vibrant watercolor drawings of the magic breath
Buy “My Magic Breath” here
Best for teens
Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day: Exercises to Feel Calm, Stay Focused & Be Your Best Self
- Price: $
- Written by: Jennie Marie Battistin
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, audiobook
This is a small book that you can stash in your school backpack and have with you all day.
Alternatively, you could get the Kindle edition and have it on your phone. The point is that it’s portable, easy, and quick. You can do each of the exercises in 10 minutes.
The exercises are designed to help particularly with anxiety and sleep issues, but they can also help generate an easy mind in general. Exercises are categorized for morning, midday, and night.
This book is positioned for teens, but college students and adults leave appreciative reviews as well. You can open the book anywhere and find a useful exercise. They’re simple and easy to remember when you need them.
What we like
- has simple exercises that are easy to remember
- exercises involve relevant teen issues like connecting with friends and succeeding at school
- has fun exercise names, like “Superhero Stance” and “Butterfly Hug”
Buy “Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day” here
Best for parents
Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience
- Price: $
- Written by: Christopher Willard
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This book helps parents, caregivers, educators, and counselors share the skills of mindfulness with children and teens.
It offers 75 mindfulness exercises with adaptations to meet the needs of a wide range of ages. It has an appendix where you can match exercises to your child’s personality and emotional development.
This book can help kids increase curiosity, reduce anxiety, and soothe the pain of trauma. It helps kids (and adults) improve focus, decision-making, and response to stress. It introduces two unique positive responses to stress: “attending” and “befriending.”
It also has a chapter to help adults build the foundation of their own mindfulness practice.
What we like
- has a modern take on mindful use of social media and technology
- gets the whole family engaged in mindfulness
- summarizes information in illustrations and figures
Buy “Growing Up Mindful” here
Best memoir
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
- Price: $$
- Written by: James R.
Doty - Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
This book opens with a story of how the neurosurgeon author used meditation to help him save the life of a 4-year-old boy after a mistake by an assistant in the operating room.
The book is the story of Doty’s journey as a child of poverty, with a mother who lives with depression and a father with alcohol use disorder, to becoming a world-class brain surgeon, aided by meditation taught to him after school in a neighborhood magic shop. He details the meditation exercises at length, so you can learn them, too.
He describes in fine detail and drama how meditation awakened the compassion and kindness in him to found and direct the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Doty’s lyrical writing combined with his anchor in modern science propelled this memoir to the New York Times bestseller list. As mindfulness teacher John Kabat-Zinn remarked, the real magic here is that Doty could learn what is deepest and best about himself at the young age of 12, and never lose the thread thereafter.
What we like
- focuses on combined biological and spiritual healing
- presents a riveting story
- provides detailed meditation descriptions
Buy “Into the Magic Shop” here
Mindfulness practice can be a lifelong practice that offers many benefits for your mental and physical health. It can lift your mood, resilience, motivation, and overall sense of well-being.
Mindfulness books can get you started in your practice, or sit on your bedside table for you to pick up later whenever you need a boost in spirit or inspiration to carry on.
Once you get started, you may even wish to join a mindfulness meetup where you can join others online or in person. You’ll be able to share what you’ve learned so far and get advice on issues you might have. Who knows, you might even hear about a new mindfulness book!
The 11 Best Mindfulness Books of 2022
Research shows that mindfulness can reduce stress, improve physical health, and raise your quality of life.
- Best overall: Wherever You Go, There You Are
- Best for beginners: The Miracle of Mindfulness
- Best for mindfulness exercises: How to Train a Wild Elephant
- Best workbook: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
- Best journal: Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Best coloring book: Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Best for anxiety: Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Best for kids: My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Best for teens: Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day
- Best for parents and guardians: Growing Up Mindful
- Best memoir: Into the Magic Shop
If you’re looking for a book on mindfulness these days, you’ll have to climb a mountain.
A mountain of books, that is.
And you’ll find them rooted in almost every field imaginable — from health to education to psychotherapy, even fashion!
