Here are 100 books that You Are Not Your Thoughts fans have personally recommended if you like You Are Not Your Thoughts. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Carmen Vlasceanu Author Of Dare to C.A.R.E.

From my list on guiding you towards a more meaningful life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm Carmen F. Vlasceanu, PhD, FIH, hospitality executive, mentor, and author who believes in leading with a good heart and living with purpose. Through my book Dare to C.A.R.E. and the life coaching I offer, I help people reconnect with their inner power, serve others authentically, and grow in every area of life. As a single mom, global citizen, and lifelong learner, I’ve walked through burnout, reinvention, and bold dreaming. These books have helped me rediscover my voice, redefine my mission, and remember what really matters. They helped ground me in faith, encouraged my evolution, and reminded me why meaningful connection always comes first.

Carmen's book list on guiding you towards a more meaningful life

Carmen Vlasceanu Why Carmen loves this book

This book helped me shift my mindset, and I first picked it up during a stressful phase of my life. I gave myself some time to simply breathe and take it in. It reminded me that the “now” is not just a passing second, but a sacred space where peace and clarity live.

I love how it helped me stop living in the echo of yesterday or the fear of tomorrow. I remember closing my eyes and whispering, “This moment is enough,” and feeling my shoulders relax for the first time in weeks. It helped me feel more connected with myself, my son, my clients, and in doing so, intentionally live every moment with more compassion, stillness, and supremacy.

By Eckhart Tolle ,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked The Power of Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**CHOSEN BY OPRAH AS ONE OF HER 'BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH'**

The international bestselling spiritual book, now with a new look for its 20th anniversary. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier, happier, mindful life by living in the present moment.

************

'I keep Eckhart's book at my bedside. I think it's essential spiritual teaching. It's one of the most valuable books I've ever read.' Oprah Winfrey

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart…


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Book cover of The High House

The High House by James Stoddard,

The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.

The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.

Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn the…

Book cover of The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World

James Blachowicz Author Of The Bilateral Mind as the Mirror of Nature: A Metaphilosophy

From my list on the nature and capacities of our bilateral minds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always had equally balanced interests in the arts/humanities and the natural sciences. I like to think that I inherited much of this from my analytical “algebraic” mother, who was a nurse and tended to our family finances, and my holistic “geometrical” father, who was a carpenter. It’s probably no accident that my double major in college was in physics and philosophy...and, down the line, that I should develop a focused interest in human brain laterality, where the division between analysis and holism is so prominent.

James' book list on the nature and capacities of our bilateral minds

James Blachowicz Why James loves this book

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.


By Iain McGilchrist ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Master and His Emissary as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A pioneering exploration of the differences between the brain's right and left hemispheres and their effects on society, history, and culture-"one of the few contemporary works deserving classic status" (Nicholas Shakespeare, The Times, London)

"Persuasively argues that our society is suffering from the consequences of an over-dominant left hemisphere losing touch with its natural regulative 'master' the right. Brilliant and disturbing."-Salley Vickers, a Guardian Best Book of the Year

"I know of no better exposition of the current state of functional brain neuroscience."-W. F. Bynum, TLS

Why is the brain divided? The difference between right and left hemispheres has been…


Book cover of Don't Think Like a Human: Channelled Answers to Basic Questions

Tom Evans Author Of The Authority Guide to Practical Mindfulness: How to improve your productivity, creativity and focus by slowing down for just 10 minutes a day

From my list on mindfulness and how it can help you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started meditating in my min-40s as I was in a stressful job. I resisted at first, thinking I was too busy and that I couldn’t make my active mind go quiet. I persisted though and soon discovered that I had a better day all around on days when I meditated and seemed to be pushing water uphill when I missed my morning meditation. Intrigued by this, the engineer in me researched why this might be. I started writing books on how it can help and I learned how to script and record my own meditations. Over fifteen years later, I find myself as one of the top meditation guides on the Insight Timer app, with over 4 million listens.

Tom's book list on mindfulness and how it can help you

Tom Evans Why Tom loves this book

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.

By Lee Carroll ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Think Like a Human as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Magnetic master Lee Kryon answers questions about Earth changes, live essence medicines, past-life relationships, and the nature of extraterrestrials. Carroll has good news about how humans have raised the vibration of the planet, thus avoiding much of the catastrophe predicted by the prophets. Kryon says, "I admonish you to let yourself feel my presence in your heart, and let yourself have the peace which can be yours...." In 1988, Carroll began channeling the entity known as Kryon. Now, he and his wife Jan hold seminars on the Kryon material all over the world.


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Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Book cover of Sane New World: Taming the Mind

Tom Evans Author Of The Authority Guide to Practical Mindfulness: How to improve your productivity, creativity and focus by slowing down for just 10 minutes a day

From my list on mindfulness and how it can help you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started meditating in my min-40s as I was in a stressful job. I resisted at first, thinking I was too busy and that I couldn’t make my active mind go quiet. I persisted though and soon discovered that I had a better day all around on days when I meditated and seemed to be pushing water uphill when I missed my morning meditation. Intrigued by this, the engineer in me researched why this might be. I started writing books on how it can help and I learned how to script and record my own meditations. Over fifteen years later, I find myself as one of the top meditation guides on the Insight Timer app, with over 4 million listens.

