Learning meditation has never been easier. These days, there are workshops, meditation apps, instructional videos, and workshops available. Not so long ago, this wasn’t the case. Finding resources on meditation was a lot more difficult than it is today. Despite this shift, however, books remain some of the most excellent resources on meditation.

So, whether you’re new to meditation, looking to deepen your practice, or just considering learning some things about living mindfully, we’ve curated a list of the best meditation books for beginners. The books are detailed, simple to understand, and practical, so even if you are a more experienced meditator, you will still find value in reading them.

Our Top Meditation Books for Newcomers

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life

If you’re looking for a light and more modern approach to meditation without the usual Buddhist theme, then this is the meditation book for you. Written in the 1990s by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are is a direct guide for an audience curious about Mindful Living.

It is straightforward and free-flowing without a traditional structure of many Buddhist themed meditation books. You’re allowed the freedom to practice mindfulness just how it suits you. There is also a lot of brief, insightful notes about mindfulness alongside suggestions you’ll find helpful for your daily living.

Jon Kabat-Zinn also shatters stereotypes and myths about meditation and offers readers guidance on meditating regularly in simple ways.

How to Meditate

A renowned meditation author, Pema Chödrön’s book How to Meditate is a comprehensive guide on meditation. It shows readers how to honestly meet and relate openly with the mind. In this book, readers are walked through the meditation basics such as postures, settling, and breathing.

The book also guides readers through the process of cultivating an attitude of unconditional friendliness.

Readers uncover the three ingredients for a well-balanced practice – patience, gentleness, and humor.  They also discover that thoughts and emotions can be “sheer delight” instead of obstacles in meditation.

How to Meditate is definitely one book to consider if you’re new to meditation, curious about it, or simply seeking to deepen your knowledge.

The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have

A favorite since its publication in 2000, its fame grew after Oprah Winfrey picked it as one of her favorite things. The author Mark Nepo had written the book in response to his journey through cancer a decade before publication.

His experience led him to create a daybook for everyone, not just people facing life-threatening experiences. In Nepo’s own words, The Book Of Awakening is “a book to help people meet their days and inhabit their lives…….a book that could serve up inner food….a spiritual first aid kit.”

A modern classic speaking to thousands of readers, its premise is that people everywhere have a wisdom of their own and the book is there to guide them to it.

A daily guide for thriving through hard times, this book reminds us that the life we’re living is the life we have. And that, when truly lived, can and usually becomes the life we want.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

The Daily Stoic provides readers with 366 days of stoic exercises and insights. The book features all-new translation from Seneca, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Philosopher Epictetus, and others like Cleanthes, Zeno, and Musonius.

For every day of the year, there is a powerful pithy quotation, historical anecdotes, thought-provoking commentary, and a glossary of Greek terminologies. In this book, readers are introduced to the self-knowledge, resilience, and serenity required to live every moment consciously.

Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul

In Journey to The Heart, Melody Beattie provides you with the tools required to explore the magnificence and awesomeness of your being. Beattie writes with the warmth, compassion, and honesty her readers know and love her works for.

You are taken through the part of spiritual growth and rejuvenation, and the book will inspire you as you explore and discover your life’s purpose. Through the methods in this book, you will learn to connect more deeply with your being, the magic in the universe around you, and the creative force.

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

The simple meditation steps outlined in this book encourages beginners to form a regular and effective meditation routine that is perfect for them. A book by Benjamin Decker, you’ll find a daily organized structure for building your meditation skills.

This practical and useful meditation book for beginners is a true and complete guide to meditating effectively.

Just Sit: A Meditation Guidebook for People Who Know They Should But Don’t

This is a must-read meditation book for people whose tight schedules or doubts about Mindful Living continues to keep them from meditating. Just Sit is one practical and engaging guide every beginner should have.

The authors Sukey and Elizabeth Novogratz not only assuage fears and doubts, but they also answer questions and provide practical information to simplify the process of meditation. It shows readers just how to do it as the authors debunk the myth that meditation has to be complicated or rigid.

The book also includes an eight-week plan to help you kick start and enjoy your own daily sessions.

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book

A New York Times bestseller for over eight years, The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz unearths the source of beliefs that deny us of joy and cause wanton suffering.

The book, which is based on ancient Toltec wisdom, provides readers with a powerful code of conduct that can dramatically transform lives into a whole new experience of love, genuine happiness, and freedom.

The Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Words
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions.
4. Always Do Your Best

Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance

Not the regular book about Mindful Living and meditation, Stress Less, Accomplish More is just the book you need to boost your brainpower. Not only that, but the book also offers you practical advice on dealing with stress, enjoying restful sleep, and fully changing your lifestyle for the better.

Emily Fletcher walks readers through the ways to live purposely and achieve set goals by making small, but conscious and helpful adaptations to daily schedules.

The book focuses on Ziva meditation, a technique involving 15 minutes of meditation twice daily. They back the method and the science behind it with real-life case studies to detail its many benefits. Plus, the writing style is conversational and chatty, making it super easy to enjoy and understand.

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program

Rated highly for its ability to make meditation accessible to beginners, but even the experienced can benefit from this book.

This is a book for you if you want to truly be more in the present and consciously live in every moment.  In a universe marked by endless distractions, selfishness, absent-mindedness, and unkindness, this book by Sharon Salzberg is a real breath of fresh air.

Real Happiness offers readers ways to combat these daily negativities of life. Salzberg’s gentle and loving attitude reflected throughout the pages of the book, and her uncanny ability to make meditation easy and enjoyable for all makes it more than worth the read.

Final Words

There you go; ten must-have books for meditation beginners, or for those looking to expand their knowledge on the subject. Do you know any other interesting, practical, and helpful books on meditation? Share with us. Read any on our list? We’d like to know how it helped you, tell us in the comments.