We’ve climbed the mountain of mindfulness books and picked out 11 of the best. They’re all good for different reasons. If you want a beginner’s book, or one to help your anxiety, or one to help your family handle stress, we’ve got it picked out for you.
In this list, you’ll find mindfulness instruction, the science behind it, lots of exercises to try, and even an inspiring memoir. If you want a break from reading, try an audiobook, a journal, or even a coloring book.
Mindfulness is the simple concept of paying attention to the moment. It has been more fully defined by the pioneering mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, who said:
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Mindfulness has been shown to have wide-reaching health benefits:
- One study found mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to be as effective as maintenance antidepressants for preventing depressive relapse.
- A clinical trial showed that a mindfulness-based program adapted to participants with elevated blood pressure helped to reduce both blood pressure and stress.
- Another study reported that people reporting high levels of mindfulness also reported more positive states of mind and lower levels of depression and anxiety.
You can practice mindfulness in many forms, from a few private moments at your desk to a variety of in-person and online courses. Other places to practice what you learn in these mindfulness books include:
- online groups
- workshops
- movement classes
- workplace training
And, of course, you can always learn more by picking up a new book.
Our first concern in picking these books was variety. People approach mindfulness at all levels of experience and for all kinds of reasons. So we wanted different books to match your reasons: one for the beginners, one for those who want to learn new exercises, one for kids, one for parents, and so on.
We also made sure that the books we selected have:
- authors experienced in their field
- a steady sales history
- generally good — often outstanding! — reviews
- accurate content about mindfulness
A note on price
General price ranges with dollar signs ($ to $$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product is rather affordable, whereas two dollar signs indicates a higher price range.
Prices for the physical format, most commonly paperback, were used for the price comparison, whenever possible. Most of the books also have Kindle and audio editions, which may increase or decrease the price slightly.
Pricing guide:
- $ = under or at $15
- $$ = over $15
Best overall
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
- Price: $
- Written by: Jon Kabat-Zinn
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
This is a one-size-fits-all mindfulness handbook that will teach you the concepts, get you started with exercises, and sit on your bedside table as a welcome reference.
The chapters are short and self-contained, so you can dip in wherever you want.
It was written by author and mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1994 and has remained a bestseller and classic. Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, which was then associated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
He has written many other mindfulness books, the best-known one being “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness,” which is full of research and recommended applications. It’s the book that ushered mindfulness into medical and scientific circles.
This shorter book is directed to a wider audience and is meant to provide a “brief and easy access to the essence of mindfulness,” Kabat-Zinn writes. “Full Catastrophe Living” is directed toward people with serious medical problems, stress, and chronic pain.
You can also purchase the accompanying “Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 2” audiobook or audio CD containing mindfulness exercises narrated by Kabat-Zinn designed to complement the book.
What we like
- has short, self-contained chapters
- offers entertaining personal stories from the author
- features personally led mindfulness exercises in text or audio
Buy “Wherever You Go, There You Are” here
Best for beginners
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
- Price: $
- Written by: Thich Nhat Hanh
- Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who played a key role in introducing mindfulness to the Western world. This book, first published in 1975, has aged well. It has many different editions available, plus accompanying online meditation exercises. Thay, as he is known, has also written 100 other books in his lifetime.
This book is regarded as a classic and is beloved for its kind and lightly humorous tone. It advocates the expansion of meditation into action through mindful speaking, acting, working, and engaging the world.
It has seven short chapters introducing mindfulness meditation and one long chapter containing exercises to start you in your practice and provide a reference for the future. The book features 11 black-and-white drawings by Vo-Dinh Mai.
Some exercises involve sitting and focusing on the body or breath. Others will help you practice mindfulness during daily activities, for example:
- “Following your breath while carrying on a conversation”
- “Washing the dishes”
- “A slow-motion bath”
- “Cleaning house”
You can also access exercises, meditations, and guided relaxations on the author’s Plum Village website, or on the free app, Plum Village: Zen Guided Meditation & Mindfulness.
