Updated 14Aug21 by Angela Collevecchio.
When starting a meditation practice it can be hard to know where to begin. Luckily, many before you have shared wisdom in books. And today I am revealing the best meditation books for beginners to jump-start your journey.
In the last decade, mindfulness and meditation have become more mainstream, and books have begun pouring into the market.
Reading a well-researched book from one of the many meditation masters can help solidify abstract concepts and give you tools to integrate mindfulness into your life.
After my own long journey with meditation, I compiled this list of the 7 best meditation books for beginners that offer a variety of insights into meditation from experts like psychologists, meditation masters, and neurologists.
Each description includes an author bio and book overview to help you determine which book best matches your needs.
Summary: Best Meditation Books for Beginners
1. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn
2. No Mud No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hahn
3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
4. Radical Compassion by Tara Brach
5. The Art of Happiness by 14th Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler
6. Waking Up by Sam Harris
7. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
8. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
9. Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield
10. How to Meditate by Pema Chondron
This article contains affiliate amazon links – so for no extra cost to you, Chill Chief receives a small commission on each book purchased. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The products on this list are not sponsored.
Best Meditation Books for Beginners
Modern-day science continues to uncover evidence of the ability of meditation to lower stress, increase focus, improve productivity, and increase overall wellbeing. If your looking for ways to add informal mindfulness practice into your day, this article is a great starting point.
I personally explored mindfulness and meditation to reduce anxiety. It has not only served its original purpose but has helped me live a more full and present life.
As a beginner or as an expert, a great way to learn about meditation and how to integrate it into everyday life is by consulting the experts through their books – and these 10 best meditation books for beginners will help you do just that.
1. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn
Practical. Easy to Understand.
About the Book: This best-selling book is perfect for anybody looking to learn practical everyday mindfulness, explained in simple language.
Thich Nhat Hahn makes mindfulness digestible by offering a large number of manageable practices for modern life, like walking meditation, to increase happiness and presence.
No activity is left undiscovered – with mindfulness being applied to sitting at stoplights, waiting to answer the phone and even washing dishes.
About the Author: Thich Nhat Hahn is a Buddhist Zen meditation master, poet, author, and peacemaker. He is responsible for making mindfulness accessible to non-Buddhists in everyday life in a practice called Engaged Buddhism. He was nominated for a noble peace prize by Martin Luther King Jr for his peace work and has taught mindfulness across the world, including at Princeton and Harvard Medical School.
2. No Mud, No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hahn
Practical. Focused on reducing suffering.
About the Book: In this book, Thich Nhat Hahn focuses on transforming human suffering into genuine joy.
He teaches simple yet moving practices that shift our perspective of emotional and physical pain. A shift that allows us to embrace rather than resist pain.
Some of the methods he teaches include mindful breathing and deep concentration to come in contact with suffering without being overwhelmed by it.
About the Author: Thich Nhat Hahn is a Buddhist Zen meditation master, poet, author, and peacemaker. He is responsible for making mindfulness accessible to non-Buddhists in everyday life in a practice called Engaged Buddhism. He was nominated for a noble peace prize by Martin Luther King Jr for his peace work and has taught mindfulness across the world, including at Princeton and Harvard Medical School.
3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Philosophical. Spiritual.
About the Book: This book is more of a broad philosophical guide to mindful living than a step-by-step practical for specific activities in everyday life.
A #1 New York Bestselling book that has been featured in Oprah’s book club. This book pulls from a variety of spiritual teachings to create a guide for living in the present moment.
It focuses on the philosophical principles of abandoning the ego and embracing conscious awareness.
About the Author: Eckhart Tolle is a world-renowned spiritual teacher whose teachings focus on higher consciousness and inner peace. His life’s work began after a profound inner transformation at age 29, and the message has been followed by prominent figures like Oprah and Deepak Chopra. He has also participated in meaningful summits with individuals like the Dalai Lama.
4. Radical Compassion by Tara Brach
Step-by-step process.
About the Book: This book acts as a step-by-step guide on how to release emotional suffering, embrace presence, and live with more compassion through lessons of mindfulness.
She uses an effective meditation practice called RAIN – recognizes, allow, investigate, and nurture – similar to a cognitive behavioral therapy approach. This practice helps work through heavy emotions like guilt, shame, anxiety, and self-doubt with self-compassion and clarity.
Anecdotal stories are littered throughout the book to help solidify the concepts and root them in the reader’s memory for future use during tough situations.
