Mindful Books to Read In the Sun

These books are capturing our attention.

By Mindful Staff
June 14, 2016

Woman hands holding book with the sea side in background.

WIRED TO CONNECT

The Surprising Link Between
Brain Science and Strong, Healthy Relationships
Amy Banks, with Leigh Ann Hirschman • Tarcher Perigee
Relationships happen between individu- als, but also between neural pathways in your brain. Left unchecked, old habits and thinking patterns affect the way you inter- act with your closest friends and partners. Using a system called “C.A.R.E.” that identifies various brain regions, Banks offers a way to investigate those patterns and lay down new tracks that support healthier, happier relationships.

GRATITUDE

Oliver Sacks • Knopf
Few people can claim to have changed the way large numbers of people think about themselves and their fellow humans. Neurologist Oliver Sacks did so repeatedly. By bringing a child’s curiosity to brains that veered from the “norm,” he asked us to think of them not as defective but as unique worlds of per- ception. This tiny book of four essays, written as he faced death, overflows with joy. It is we who must be grateful.

SELF-COMPASSION IN PSYCHOTHERAPY

Mindfulness-Based Practices for Healing and Transformation
Tim Desmond • W.W. Norton

Self-criticism is pervasive, and harmful. “Researchers have that found self-criti- cism is one of the biggest predictors of serious mental health problems,” writes Tim Desmond. “Relating with kindness,” as Desmond puts it, helps us shift gears. Desmond’s book integrates self-com- passion practices into therapy—for cli- ents and therapists. The book explores the science behind self-compassion and its clinical applications.

WHY CAN’T I MEDITATE?

How to Get Your Mindfulness Practice Back on Track
Nigel Wellings • Tarcher Penguin
Even long-time meditators can carry a lot of resistance to actually meditating. Wellings, a psychotherapist and mind- fulness teacher, unpacks this conun- drum in all its many dimensions, offering practical advice about both the simple and deep-seated obstacles that can keep us from doing something we know is good for us and those around us.

Well-Being

6 Mindful Books to Keep Your Mind Healthy

From celebrating human connectedness to healing with breathwork, here are six books (plus three podcasts) to keep on learning and nourishing yourself this fall. Read More