What we like
- is easy to read and understand
- features beautiful drawings
- offers engaging exercises and storytelling
Buy “The Miracle of Mindfulness” here
Best for mindfulness exercises
How to Train a Wild Elephant: And Other Adventures in Mindfulness
- Price: $
- Written by: Jan Chozen Bays
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, MP3 CD
This is the kind of book you keep on your table or put in your bag and carry with you.
You pull it out whenever you’re waiting in the grocery checkout line or the dentist’s office — any time you have a minute to spare. You can pick one of the 53 mindfulness exercises and enjoy a quiet, calming moment with yourself.
The author Jan Chozen Bays is a physician and Zen teacher at the Great Vow Monastery in Oregon. Her tone in the book is kind, often humorous, and always engaging. Each exercise includes tips on how to remind yourself of it later, plus a short story or lesson connected with it. Examples of exercises include:
- taking three deep breaths before answering the phone
- looking deeply into food
- breathing deeply once before you leave a space (like a room, car, or building)
If you prefer to listen to the exercises instead of reading them, there is a CD version available.
What we like
- presents exercises that involve daily activities
- written in a personal, friendly approach
- has an author experienced in teaching
Buy “How to Train a Wild Elephant” here.
Best workbook
A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, revised second edition
- Price: $$
- Written by: Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This is a workbook to teach yourself mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a program developed by mindfulness author and teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, which is taught in clinics around the world. The revised second edition of this workbook includes new meditations and audio downloads, plus content revisions.
MBSR is designed to reduce symptoms of:
- stress
- anxiety
- panic
- depression
- chronic pain
This workbook is not about getting rid of stressors in your life, but rather developing healthier ways of dealing with them.
On the publisher’s book website, you can listen to mindfulness meditations, yoga instructions, and breathing exercises. You can also download a number of accessories to the book including meditation transcripts, practice logs, and worksheets.
Author Bob Stahl, PhD, is a longtime mindfulness practitioner who lived in a Zen monastery and now directs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs in three medical centers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Co-author Elisha Goldstein, PhD, founded the online mindfulness space Mindful Living Collective. He also co-founded the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles and created an online coaching program, A Course in Mindful Living.
What we like
- can be done on your own or incorporated into a course
- written by experienced mindfulness practitioners
- has accompanying audio exercises and workbook accessories available online
Buy “A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook” here
Best journal
Start Where You Are: A Journal for Self-Exploration
- Price: $
- Written by: Meera Lee Patel
- Formats: journal, spiral-bound
This is an interactive journal designed to help you learn and practice mindfulness through supportive prompts, exercises, and inspirational quotes.
There is plenty of blank space to encourage your personal writing or drawing.
The artwork in the journal includes hand-lettering and images in vibrant colors. The mood is uplifting, and the quotes inspire meditation and self-acceptance.
For many of us, keeping a journal has been popular ever since we as children got our first diary, lockable with a key. Now many people use journals for self-exploration and expression.
In the last decade, research has revealed the many mental health benefits of journaling, often called expressive writing. One study found significant mental health improvement from expressive writing, particularly in symptoms of anxiety.
What we like
- features bright, vibrant colors
- offers inspirational quotes
- presents logs with room for personal writing and drawing
Buy “Start Where You Are” here
Best coloring book
Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book
- Price: $
- Illustrated by: Johanna Basford
- Formats: paperback
This is the book credited with bringing coloring books into the adult world.
Although there have been other coloring books for adults, this book turned it into a genre and brought it into the mainstream.
It brought adults the engrossing focus and joy that kids remember from coloring a picture with individual colors that only they decide. This is where mindfulness comes in. Focus and joy are good descriptions of mindfulness itself.
Research in the past decade has found that coloring can reduce anxiety, as well as improve both mindful attention and creative stimulation. Researchers say more study is needed to determine how helpful coloring is for high levels of anxiety, and how long the benefits last.
This coloring book has detailed pictures of flowers, garden benches and pagodas, and secret garden places. There are pictures to color, mazes to travel, patterns to complete, and lots of blank spaces for you to add your own drawings.
There are also hidden items to find in the elaborate drawings. The book opens with a list of things to be found, including:
- 63 beetles
- 20 songbirds
- 116 butterflies
- 1 shark
This book was on top of the New York Times bestseller list.