About the Author: Tara Brach is an American psychologist and internationally known teacher of mindfulness, meditation, emotional healing, and spiritual awakening. Tara practices engaged Buddhism, which focuses on bringing Buddhist practices into everyday life. She specialized in mindfulness and emotional healing and did her psychology dissertation on using meditation to overcome eating disorders.
5. The Art of Happiness by 14th Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler
Philosophical. Some practical tips.
About the Book: The Art of Happiness was created out of many discussions, stories, and meditations between Howard Cutler (scientific perspective) and the 14th Dalia Lama (Buddhist perspective) on issues about mental health and human wellbeing.
The book ultimately focuses on the fact that happiness is an internal state of mind and not one of external attainment.
This book covers philosophical conversations of happiness, the purpose of life, human compassion, transforming suffering, and overcoming obstacles.
About the Authors: The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and Howard Cutler created this book together. The 14th Dalia Lama is the current Dalia Lama, which is important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism. He won the Nobel Peace Price in 1989, among other peaceful, non-violent recognitions. Howard Cutler is an American psychologist, writer, and expert in human happiness.
6. Waking Up by Sam Harris
Philosophical. Scientific view.
About the Book: Waking Up addresses a new age concept of secular spirituality and explores topics about the illusion of self, psychedelics, meditation, and the nature of the mind.
This book is perfect for somebody looking to understand the mind and spirituality from a non-religious, introspective, philosophical, and scientific point of view.
About the Author: Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He is a seasoned meditator who has practiced meditation for more than 30 years and studied all over the world with renowned teachers. Sam is known for pushing the label on controversial subjects such as religion and free will, opening the door to hard philosophical conversations.
7. 10% Happier by Dan Harris
Humorous. Story-based.
About the Book: This New York Times Best Seller has a humorous tone and takes the reader into the modern world of science, pop culture, and meditation.
It outlines one man’s stresses of the fast-paced world we live in today and how Dan Harris found his way to be just 10% happier with meditation.
Dan also delves into the science behind the benefits of meditation and how he learned to embrace the peaceful act of doing nothing.
About the Author: Dan Harris is a co-anchor of Nightline, the weekend editions of Good Morning America, and numerous other ABC news shows. He began his journey to meditation after having a panic attack while filming live on TV. His burden of daily stress and the fast-paced lifestyle led him to trek inward to find true peace and happiness. Dan now wants to teach other people how to make happiness a reality in their own busy lives through mindfulness.
8. Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Practical. Step-by-step.
About the Book: This national bestseller has simple language and short chapters with suggested exercises for the reader to try.
Jon splits the book into three parts where he talks in detail about what meditation is, how to practice, and how to live a mindful life.
He makes meditation approachable with very simple practices and helps answer questions that inevitably come up when learning how to meditate.
This book is good for the beginner but is also a source of wisdom during any part of your meditation journey.
About the Author: Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is well-known around the world as a scientist, author, and meditation teacher with the goal of bringing mindfulness into medicine and into mainstream society. He is a professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, which helps people use mindfulness to reduce suffering from stress and anxiety. He is also the author of Full Catastrophe Living, Arriving at Your Own Door, and Coming to Our Senses.
9. Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield
Practical. Step-by-step.
About the Book: Starting with the basics, this book helps people who are new to meditation learn exactly what steps to take to build and maintain a practice.
Jack outlines how to get started and what to do when you become distracted or face common challenges that come with meditation.
He also includes a few foundational meditations that you can use to practice.
About the Author: Jack Kornfield has PhD in clinical psychology and has been teaching meditation internationally since 1974 after training as a Buddhist monk. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and founded the Spirit Rock Center in California. As one of the main teachers to bring meditation to the west, he has also authored dozens of books, speaks at countless events, and hosts online courses to help spread the wisdom of meditation.
10. How to Meditate by Pema Chodron
Practical. Step-by-step.
About the Book: This book creates an easy guide to understand how to meditate and use meditation to overcome difficult situations in life.
Pema talks about the importance of posture, breath, and how to create an attitude of unconditional friendliness to become friends with your mind.
She also talks about how to work with thoughts and emotions and stabilize the mind when hard things arise.
About the Author: Ani Pema Chödrön is an actively practicing American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun who is interested in bringing the teachings and ideas of Tibetan Buddhism to the west. She has a non-profit, The Pema Chödrön Foundation, and has written many books including, The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, When Things Fall Apart, The Places that Scare You, No Time To Lose, Practicing Peace in Times of War, How to Meditate, and Living Beautifully.
Some additional resources for a beginner interested in mindfulness and meditation:
- How to Start a Daily Meditation Practice
- Mindfulness Activities for Adults
- Daily Mindfulness Tips to Overcome Anxiety
- How to Use Mindfulness to be Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
