Meditation Bookstore
Books for Beginners/Meditation Basics for Everybody
Christian Meditation and Contemplative Prayer
Healing Meditation
Jewish Meditation
Shambhala Meditation
Sufi (Islamic) Meditation
Buddhist Meditation
Creativity Meditations
Yoga Meditation
Magazines
How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life, by the Dalai Lama ($20) A practical explanation of Buddhism and Buddhist meditation techniques that includes instructions for several practices.
Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation, by Alan Watts, ($10) and also available on CD ($13). The book is a transcription of Zen Buddhism talks given during the mature years of his life. They are deep and revealing.
What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula ($10). Written by a Buddhist monk, this book is an excellent and accessible introduction to Buddhism based on the words of the Buddha.
Heart of Buddha's Teaching, by Thich Nhat Hanh ($14) A valuable description of the basic theories and practices of Buddhism from one of the most popular Buddhist teachers of our day.
The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hanh ($11) and on cassette ($18) one of the most popular books from this very popular teacher, filled with practical instructions for meditation practice.
Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, by Thich Nhat Hanh ($11) Commentaries, meditations and anecdotes.
The Long Road Turns to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation, by Thich Nhat Hanh ($8) to facilitate the practice of walking peacefully.
The Wisdom of No Escape And The Path of Loving Kindness, by Pema Chodron, ($10) and the same book in a pocket edition: Awakening Loving-Kindness, ($7). This book is a series of talks by the American Buddhist nun who is among the most popular modern Buddhist meditation teachers.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chodron ($13) and on CD ($24). The graceful, conversational tone of Chodron's writing gives the impression of sitting on a pillow across from Pema herself.
Good Medicine: How to Turn Pain Into Compassion with Tonglen Meditation, by Pema Chodron (CD, $17) Sixteen recorded talks and guided meditation practices in Pema's charming, intimate style.
Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving Kindness, by Chogyam Trungpa, ($10). This book introduces and explains 59 slogans that can be used to breathe life into your daily meditation practice.
A Heart as Wide as the World, by Sharon Salzberg, ($10), also available on cassette ($13). meditation instructions.
Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, by Sharon Salzberg ($12) A popular American meditation teacher and cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, Salzberg gives lucid, easy-to-follow meditation instructions in this book. And guided meditations on tape: Loving-Kindness Meditation ($13).
Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen, by Shunryu Suzuki ($10) and Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki ($10). It is safe to say that every Zen student has read both of these excellent books.
Taking the Path of Zen, by Robert Aitken, ($10) This is the ‘how-to-meditate” book that you’ve been looking for, with detailed instructions about establishing meditation in your daily life.
The Way of Zen, by Alan Watts ($10) This classic book from the man who inspired America’s beat poets gives the history and philosophy of Zen Buddhism better than any other book.
A Path With Heart, by Jack Kornfield ($12) A meditation teacher and social activist, Kornfield offers practical advice and personal anecdotes about meditation.
Good Life, Good Death, by Gelek Rimpoche ($10) Focuses in particular on re-incarnation and why that concept infuses life with motivation to meditate.
The Tara Box: Rituals for Protection and Healing From the Female Buddha, by Gelek Rimpoche, Brenda Rosen, ($16) includes several Tara meditations that you can learn on your own. According to the author, this is the first time these meditations are available to the general public.
Tara The Feminine Divine, by Bokar Rinpoche ($19). Bokar Rinpoche presents the various aspects of Tara and the origin of her tantra, relates contemporary examples of her benevolent activity, provides an explanation of her praise, offers instruction for devotional practice, and discusses remarkable women in Indian and Tibetan Buddism.
In Praise of Tara: Songs to the Saviouress: Source Texts from India and Tibet on Buddhism's Great Goddess, by Martin Willson, ($25). This book is a collection of source texts, poems and songs of devotion.
How to Free Your Mind: Tara The Liberator, by Thubten Chodron, ($11). This book contains practical advice about how to use Tara meditations to develop a calm mind, free from suffering of all kinds.
Turning the Mind into an Ally, by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche ($17) This book joins two streams of meditation teachings: Buddhism and Shambhala. Sakyong Mipham offers detailed instructions for 'building a courageous mind through the practice of sitting meditation.'
World as Lover, World as Self, by Joanna Macy ($11) Macy writes about meditation in action, detailing how to 'make sense of the world adn find the capacity to enter it and take action creatively and with authority.'
Dharma Punx: A Memoir, by Noah Levine ($13). A Buddhist teacher, Levine holds a masters degree in counseling psychology. This book recounts his personal journey from punker bars to meditation halls. It also includes the meditation instructions that Levine currently teaches to juveniles and prison inmates.
Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens, by Diana Winston with a foreward by Noah Levine, ($14). Winston has been teaching meditation to young people since 1993 and works with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, California. This book includes practical advice based on Buddhist training, as well as meditation instruction geared for teenagers.
The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwey ($11). Billie Jean King called this her tennis bible when it was first published in 1972. This is a new and revised edition.The Zen of Seeing:Seeing/Drawing as Meditation, by Frederick Franck ($14) and a companion book, Zen Seeing/Zen Drawing: Meditation in Action ($13). Franck developed these books from his experiences teaching people to connect with their innate creativity through drawing.
One Hundred Demons, by Lynda Barry ($17) Barry is a cartoonist with Salon.com. In this book, she shares some of her own demons, and offers instructions for drawing your own with ink and brush.
Writing Down The bones, by Natalie Goldberg ($11) and on cassette($20). A writing instructor and Zen student offers exercises and advice about writing more creatively.
The Shambhala Guide to Yoga, by Georg Feuerstein ($10) provides an excellent overview to all the many Yoga practices and experiences you can find in modern practice.
Living Your Yoga: Find the Spiritual in Everyday Life, by Judith Lasater ($10). A Yoga teacher who understands the demands of modern life, Lasater offers dozens of ways to practice in the midst of daily living.
Yoga for Dummies, by Georg Feuerstein ($14) covers all the basics in the easy-to-follow style typical of this book series. A perfect introduction for beginners.
Yoga Journal magazine, ($19 for 7 issues/year) has healthy living and yoga practice tips for everyone.
Tikkun magazine ($29 for 6 issues/year) politics and culture for socially engaged Jews.
Tricycle magazine ($26 for 4 issues/year) an independent magazine that covers all the various Buddhist traditions found in America.
Turning Wheel magazine ($44 for 4 issues/year) published by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship and focusing on urgent matters of peace, social justice, environmental activism, and dharma practices.
The Shambhala Sun magazine is a wonderful monthly with regular articles about meditation practice. ($20 for 6 issues/year)