It led to a whole series of coloring books by Basford. If you’d like to see more, try “Enchanted Forest,” “Magical Jungle,” or “Worlds of Wonder.” And there are coloring tutorials on Basford’s blog, like this one on How to Color Flowers.
Coloring has become so popular that people often meet online to share info and projects. You may be able to find one near you on this list of coloring meetups.
What we like
- features lovely intricate drawings
- is a fun treasure hunt
- can be used anywhere
Buy “Secret Garden” here
Best for anxiety
Pass Through Panic: Freeing Yourself from Anxiety and Fear
- Price: $
- Created by: Claire Weekes
- Formats: audiobook, audio CD
This is an eight-part radio series broadcast in the United States by the Australian doctor Claire Weekes in 1967. She coaches you personally and compassionately about how to overcome anxiety, phobias, and panic.
This instruction is mindfulness before mindfulness became a household word.
We recommend this title primarily because of the remarkable intimacy and support you feel from Dr. Weekes, even though she passed away in 1990. When she describes how she has heard a parrot in St. Louis “strike his beak against the cage” in the background of a phone consultation, you almost feel she could be on the other end of the phone line with you, too.
Her fresh approach of “face, accept, float, let time pass,” struck a chord in popular audiences. Her three books about accepting and passing through panic and anxiety moved into the bestseller lists in the United States and the United Kingdom from the early 1960s onwards.
Her compassion has awakened hope and optimism for those who feel trapped by anxiety. As one patient wondered: “How can you know exactly what’s going on inside me when we don’t know each other?” Weekes’s reply is reassuring to many who have felt bewildered by the symptoms of anxiety: “I don’t need to know the patient.
I know the illness very well.”
What we like
- has a personal, compassionate approach
- is short enough to listen to in one sitting: 1 hr 55 mins
- changed the lives of many reviewers
Buy “Pass Through Panic” here
Best for kids
My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing
- Price: $
- Written by: Nick Ortner and Alison Taylor
- Formats: hardcover, audiobook
This is a book that shows children mindfulness by leading them in interactive mindful breathing. In one exercise, they take a deep breath and blow their “magic breath” full of happy feelings out onto the page. Later, they’re led to use their happy breath to blow difficult emotions “right off the page.”
This book is a good reminder for kids (and adults too!) that the simple act of taking a deep breath can help you enjoy your “happy times,” or feel calm when you’re not so happy.
The book leads kids through several deep breaths and one big yawn before going to sleep.
For example, in one exercise, the book asks, “What happened today that made you smile?” Then it encourages you, saying, “Take a big breath in and picture that moment in your mind.” And it finishes up with, “Let’s blow out all those happy thoughts on the page. Now that looks like happiness!”
This book is intended for children ages 2 to 6 years old. It’s especially useful at the end of the day when youngsters might be overwhelmed by thoughts or worries and unable to sleep.
What we like
- is fun and enjoyable for kids to practice on their own, or have read to them
- encourages interactive practice using the “magic breath” to blow away unhappy feelings
- has vibrant watercolor drawings of the magic breath
Buy “My Magic Breath” here
Best for teens
Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day: Exercises to Feel Calm, Stay Focused & Be Your Best Self
- Price: $
- Written by: Jennie Marie Battistin
- Formats: paperback, Kindle, audiobook
This is a small book that you can stash in your school backpack and have with you all day.
Alternatively, you could get the Kindle edition and have it on your phone. The point is that it’s portable, easy, and quick. You can do each of the exercises in 10 minutes.
The exercises are designed to help particularly with anxiety and sleep issues, but they can also help generate an easy mind in general. Exercises are categorized for morning, midday, and night.
This book is positioned for teens, but college students and adults leave appreciative reviews as well. You can open the book anywhere and find a useful exercise. They’re simple and easy to remember when you need them.
