Books to get you started

We often find starting a new journey to be a little tricky, wondering “where on earth do I start and where do I look for inspiration?”. With access to a plethora of online material and gurus to guide us, it can be a little overwhelming and may even be a hurdle for us to get the ball rolling. Sometimes, the easiest thing we can do to enlighten us on a new topic, is simply to read about it. I’ve put together some of the top books out there that won’t bog you down with technical terms, that will give you simple ways to incorporate practice into your daily life; and hopefully will leave you feeling inspired to start your journey. 

1. How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body by Dr David Hamilton. In this book, David explores how the effect of visualisation, belief and positive thinking can have a positive effect on our bodies. Based on scientific research, this book is a great way to discover how the mind and body are connected. 
2. Into the Heart of Mindfulness: Finding a Way of Well-being by Ed Halliwell. Using his own experience with anxiety and depression, Ed explains how mindfulness transformed his way of life. Reiterating how its a lifelong path - not a quick fix - he shares a very relatable journey to an ancient practice that can often feel a little out of reach. 
3. Mindfulness in Action by Chogyam Trungpa. This a great book if you’re ready to take mindfulness out of context and start putting it to practice. Sharing wisdom and encouragement, Chogyam gives readers the tools they need to incorporate practice into our busy modern lives. 
4. The Mindful Day: Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm, and Joy from Morning to Evening by Laurie J. Cameron. Combining contemplative traditions, modern neuroscience, and psychology, this engaging, relatable book is the ultimate how-to guide for overscheduled adults looking to bring peace and focus to their daily lives at home, in the workplace, and beyond.
5. Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana. Spoken in the words of meditation master Henepola Gunaratana, this book is great for explaining mindfulness in layman’s terms. This clear guide will you give you  step-by-step instructions on how to get into mindfulness. 

Some of these books have been around for years so you may be able to find them for a fraction of the price second-hand, download them as an audio book or Amazon has them. If you have any questions about getting started, we'd love to hear from you! We also run an 8-week 1-2-1 mindfulness programme which is fantastic for beginners. 

By Jess Vant
Digital creator and blog writer for Tranceform