100 books like You Are Not Your Thoughts

The past has gone and can’t be changed; the future hasn’t happened yet. All we have is now. Yet so many of us pick over our pasts or spend far too much time worrying about the future and, in doing so, lose all those precious moments that make up the ‘now.’

The mainstay of therapy is bringing people back into the present to enjoy their lives more, and no book has done this quite so well as this one. It’s both thoughtful and therapeutic, philosophical and spiritual. Spirituality is considered a character strength in positive psychology (an attribute that, when used appropriately, can improve one's well-being and enhance one's resilience in the face of adversity).

It provides food for thought and a tonic for the soul. No small wonder then that it has sold so many copies and been translated into so many languages.

This is an expansive treatment of the intellectual and cultural ramifications of the bilateral mind from ancient times to the present. The dominance of the analytic left hemisphere (the “emissary”), McGilchrist fears, threatens to usurp its experience-grounded “master” – to the detriment of human culture.

While The Master and His Emissary and The Origin of Consciousness cover similar topics, it is interesting and important to note that there are areas where their perspectives complement each other and those where they differ, such as their accounts of schizophrenia. I still find myself vacillating between the two. I sometimes wonder whether my indecision may itself be the result of my own hemispheric split.

On the surface, this book might not seem like a book on mindfulness. The author probably wouldn’t make that claim. It is all about the mind though and how we think. Our thoughts don’t so much become things but they are things. What we think influences the world outside us, not just in how we perceive it but by our thoughts actually being mirrored in our reality. In an unusual style, of channeled Q&A, Lee Carroll outlines how we can think differently and, as a result, our world changes for the better.

I first came across Ruby Wax when she was a comic on the London comedy club scene in the 1980s. I met her briefly again, some 30 years later signing books next to me at a mindfulness conference. What’s so good about her writing is that it comes with great poignancy and is laced with her acerbic sense of humour. Her comedy was based on seeing through a situation and reframing it so we get a higher and more realistic view on things. In this book, she presents an accessible raison d’etre for taming the so-called ‘monkey mind’.

I absolutely adore this coloring book for teens (and adults!). The coloring pages aren't just pictures or detailed illustrations to color, but the pages also include self-affirmations and phrases teaching the reader about self-awareness. For example, one of the pages in the book writes "I breath in calm and I breath out stress" accompanied with a mandala. I love combining both of these elements! A mandala is often used by art therapists to help guide someone to become more centered and self-aware. I appreciate how the coloring book intertwines both mantras and meaningful artmaking to achieve self-awareness in the simplest forms. If you're looking for a coloring book to do with your teen specifically around mindfulness and meditation, this is the book for you!

It is difficult to find books that have both a solid research background and explain concepts in a manner that is easy to understand. As a Sophrologist, I have a strong interest in scientific studies that measure how meditative practices like mindfulness, sophrology, or transcendental meditation can transform our brain and therefore our consciousness. Dr. Laureys has written a captivating book, sharing his rigorous scientific approach while using an accessible tone throughout on how the brain of meditation masters of our time have transformed their brains. This book makes you want to take up meditation and explore the infinite possibilities of the mind.

Alphabreaths is brilliant. It’s a colorful alphabet book and a mindfulness book in one. Clinical psychologist Christopher Willard teamed up with family therapist Daniel Rechtsschaffen and illustrator Holly Clifton-Brown to create mindful activities from A to Z. Kids will want to try out these breath and mindfulness techniques because they are so simple, and the illustrations so inviting. You can do each one without any prior understanding of mindfulness or breath techniques.

My favorite pages include: “Question Breath. As you breathe in, ask yourself how you are feeling. As you breathe out, answer.”

“Superhero Breathe. Breathe in and imagine you are a superhero. Breathe out and imagine how you will help someone.”

“Wish Breath. Breathe in and make a happy wish for yourself. Breathe out and send a happy wish to someone else.”

I’m crazy about Clifton-Brown’s illustrations. Her characters express innocence, wonder, and serenity. Her palette is soft yet… show more.

Breathe Like a Bear is part of a series of seven books called Mindfulness Moments for Kids. I absolutely love this book as a way to immediately have real and effective tools to calm your toddler. The exercises in this book are simple, quick, and effective. Breathe Like a Bear is also illustrated so beautifully with vibrant colors to really keep young kids really engaged in the process. If you are looking to go further than identifying feelings and want to move into practices and tools to help regulate your child’s emotions, this is an excellent option. 

I happened to listen to The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion around the time that I first started seeing a therapist. So much of the coaching from my therapist was mirrored by the messages in Germer’s book. He provides specific tools we can use to increase self-love, including an emphasis on the value of meditation. 

I had the great fortune of doing my mindful outdoor leadership training with the author, Micah, a few years ago.

This book is a sweet dive that introduced me to the concept and practices associated with rewilding–mindfulness in nature, forest bathing, and ancestral skills like fire building.

It’s a go-to resource that I share with students and others who are interested in reconnecting to nature as a holistic practice.