What we like
- has simple exercises that are easy to remember
- exercises involve relevant teen issues like connecting with friends and succeeding at school
- has fun exercise names, like “Superhero Stance” and “Butterfly Hug”
Buy “Mindfulness for Teens in 10 Minutes a Day” here
Best for parents
Growing Up Mindful: Essential Practices to Help Children, Teens, and Families Find Balance, Calm, and Resilience
- Price: $
- Written by: Christopher Willard
- Formats: paperback, Kindle
This book helps parents, caregivers, educators, and counselors share the skills of mindfulness with children and teens.
It offers 75 mindfulness exercises with adaptations to meet the needs of a wide range of ages. It has an appendix where you can match exercises to your child’s personality and emotional development.
This book can help kids increase curiosity, reduce anxiety, and soothe the pain of trauma. It helps kids (and adults) improve focus, decision-making, and response to stress. It introduces two unique positive responses to stress: “attending” and “befriending.”
It also has a chapter to help adults build the foundation of their own mindfulness practice.
What we like
- has a modern take on mindful use of social media and technology
- gets the whole family engaged in mindfulness
- summarizes information in illustrations and figures
Buy “Growing Up Mindful” here
Best memoir
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
- Price: $$
- Written by: James R.
Doty - Formats: paperback, hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
This book opens with a story of how the neurosurgeon author used meditation to help him save the life of a 4-year-old boy after a mistake by an assistant in the operating room.
The book is the story of Doty’s journey as a child of poverty, with a mother who lives with depression and a father with alcohol use disorder, to becoming a world-class brain surgeon, aided by meditation taught to him after school in a neighborhood magic shop. He details the meditation exercises at length, so you can learn them, too.
He describes in fine detail and drama how meditation awakened the compassion and kindness in him to found and direct the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Doty’s lyrical writing combined with his anchor in modern science propelled this memoir to the New York Times bestseller list. As mindfulness teacher John Kabat-Zinn remarked, the real magic here is that Doty could learn what is deepest and best about himself at the young age of 12, and never lose the thread thereafter.
What we like
- focuses on combined biological and spiritual healing
- presents a riveting story
- provides detailed meditation descriptions
Buy “Into the Magic Shop” here
Mindfulness practice can be a lifelong practice that offers many benefits for your mental and physical health. It can lift your mood, resilience, motivation, and overall sense of well-being.
Mindfulness books can get you started in your practice, or sit on your bedside table for you to pick up later whenever you need a boost in spirit or inspiration to carry on.
Once you get started, you may even wish to join a mindfulness meetup where you can join others online or in person. You’ll be able to share what you’ve learned so far and get advice on issues you might have. Who knows, you might even hear about a new mindfulness book!
Read the book: “Don't let anxiety rule your life. The Science of Emotion Control. The Science of Emotion Control and Mindfulness to Overcome Fear and Worry”
Dear Reader!
I am sincerely grateful that you took the book of our publishing house into your hands.
Our wonderful team selects and prepares manuscripts with great care. They inspire people to take care of their lives, the lives of loved ones and our beloved Motherland. Our spiritual culture originates in the depths of millennia. Its basis is freedom, love and compassion. The harsh climatic conditions and large expanses of Russia give birth to courageous people with a sensitive soul - this is the ideal of a Russian person. We will be glad if our books help you become such a person and strengthen your virtues. nine0003
We believe that spiritual striving is a solid foundation for a fulfilling life and can manifest itself in any area of human activity. It can be family and child-rearing, science and culture, art and religious activities, entrepreneurship and public administration. Revive the light of the soul in yourself, support it in others. It is this effort that creates new opportunities, inspires us to care for others, contributes to the growth of both personal and social well-being.
nine0003
I invite you to take part in the activities of the Author of Life Center for Conscious Development: www.av-z.ru
Sincerely yours,
Owner of the Ves Publishing Group
Petr Lisovsky
David H. Klemansky 9003 doctor 9003 Professor of Psychology, Yale University
Joshua E. Curtiss,
Researcher in Emotional Disorders, Yale University
David H. Klemanski, Joshua E. Curtiss
Don't let your anxiety run your life: using the science of emotion worry regulation and mindfulness to overcome fear and fear and
Oakland, CA 94609
© 2016 by David N. Klemanski and Joshua E. Curtiss
© Russian translation, Russian edition, layout. OJSC Publishing Group Ves, 2019
Fear and anxiety are fundamental aspects of human existence. Almost every researcher of the properties of human nature - from ancient Greek philosophers to Freud and modern psychologists - has tried to understand the meaning of these experiences.
