I have read many meditation books, but these are the 3 best meditation books for beginners. With so many meditation “gurus” out there, it’s difficult to know where to start. Whether you want to find inner peace, and self-love or manifest the life you want, these new meditation books have just what you need to learn the practice of meditation.
Here are the 3 best meditation books for beginners that are modern, actionable, and realistic. There is a reason why each is on the New York Times Best Selling List! These books will transform your life and help you gain peace in the present moment.
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What Are the 3 Best Meditation Books for Beginners?
The 3 best meditation books that I have personally read within the past year that have transformed my life are:
1. Inner Engineering, A Yogi’s Guide to Joy, by Sadhguru
Inner Engineering, A Yogi’s Guide to Joy
This book on how to find inner peace and joy through going inward provides practical steps on living a meditative life.
If you have not heard of Sadhguru, watch some of his insightful teachings and meditations on YouTube. His Isha Kriya practice is a powerful meditation for beginners. His program Inner Engineering, has transformed thousands of lives and is offered both in person and online.
Sadhguru’s book Inner Engineering, shares practical and powerful insights on why “going inward” can provide clarity and stability to one’s emotions. He describes meditation as a way of being, not just a practice that you “do”. Sadhguru teaches readers a practical, scientific-based “technology”. His wisdom is profound.
This book is an easy, enlightening read and a great way to gain insight on not just “how” to meditate but why we need to become “mediative” in the first place. After reading this book, I promise, you will never be the same.
2. The 6 Phase Meditation Method, by Vishen Lakhiani
The 6 Phase Meditation Method
This book will teach you how to meditate by taking you into an alpha brainwave state. Once in an alpha state, you will learn to meditate on gratitude, and forgiveness and visualize your perfect day.
If you are a beginner mediator, this meditation practice covers all the basics such as gratitude meditation, forgiveness, and manifestation. If you have not heard of Vishen Lakhiani, he is the founder of Mindvalley, a personal development platform.
After watching some of Mindvalley’s videos on YouTube and their impressive teachers on everything from meditation to improving memory and physical health, I splurged for the $450.00 membership and it has been worth every penny!
The Six Phase Meditation cycles through body scan meditation, gratitude, forgiveness, and manifesting your “perfect day” (which is my favorite part). It’s a great way for beginner meditators to get the “lay of the land”. This is another easy read that will inspire you to incorporate meditation into your life. If you are new to meditation, you need this book.
3. Think Like a Monk, by Jay Shetty
Think Like a Monk
This book provides actionable meditations after each chapter and provides insight into understanding the mind. It also focuses on present-day gratitude and forgiveness. It’s an insightful journey on how to develop emotional intelligence.
Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” is the number-one health podcast in the world! His book “Think Like a Monk” chronicles his journey on what inspired him to become a monk and then re-enter the world with a mission to share his knowledge so others may gain wisdom, joy, and clarity. This is why it is one of the 3 best meditation books for beginners out there today!
Think Like a Monk teaches practices to distinguish between the ego and the true “self” while building self-efficacy. I love the meditation practices after each chapter which I have incorporated into my daily life.
This book, like Vishen’s 6 Phase Meditation, also explores gratitude and forgiveness, again two key principles all beginner meditators should be prepared to practice daily. This book is enlightening, and practical and readers will be motivated to start meditating and manifesting the life they want right away!
Why Are These The 3 Best Meditation Books For Beginners?
Inner Engineering, The 6 Phase Meditation, and Think Like a Monk all provide insights on how each author started using meditation to improve their own lives. Each story individually, is inspiring enough to motivate readers to try the practice for themselves. Most importantly, they provide easy but powerful meditation techniques for beginners.
Reading all three books, however, can provide a broad landscape of information for a beginner to reap the benefits of being meditative within a short period. All three of these books are easy to read and actionable. Readers can immediately start to incorporate the practice of meditation into their daily lives.
What is Meditation and Mindfulness Anyway?
Meditation, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary means “to engage in contemplation or reflection”. It goes further to state that meditation is “to engage in mental exercises such as concentrating on breathing or the repetition of a mantra”. Meditation is an ancient practice that has been researched and is a proven method to reduce stress, improve health, and gain a sense of contentment in the present moment.
These 3 best meditation books for beginners, however, demonstrate that meditation and mindfulness are so much more than these statements. Meditation is a daily mental practice used to turn off the distracting sensory stimulus from the outside world and go inward.
What Are the Benefits of Meditation?
Meditation has been proven to relieve stress and improve mental and emotional well-being as well as physical health. Sleep meditation has also been proven to improve sleep quality. It’s a simple practice of “training your mind” to go inward and if done regularly, can transform how you live your life. It’s not just about deep breathing and “trying to clear your mind”.
Meditation and mindfulness practices are skills and habits that can be used to live more intentional, content lives. People use meditation for specific reasons, such as to be more grateful and content, to heal trauma and even to manifest their goals.
How to Meditate
- Often, guided meditation starts with noticing the breath, then relaxing different parts of the body which is also called a “body scan”.
- After relaxing the mind and body or being “mindful” of your current physical and mental state of being. the actual meditation process begins. Based on one’s goals, one may choose to engage in a focused area, such as gratitude or peace.
- Visualization is another powerful technique used once in a relaxed or “alpha brainwave state”.
- While visualizing, it’s important to feel the emotions. This will send a powerful message to your body and mind as if the thing you are visualizing has already happened.
This list of the 3 best meditation books for beginners above provides simple but powerful meditation techniques. They walk the reader step by step through the “phases” of how to use these techniques for a more peaceful and reflective life.
Want to Learn More About Meditation Techniques?
For a deeper dive into yoga for beginners, breathing meditation as well and transcendental meditation, check out each of these authors’ rich learning platforms below:
Isha.sadhguru.org
Visit the site to learn about Sadhguru shares “technologies wellness”. His platform has a wealth of inspiring and practical information.
Mindvalley.org
Vishen Lakhiani founded Mindvalley which provides a wide array of personal development practices to transform lives. Splurge on the membership to access “Quests” which are transformative programs that can change your life.
On Purpose, Jayshetty.me
This is Jay Shetty’s podcast which is the #1 health podcast in the world. Jay Shetty interviews top performers and inspiring celebrities who share their personal journeys of overcoming obstacles.
