Hi everyone! Something that I really enjoy doing is going to a meditation class offered by my local library. The woman who runs it, Joann Xi, is the founder of the Center for Health, Happiness, and Chan. This organization promotes a mindful and contemplative lifestyle and teaches the art of meditation to those in the greater Akron area. During class this week, Joann gave us a paper listing some helpful books, apps, podcasts, and websites that she recommends and I thought that I would share it with all of you. And, if you are interested in seeing Joann in action, check out my blog post which features her YouTube videos. She’s amazing!
From Eastern Traditions:
Books:
- The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka by William Hart
- Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
- True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa
- Bringing Home the Dharma by Jack Kornfield
- The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron
Podcasts:
- Insight Hour Podcast with Joseph Goldstein
- Ram Dass Hear and Now
- Heart Wisdom Podcast with Jack Kornfield
Websites:
From Western Traditions:
Books:
- Invitation to Love by Thomas Keating
- Intimacy with God by Thomas Keating
- Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Fully Present by Susan L Smalley and Diana Winston
- Mindful Work by David Gelles
Audio Books:
- Going on Being by Mark Epstein
- Going to Pieces without Falling Apart by Mark Epstein
Podcasts:
- 10% Happier with Dan Harris
Apps:
- Headspace (Westernized version of eastern meditation practices)
YouTube:
- Zen Den
- Cosmic Kids
Websites:
Integration of East/West:
Books:
- Living Zen Loving God by Ruben L.F. Habito
- The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale
- The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts
I hope that some of these wonderful options to help introduce you to meditation or further your practices prove to be beneficial to those who need it. Once a skeptic, I truly believe in the power of meditation and the amazing work that Joann is doing, so please enjoy!
Who else participates in meditation? What are some ways that help you to relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
I like yoga in particular Yoga with Adriene! 🙏🏻😌
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Ahhh me too!! She’s awesome!! 😀
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Yes I think she’s amazing!!! 🙏🏻😌
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nice article
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YOGA! But also, I wanted to say that Headspace is a great app. The first set of daily guided meditation for beginners is free. So if you haven’t checked that out I do recommend it 🙂
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I’ve been using the app Serenity for my meditation practice and I really enjoy it. As an auditory person with a busy mind, apps have been invaluable in helping me meditate.
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Oh nice, I’ll have to check that out for sure!
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A very informative article for meditation beginners, lots of useful links and information. Also, great book recommendations as well. Thanks for sharing!
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Of course! I’m glad you found them helpful!
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Thanks for the great list of recommendations! A great list.
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Thank you so much. I feel a little overwhelmed by the length of the list. What is your number one recommendation to get started?
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I would say to give yourself a short amount of quiet time per day (five minutes will do) and expand on it from there. When I started meditating I could barely tolerate five minutes but now I can handle 45 no problem. It’s like strength training for your mind so start small and build on it when you feel comfortable 🙂
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This is SO helpful!! Thank you!!! I’m right at the start of my meditation journey and finding it more than a little challenging. Is there any particular item on the list you’d say stands out for beginners? No worries if not, I’ll work my way through them, I’m sure. Thanks again for posting this.
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I actually haven’t dabbled into anything on here, it’s just what my zen master recommended. But she has talked frequently about the Mark Epstein books! 🙂
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Thanks! I’ll take a look.
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No problem!
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listen to this.
🙂
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Awesome!! Thank you! I’ll listen after work today.
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your welcome.folllow my blog.http://rhiannoncarterswebsite.home.blog
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Meditation is the world best treatment to reduce hair fall. I am trying last 1-year meditation, exercise, yoga and health diet schedule.
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great set of resources – thank you! takealeap.blog
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No problem!!
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All these resources are very useful, invite you to my blog for more reference. https://tantraplusyoga.wordpress.com
Hope, you will find it useful.
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Useful references. Thank you.
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But of course!
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Such wonderful book recomendations! Thanks for sharing
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No problem!! ❤
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Great resources, you can try
http://www.awakenplus.com for more insights.
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Awesome! Thank you 🙂
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Thanks for the resources. How about Shinzen Young’s Science of Enlightenment? It’s quite brilliant
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Oooh I’ll have to check it out! Thanks!
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Great it’s good…
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I love this post thanks for sharing, can I add ajahn brahm into the list, English Buddhist monk trained in Thailand now lives Australia does a really good YouTube channel.
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Ooooh awesome! Great suggestion!
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