Humans, unlike other species, spend a lot of time thinking about past failures and worrying about possible future events. When we feel that our future is uncertain, we experience anxiety.
Anxiety is a future-oriented mood associated or even conditioned by thought processes that cause anxiety. When we worry, our mind focuses on the future and what could go wrong in it. This is somewhat of an adaptive response, as it helps us prepare for the future and undesirable situations: it motivates us to buy insurance, contemplate retirement, and save money for our children's education. But that same ability to foresee future events comes with an emotional cost. nine0003
The same is true for those situations when we begin to reflect on the events of the past. Learning from your failures is an adaptive ability, but constantly chewing on the past is not.
The habit of worrying about the future and reflecting on the past leads away from the present moment. This is a characteristic feature of debilitating anxiety and depression.
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric conditions related to affective disorders and substance use problems. nine0003
Although the treatment of anxiety disorders can be quite effective, there is room for improvement in this area, as in any other. Modern research on emotions allows us to offer a number of specific innovative methods aimed at improving the results of dealing with anxiety and related problems. In this wonderful book, accessible and informative for anyone struggling with anxiety, David Klemansky and Joshua Curtis provide specific guidance to help readers work effectively to overcome fear and anxiety while experiencing life as it is. The authors clearly explain specific strategies for coping with fear and anxiety based on current emotion research. These strategies include identifying and analyzing maladaptive thought processes, consistently using adaptive emotion regulation techniques, and changing maladaptive habits. Mindfulness-based practices play a central role here.
Mindfulness is difficult to define and measure, but relatively easy to practice. The proposed strategies encourage a person to pay attention to the present moment, without making value judgments about it. As a result of their application, you will learn to live in the present and get rid of maladaptive thoughts associated with fear and anxiety. nine0003
The authors of the book will guide readers through the main stages of overcoming anxiety: they will learn to pay attention and resist it, avoid the traps of thinking, respond flexibly to their own emotions and accept them, form adaptive habits and reject maladaptive ones. Applying these strategies will enable you to distance yourself from anxiety and impulsive, immediate reactions to your feelings, to reflect rather than react to anxiety, to control it without letting it control you. Isn't this a way to live life here and now, and not endlessly make plans! nine0003
Time is precious. We have only one life, and each of us choose how to spend time on this earth.
You can continue to follow maladaptive habits that lead to anxiety and depression, or you can take the initiative in your own hands and begin to control this anxiety. The choice is yours. If you choose the second option, keep reading the book and apply the strategies it suggests. You will not lose anything by doing this, except for your anxiety.
Stefan J. Hofman, Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological and Brain Studies, Boston University www.bostonanxiety.org, author of Emotions in Therapy: From Science to Practice
[Guildford Press, 2016].
Yogic Breathing and Mindfulness Tools for Instant Anxiety Relief read online for free after reading an excerpt buy the full version. In some cases, there is a summary. City: St. Petersburg, year of issue: 2022, ISBN: 978-5-9573-3971-7, publisher: Litagent Ves, category: Esoteric / psy_theraphy / psy_theraphy / Esoteric / in Russian. Description of the work, (foreword) as well as visitor reviews are available on the portal.
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We suggest reading an abstract, description, summary or preface (depending on what the author of the book “Breathe calmly: yogic breathing and mindfulness tools for instant relief from anxiety” wrote).
If you did not find the necessary information about the book - write in the comments, we will try to find it. Anxiety tends to snowball. It can start with one exciting thought and intensify every minute. Mindfulness allows you to recognize and neutralize early signs of anxiety. The techniques in this book will help you become more emotionally stable. With the Breathing, Grounding, and Acceptance exercises, you will learn how to relax quickly and easily. The Choice tool will allow you to manage your attention so as not to waste time and energy on empty experiences and unreasonable panic, getting stuck in excitement and fear. The Kindness tool will help you treat yourself and other people with more friendliness. Instead of trying to eradicate anxiety, you can change your attitude towards it. If you hate anxiety and try to fight it, then you allow it to upset you even more. But if you accept your experiences by observing them and working with them, then they lose their power over you.
