Collage of six book covers including titles like "How to Do Nothing" and "At the Center of All Beauty."

6 Book Recommends for Mindfulness

On August 4th, 2021 at 12:00 PM, join librarian Allyson Mower as she moderates a discussion with panelists Trinh Mai and Phillip Bimstein about mindfulness. Trinh is a mindfulness educator and social worker at the U’s Wellness & Integrative Health Resiliency Center; Phillip is also an educator in the U’s Honors college and has a course on literature related to solitude, silence, creative life, and is also a musician.

In the meantime, here are some recommends from Allyson Mower to encourage mindfulness, relaxation, and more.

Book cover for "The Inner Work of Racial Justice" by Rhonda V. Magee with a yellow and blue watercolor background.

The Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda V. Magee

An amazing book that incorporates mindfulness-pauses as you explore your own lived experience with racial identity and the radical compassion needed to support others who suffer disproportionately from racism.

Book cover for "At the Center of All Beauty" by Fenton Johnson featuring an impressionistic painting of a mountain.

The Center of All Beauty by Fenton Johnson

This study of solitaires, as the author describes it, feels like a homeland-type book and maybe even a manifesto on being alone or spending time alone, but a gentle one.

Book cover for "Mindfulness for Beginners" by Jon Kabat-Zinn with a background of raked sand and a stone.

Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn

I suggest the audio book because the author provides such wonderful guidance on simple meditation and mindfulness techniques for stress reduction.

Book cover for "How to Do Nothing" by Jenny Odell over a background of pink and white roses.

How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

This book brings focus on spending time offline and argues for cultivating more awareness of how social media platforms and content effect our moods and general well-being.

Book cover for "The Unreal and the Real" by Ursula K. Le Guin, featuring a misty mountain landscape.

Solitude by Ursula K. Le Guin

Check out the short story “Solitude” in Ursula Le Guin’s collection “The Unreal and the Real” to get a good sense of how hard it can be to cultivate awareness (even the type that Jenny Odell talks about in the recommendation above)!!

Book cover for "Wherever You Go There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn, set against a background of rippled sand dunes.

Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

A great overview of how to be more aware of yourself and stay present with what’s happening to you in the moment.

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