Tom's book list on mindfulness and how it can help you

Tom Evans Why Tom loves this book

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’.

By Ruby Wax ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sane New World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The mental health and mindfulness bestseller from A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled and How to be Human author Ruby Wax, who shows us why and how our minds can send us mad and how we can rewire our thinking to calm ourselves in a frenetic world.

'Finally - a map for the troubled human mind. And it's funny.' -Caitlin Moran

Ruby Wax - comedian, writer and mental health campaigner - shows us how our minds can jeopardize our sanity.

With her own periods of depression and now a Masters from Oxford in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy to draw from, she…


Book cover of The No-Nonsense Meditation Book: A Scientist's Guide to the Power of Meditation

Dominique Antiglio Author Of The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology: Breathe and Connect with the Calm and Happy You

From my list on self-awareness from a Sophrologist.

Why am I passionate about this?

Dominique Antiglio is a Qualified Sophrologist, former Osteopath, and best-selling author based in London. Sophrology is a simple practice for mental well-being supporting everyone to tap into the unlimited resources of consciousness and become empowered in daily life. Having used Sophrology to overcome her own issues as a teenager, Dominique is passionate about how each one of us can find resilience and meaning through difficult times. She is a world-leading Sophrologist, founder of BeSophro, a leading Sophrology clinic in London and a Sophrology platform so everyone can learn to practice the method based on relaxation, breathing, visualisation and movement. Dominique gained her Master's in Caycedian Sophrology under Professor Caycedo.

Dominique's book list on self-awareness from a Sophrologist

Dominique Antiglio Why Dominique loves this book

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.

By Steven Laureys ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The No-Nonsense Meditation Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

As featured in New Scientist: 'Meditation could retune our brains and help us cope with the long-term effects of the pandemic'

'Readers in search of an introduction to mindfulness that's free of woo-woo promises should look no further.' Publishers Weekly

'For a boost to your wellbeing don't miss the brilliant The No-Nonsense Meditation Book, which unites brain science with practical tips' - Stylist

Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, world-leading neurologist Dr Steven Laureys works with celebrated meditators to scientifically prove the positive impact meditation has on our brains.

Dr Steven Laureys has conducted ground-breaking research into human consciousness…


Book cover of Mindfulness Coloring Book for Teens & Adults

Janae Dueck Author Of Coloring God's Love for Me: 100 Devotions to Inspire Young Hearts

From my list on coloring books from a faith-based art therapist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love suggesting these topics of coloring books because my clinical work involves using art, coloring, and creativity in a therapeutic setting. I am an art therapist working with children in a hospital setting and am trained in applying the arts to build coping skills for managing difficult emotions. As a Christian author, I like to integrate both scripture and art to allow big concepts to become more comprehendible for the younger reader. Growing up, I've always been a visual learner! Art accesses parts of the brain that reading cannot. So, I hope these recommendations and my book can be just the start of discovering the benefits of art. 

Janae's book list on coloring books from a faith-based art therapist

Janae Dueck Why Janae loves this book

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!

By June , Lucy ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mindfulness Coloring Book for Teens & Adults as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The fast-paced world that surrounds us, dictates our daily lives and fills our schedules with appointments, chores and duties can sometimes be overwhelming and exhausting. It is therefore important to be able to hit pause from time to time, take a few moments of peace and quiet, and be mindful. Mindfulness helps us be more present, more aware of our environment and strengthen our general well-being.

With these inspirational quotes, feel the stress and pressure leave your body and see how calm and quiet reenter your life.

Coloring is a wonderful activity for relaxation and stress relief. So, grab this…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature

Loretta Pyles

From my list on rewilding and falling in love with outdoor adventure.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I built snow forts, climbed the white birch tree in my front yard, and talked to a rabbit named Bobby who lived in the bushes. I rode my bike on adventures, getting lost and exploring woods, ditches, and surrounding landscapes. In a household where I often felt unsafe, time outdoors was a refuge. Working in a career as a university professor of social work for the past 20 years, I have used mindful outdoor experiences, as well as yoga and meditation, as a source of healing. And I have loved sharing these practices with my students. Today, I am documenting my rewilding adventures in my van which has been a joyful way to honor my inner child.

Loretta's book list on rewilding and falling in love with outdoor adventure

Loretta Pyles Why Loretta loves this book

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. 

By Micah Mortali ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rewilding as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A unique guide to personal rewilding through mindfulness, yoga, and outdoor skills

At your core lies a wild, untamed soul-one with impeccable intuition, the ability to navigate the landscapes of your inner and outer worlds, and an unbreakable connection to Source. In Rewilding, Kripalu director Micah Mortali combines elements from the yoga and Buddhist traditions with ancestral skills to create a unique guide for reconnecting with your primal energy-your undomesticated inner self-and awakening your innate bond with the natural world.