With very little effort, you will soon feel more stable and less driven by fear-based impulses. And most importantly, you will gain self-confidence, openness and trust in the world. nine0003 Domonic Vegesin: more books by this author
Who wrote Breathe Easy: Yogic Breathing and Mindfulness Tools for Instant Anxiety Relief? Find out the last name, the name of the author of the book and a list of all his works by series.Dear copyright holders!
This book is published on our website as an affiliate program of Litres (litres.ru) and contains only an introductory passage. If you are against its placement, please send your complaint to [email protected] or fill out the feedback form. nine0003
Breathe Calmly: Yogic Breathing and Mindfulness Tools for Instant Relief from Anxiety - read online introductory passage
Below is the paged text of the book. The system of saving the place of the last read page allows you to conveniently read the book Breathe Easy: Yogic Breathing and Mindfulness Tools for Instant Anxiety Relief online for free, without having to look for where you left off every time.
Put a bookmark, and you can at any time go to the page where you finished reading. nine0003 © Translation into Russian, edition in Russian. JSC Publishing Group Ves, 2022
Dear reader!
I am sincerely grateful that you took the book of our publishing house into your hands.
Our wonderful team selects and prepares manuscripts with great care. They inspire people to take care of their lives, the lives of loved ones and our beloved Motherland. Our spiritual culture originates in the depths of millennia. Its basis is freedom, love and compassion. The harsh climatic conditions and large expanses of Russia give birth to courageous people with a sensitive soul - this is the ideal of a Russian person. We will be glad if our books help you become such a person and strengthen your virtues. nine0003
We believe that spiritual striving is a solid foundation for a fulfilling life and can manifest itself in any area of human activity. It can be family and child-rearing, science and culture, art and religious activities, entrepreneurship and public administration.
Revive the light of the soul in yourself, support it in others. It is this effort that creates new opportunities, inspires us to care for others, contributes to the growth of both personal and social well-being. nine0003 Sincerely yours, Owner of the Ves Publishing Group Pyotr Lisovsky
* * *
“Breathe calmly” is a wise, kind, wonderful book. It offers practical and easy-to-apply methods to help you live better with lifelong anxiety.
Bob Stahl, PhD , co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, Living with Your Heart Wide Open, Calming the Rush of Panic, A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook for Anxiety, MBSR Every Day and A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Card Deck
Breathe Easy Book is a lifesaver for anyone who has ever experienced anxiety. Simple yet powerful tools and practices are presented in a clear and easy to follow manner.
The book reflects Domonic Vegesin's years of experience in helping people cope with anxiety through his deep knowledge of science, yoga, and mindfulness. Ashley Sharp , teacher with many years of experience teaching yoga and meditation, author of book Mindfulness for Beginners and founder of California Refuge at Pudding Creek
Breathe Easy is a timely and important book; a vital antidote to the growing anxiety in our lives. Wegesin lives and writes with an impartiality dictated by experience. A set of mindfulness tools and compassion practices promotes the healing power of the breath, a "self-psychology" that is always effective and available. I look forward to highly recommending this book to colleagues and clients alike! nine0003
Preston Parsons , licensed clinical social worker , psychotherapist, counselor and mindfulness practitioner
The Breathe Easy book is a breath of fresh air for anyone experiencing anxiety at any level, i.
e. for all of us. Wegesin's evidence-based approach is both accessible and affirmative. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with the compelling experience of students and clients who have successfully integrated the practices into their lives, this guide is groundbreaking and groundbreaking. Combining wisdom and wit in equal measure, this book is sure to change your life. nine0003
Louise Hay
Martha Davis
Catherine M. Pittman
Jill Weber
Ben Sedley
Regine Galanti
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