9 Mindfulness Books Everyone Who Wants to Be More Present Should Read

Practicing mindfulness is a simple method that anyone can practice. But if you’re unsure how to begin, mindfulness books are the perfect guide.

According to Headspace, mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever you’re doing while remaining aware of your thoughts and feelings, free from distraction or judgment.

Mindfulness can be achieved through practicing meditation; the moment-to-moment awareness it requires is within reach when the mind experiences a temporary state of calm.

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Mindfulness is a popular practice that has many benefits similar to meditation. Yale experts say that mindfulness is important in coping with anxiety, in addition to the vast array of other benefits.

If you desire a place to start learning about meditation, why not crack open a book? These 9 mindfulness books will help you be more present in your daily life.

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Here Are 9 Unique Mindfulness Books to Add to Your Reading List:

1. Sitting on the Toolbox: Buddha’s Wisdom for a Joyful Life by Venerable Bhante Sujatha and Stacey Stern

Ever feel like you’ve put limits on your potential? If so, Sitting on the Toolbox: Buddha’s Wisdom for a Joyful Life by Buddhist monk Bhante Sujatha is a must-read.

Through a mix of humorous anecdotes and ancient stories, the author shows you how to access the treasure trove of resources that lie within your personal toolbox and explains how to use them successfully.
 

2. The Gift of Presence: A Mindfulness Guide for Women by Caroline Welch

Through inspiring readers to develop four innate capacities (presence, purpose, pivoting, and pacing), The Gift of Presence guides women to become more resilient and centered by looking within.

Caroline Welch, co-founder and CEO of the Mindsight Institute, makes a point of telling women that are overwhelmed by the demands of family and work that you don’t need to spend countless hours sitting in silence to be more present – the key is to practice mindfulness wherever and whenever you can.

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3. Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li

In Forest Bathing, Dr. Qing Li shares a definitive guide to the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku: the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness.

The author and forest medicine expert explains that as a society, we suffer from nature deficit disorder, but studies have shown that spending mindful, intentional time around trees can show you the beauty of your surroundings, help you relieve stress, and reach a place of greater calm.

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4. How to Listen With Intention: The Foundation of True Connection, Communication, and Relationships by Patrick King

Author Patrick King believes that in this day and age, the art of deep listening is a superpower. And if 2020 has taught us anything, he might be right.

A book about give-and-take relationships, How to Listen With Intention will teach you how to connect, create rapport, develop trust, and build deep, meaningful relationships that last.
 

5. Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Published in 1994, Mindfulness in Plain English is one of the most influential books in the field of mindfulness by renowned meditation master Bhante Gunaratana. Inside, he studies meditation as a “tool,” what it does, and how to make it work.

Bhante also goes over the myths, realities, and benefits of meditation and the practice of mindfulness. Known as an essential handbook for established meditation students, Mindfulness in Plain English is a must-have for anyone exploring the benefits of Buddhist meditation.
 

6. Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine by Deepak Chopra

Quantum Healing is a groundbreaking exploration of consciousness and the power of mindfulness by Deepak Chopra.

Inspired by the unexplained recovery of patients in his own practice who had been given a few months to live, Dr. Chopra returned to his native India to study humanity’s most ancient healing tradition, Ayurveda.

His insights, combined with Western medicine, neuroscience, and physics, form the basis of this powerful mindfulness book.
 

7. Mindfulness in the Modern World: How Do I Make Meditation Part of Everyday Life? by Osho

In Mindfulness in the Modern World, Osho helps readers understand the inner and outer obstacles that prevent them from bringing more awareness to daily activities.

His insights into the nature of the modern mind provide a helpful entry point for long-time meditators and beginners, covering a wide range of topics and five tangible techniques for bringing more awareness to everyday life.

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8. How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

Named one of the best books of 2019, How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell is an energizing guide to dropping out of the attention economy – a world where addictive technology is designed to buy and sell our attention, and our value is determined by our productivity.

Odell sees our attention as the most precious and overdrawn resource we have, and we must actively choose how to use it. By reading How to Do Nothing and putting Odell’s calls to action in place, you’ll arrive at a more meaningful understanding of happiness and progress.
 

9. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

Michael A. Singer’s The Untethered Soul has long been known to transform people’s relationships with themselves and the world around them.

Inside the book, you’ll discover what you can do to put an end to habitual thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness by tapping into meditation and mindfulness.

Singer shows readers how the development of consciousness can enable them to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep them from happiness and self-realization.

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Grab Yourself One (or More) of These Mindfulness Books and See How They Can Help You

In the words of Osho: “When the mind disappears and thoughts disappear, you become mindful. What is mindfulness? It is awareness. It is perfect awareness.”

Through the meditative practice of reading, finding solace in a new level of awareness is possible. All you have to do is turn the next page.

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