Top 14 Best Books About Meditation Updated 04 /2024

Now that the link between meditation and better mental health has been firmly established, even if you hadn't thought about trying it before, you may be at least curious about how it works and what it could do for your health.

In 25 years as a psychologist, Heidi J. Dalzell, PsyD has helped people relax and stay focused through mediation. Lowering stress and becoming more self-aware and confident is what it does. People can also use it to help them change bad coping skills, like being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

If you're new to meditation, that all sounds great, but if you don't know much about it, it might seem confusing or scary (or both). Books about meditation come in handy for this kind of thing. As a therapist and a coach, Dalzell often recommends meditation books to her clients as a way for them to continue the things that they work on together.

Kamlesh D. Patel, a meditation teacher and spiritual guide at Heartfulness, says that meditation books can help people learn more about the practice and get help as they start out. "Good meditation books are like road maps for a trip," says the author of the book.

As there are so many meditation books out there, people should look for ones written by experts in the field and ones that fit their level of experience. Whether you're an expert or a beginner, you can find a book that fits your needs.

This is a list of the best meditation books on the market right now, in order.

Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You

The book by Benjamin W. Decker, who says he's a "social activist," a meditation teacher, and an entrepreneur, is a good choice if you're new to meditation and want a simple and easy-to-follow guide.

The writing is clear and concise, and it shows the reader how to start right away. If you want to learn a lot of different meditation techniques, this book is for you. It has ten different ways to meditate. It will show you other ways of meditating that might be easier for you to keep up with if you've tried meditating before but haven't been able to keep it up.

The Daily Meditation Book of Healing: 365 Reflections for Positivity, Peace, and Prosperity

Worthy Stokes wrote this book to help people deal with trauma, anxiety, and emotional distress, but it can help anyone who wants to heal in any way (which really, is all of us). As a trauma survivor herself, Stokes teaches her readers how to deal with their past emotional pain through meditation.

The book can be especially helpful for people who tend to be negative. It encourages people to look inside, challenge negative thought patterns, and treat themselves with compassion.

Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners: 50 Meditations to Practice Awareness, Acceptance, and Peace

Many people find mindfulness to be the best type of meditation for them, and it's also the easiest for them to get into. For people who can't go to a mindfulness class in person, this book by Dawn Mauricio, who is an experienced mindfulness and meditation teacher, is the best thing to have instead of going.

The book also comes with more than 50 mindfulness exercises that take between five and 15 minutes each to help readers learn the skills they need to get more out of this type of meditation.

Meditations on Self-Love: Daily Wisdom for Healing, Acceptance, and Joy

At times, it can be hard to love yourself, and author Laurasia Mattingly has been there. She knows that. That's why this book focuses on the good and encourages people to work on their self-acceptance. Matthewly wants to show you how to be more in touch with your heart while letting go of the worries in your mind. She used meditation to deal with her grief and stop taking her anxiety medication.

As long as the prompts are pleasant and short, it's easier to add meditation to your daily routine when you don't have a lot of time.

Zen Meditation for Beginners: A Practical Guide to Inner Calm

Were you aware of Zen Buddhism before? Even if you were, you've probably heard the word "zen" used as a synonym for something or someone calm and stable. A Zen priest and teacher named Bonnie Treace, who has written a book about the practice, tells people about it in this book.

Zen principles are used to help people get into a peaceful, positive mindset in short exercises in this book.

Bedtime Meditations for Kids: Quick, Calming Exercises to Help Kids Get to Sleep at Amazon

Cory Cochiolo, a certified hypnotherapist teacher, wrote this book for kids ages four to eight. It explains the idea of meditation to kids and their parents, who may also learn about it. But instead of using the usual terms, exercises and activities are given names that are more appealing to kids, like "vacuum cleaner breathing," "bubble mansion," and "roar like a lion," among other things.

If your child gets scared or anxious at night because he or she doesn't know what to do, these exercises can be very helpful.

The No-Nonsense Meditation Book: A Scientist's Guide to the Power of Meditation

There are some people who don't think of themselves as spiritual. Meditation, on the other hand, has spiritual roots, so it can be hard to sell to people at times. But today, there is a lot of meditation available and practiced in places that aren't religious. There is also a lot of research to back up the mental health benefits people have been experiencing for centuries.

Steven Laureys, a board-certified neurologist who wrote this book, takes that kind of approach. In it, he makes a very interesting and compelling case about what meditation does to our brains and why it's important. He then gives some practical and easy-to-follow advice on how to start meditating.

Final 

Though each of these books brings something different to the table, there are two that stand out. The first is Practical Meditation for Beginners: 10 Days to a Happier, Calmer You (view at Amazon) by Benjamin W. Decker. With a spiral binding that allows the book to lay flat, along with introductions to ten different types of meditation, and clear, concise writing, this book is perfect for someone looking to learn the basics and test the waters of meditation.

The second is The No-Nonsense Meditation Book: A Scientist's Guide to the Power of Meditation (view at Amazon) by Steven Laureys. Not only will this book appeal to those who are convinced and motivated primarily (or solely) by logic and science, it’ll also appeal to those who are drawn to meditation as a spiritual practice, as it backs up several of their longstanding claims about the mental health benefits.

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