First used by conservation groups to refer to restoring natural environments, "rewilding" has important implications for human well-being. When we…


Book cover of The New Mindful Home: And how to make it yours

Michelle Ogundehin Author Of Happy Inside: How to harness the power of home for health and happiness

From my list on homes for health, happiness, and healing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since I was old enough to move my bedroom furniture around I was profoundly aware that my environment was as important to my wellbeing as food, sleep and exercise. It was the invisible hand that shaped my behaviour. I went on to study architecture and my first proper job was as Editor in Chief of ELLE Decoration magazine. As such I’ve seen inside thousands of homes and my passion is based on proof. I know this stuff makes a difference because I’ve healed myself through my home. And today, what I knew intuitively is now backed by science. Better homes mean better health. 

Michelle's book list on homes for health, happiness, and healing

Michelle Ogundehin Why Michelle loves this book

A no-nonsense guide to cutting through the fads to offer practical solutions to home-based problems. A book for those who want to consider more carefully how they live without too much of the woo woo that can sometimes crop up in the well-being space, especially when we use words like mindfulness. Instead it touches on everything from making natural dyes and cruelty-free decorating to clean living, craft, and creativity. 

By Joanna Thornhill ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The New Mindful Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Make your home more mindful and discover a more considered way to decorate with this beautifully presented guide by acclaimed interior stylist, Joanna Thornhill.

We often think of mindfulness in relation to meditation, but our homes and interior design can play a big part in our emotional well-being. The New Mindful Home demystifies the links between body, mind and soul to explain how you can harness the power of mindfulness to help our homes support a more considered lifestyle.

How do we create spaces that can calm and revives us? With the same practical attention to problem-solving as in her…


Book cover of Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems

Danna Smith Author Of How Do You Haiku? A Step-by-Step Guide with Templates

From my list on hooking your kids on poetry.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve loved words from the moment I met them. I wrote my first poem when I was eight years old and haven’t stopped yet! As a children’s book author, I love incorporating rhyme, poetry, or lyrical prose in the stories I write. I was a shy kid and often felt like my poetry wasn’t “good enough.” It is my goal to get kids excited about all forms of poetry and I want them to know that they can be poets if they want to and that writing, reading, and sharing poetry is fun and rewarding. 

Danna's book list on hooking your kids on poetry

Danna Smith Why Danna loves this book

Leaves drifting on a winding stream, toes sinking into the soft sand, exploring the branches of gigantic trees… Kate Coombs’ simple poetry shows kids how to practice mindfulness to help them relax.

I love how this book gives us time to stop, look around, and enjoy the world we live in while enjoying poetry —“My breath is a river of peace.” The illustrations are so dreamy! Every child needs to experience this book!

By Kate Coombs , Anna Emilia Laitinen (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Breathe and Be as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I breathe slowly in,
I breathe slowly out. My breath
is a river of peace.
I am here in the world.
Each moment I can breathe and be.

Hear thunder crash, feel your toes touch sand, and watch leaves drift softly away on a quiet stream. The simple poems in Breathe and Be help children learn mindfulness as they connect to the beauty of the natural world.

Mindfulness teaches us how to stay calm, soothe our emotions, and appreciate the world around us. Whether we're watching tiny colored fish darting in the water or exploring the leaves, branches, and roots…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Best Ever You

Barbara Ann Mojica Author Of Little Miss History Travels to Mount Vernon

From my list on for all ages to enjoy.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a parent, grandparent, retired educator, historian, and children’s book author, I am an avid reader and advocate for children’s literacy. My forty years of experience working with children and their families gives me the background and expertise to identify high-quality books and the types of subjects that children will want to read and adults in the family will enjoy sharing with them.

Barbara's book list on for all ages to enjoy

Barbara Ann Mojica Why Barbara loves this book

Sally Huss is one of my favorite picture book authors. She teams up with mindfulness coach, Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino to discuss how children and adults can look within themselves to find the best person possible. Trevor looks in the water and decides he will be someone special. Different animals that he encounters show the reader the importance of qualities like patience, cooperation, thankfulness, gratitude, generosity, paying attention, and friendship. All of us could do this. I especially appreciated the certificate children can reward themselves with when they discover and later accomplish practicing these qualities.

By Sally Huss , Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Best Ever You as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This classroom favorite shows kids how to be their best. Young Trevor had a desire to be the best that anybody could be. This was a huge goal, for sure! That’s when an owl flew in to suggest that he merely be “the best ever you.” Other animals are visited, each demonstrating its particular quality that Trevor could use to meet his goal: hard work, kindness, cooperation, etc. Happily, Trevor now had his work cut out for him. “I’ll do nothing less than my very best!”

This story carries a wonderful message to encourage children to cultivate their best and…


Book cover of The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
Book cover of The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
Book cover of Don't Think Like a Human: Channelled Answers to Basic Questions

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Interested in mindfulness, self-awareness, and God?

Mindfulness 129 books
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