I've read countless books on meditation — this one's my favorite!
If I would have to start from scratch, this is the meditation manual I would use. I’ve personally learned meditation mainly via apps and meditation retreats. And I have to say that neither any app I’ve tried nor the meditation retreats have given me as useful instructions as this book.
What I like most about Culadasa’s approach is his emphasis on finding enjoyment in every single meditation session. I never focused on pleasure and positive sensations before reading the book, thinking I should accept and observe both pleasure and pain in a neutral way. That meant that my meditations were never really that enjoyable. They felt more like a chore and drudgery. Instead of looking forward to meditating, I used to dread it.
Allowing myself to enjoy my meditations has made a big difference. And given everything I know about savoring and positive emotion regulation, it makes a lot of sense to do what Culadasa recommends. If you're meditating regularly or want to start doing so, I highly recommend it. (I read it for the first time a couple of years ago and re-read it this year.)
A revolutionary, science-based approach to meditation from a neuroscientist turned meditation master, The Mind Illuminated is an accessible, step-by-step toolkit for anyone looking to start—or improve—their daily meditation practice.
The book that bestselling meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg raves “brings the path of meditation to life,” The Mind Illuminated is the first how-to meditation guide from a neuroscientist who is also an acclaimed meditation master. This innovative book offers a 10-stage program that is both deeply grounded in ancient spiritual teachings about mindfulness and holistic health, and also draws from the latest brain science to provide a roadmap for anyone interested…
One of my all-time favorite books by one of my all-time favorite teachers.
I’ve read many of Hawkins’ books and watched hours and hours worth of clips from his lectures on YouTube. His work has been immensely valuable to me. He’s probably the author from whom I’ve read the largest number of books. (Note: That doesn’t mean I agree with everything he said and wrote.)
In Letting Go, Hawkins describes in detail various states of human consciousness, including apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, pride, courage, acceptance, love, and peace. The technique of letting go describes a way of dealing with these various states so that one can handle them more effectively, move past them, and reach a higher level of consciousness.
Yes, it sounds very woo-woo and spiritual. But for me, the descriptions of these various states and the technique for dealing with them has been invaluable. His ideas have helped me in dealing with shame, insecurities, self-criticism, pride, and more. In general, they have helped me deal with my inner world much more effectively. As a result, I’m much more emotionally intelligent. I’m more accepting of myself and life situations, more relaxed, calm, at ease, peaceful, and so on.
I find the book so helpful that I re-read it regularly.
A powerful mechanism to help you surrender anything holding you back on your path to Enlightenment and find fulfilment, truth and spiritual growth.
Letting Go describes a simple and effective means by which to let go of the obstacles to Enlightenment and become free of negativity. During the many decades of the author's clinical psychiatric practice, the primary aim was to seek the most effective ways to relieve human suffering in all of its many forms.
The inner mechanism of surrender was found to be of great practical benefit and is described in this book. Dr Hawkins's previous books focused…
This book details Itzler's experiences of having former Navy Seal David Goggins living with him and training him for 31 days. It’s a fun and entertaining read. I especially liked it because it kind of redefines what I view as “normal.” It shows that it’s okay and perhaps even beneficial to do weird and tough things.
I’m probably not going to do Goggins’ 4x4x48 challenge – running 4 miles, every 4 hours, for 48 hours. Or 100 pull-ups in a row. Or 500 pushups in a single day. But I find myself doing other challenging and somewhat silly things, like taking more and longer cold showers or going for longer runs. I’m also not as worried anymore about a bad night’s sleep or about overtraining.
It’s a quick and entertaining read that influenced my worldview in a positive way.
Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler chronicles his month of living and extreme fitness training with a Navy SEAL in the New York Times and #1 LA Times bestseller Living With a Seal, now with two bonus chapters.
Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler will try almost anything. His life is about being bold and risky. So when Jesse felt himself drifting on autopilot, he hired a rather unconventional trainer to live with him for a month-an accomplished Navy SEAL widely considered to be "the toughest man on the planet"!
Living With a Seal is like a buddy movie if it starred the Fresh Prince of…
“When in flow, the individual operates at full capacity.” —MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI
From top athletes and successful coaches to world-class creatives, famous artists, and major companies like Toyota, Patagonia, and Ericsson—they are all singing the praises of flow.
Flow is the state of total absorption in an activity. Everything feels smooth and fluent, easy and effortless. You feel confident and in total control. Freed from worries and self-doubts, you’re able to perform to the best of your ability. Flow is special because it combines high enjoyment with high performance.
Decades of research have shown that flow holds the key to peak performance, skill development, and well-being—that’s why flow is sought after by high performers all over the world. As Nils Salzgeber puts it: Fulfilling your potential depends on your ability to experience flow.
Mastering Flow takes you on a groundbreaking exploration into the fascinating world of flow and shows you how to experience this elusive state with greater ease and frequency.
