“It's very important as a beginner that you understand right from the start that meditation is about befriending your thinking, about holding it gently in awareness, no matter what is on your mind in a particular moment. It is not about shutting off your thoughts or changing them in any way.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mindfulness for Beginners

Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation

• Black Meditation: Ten Practices for Self Care, Mindfulness, and Self Determination by David Archer, 2021, 230 pages

• Free Your Mind: An African American Guide to Meditation and Freedom by Cortez Rainey, 2018, 413 pages

• The Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress, More Peace by Patrizia Collard, 2014, 96 pages

• Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat Zinn, 2006, 170 pages

• Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh, 1992, 160 pages

• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself by Kristen Neff, 2011, 320 pages

• Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki, 1973, 138 pages

Mindfulness and Meditation During Serious Illness and Difficult Times

• Aging for Beginners by Ezra Bayda, 2018, 208 pages

• Finding True Refuge: Meditations for Difficult Times by Tara Brach, 2013, audiobook only

• Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn, 1990, 720 pages

• Leaves Falling Gently: Living Fully with Series and Life-Limiting Illness Through Mindfulness, Compassion, and Connectedness by Susan Bauer-Wu, 2011, 160 pages

• Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery: A Step-by-Step MBSR Approach to Help You Cope with Treatment and Reclaim Your Life by Linda E. Carlson and Michael Speca, 2011, 187 pages

• No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering by Thich Nhat Hanh, 2017, 117 pages

• True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart by Tara Brach, 2013, 322 pages

• We Were Made for These Times: Ten Lessons on Moving Through Change, Loss, and Disruption by Kaira Jewel Lingo, 2021, 176 pages

• When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron, 2000, 160 pages

• Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn, 2010, audiobook only

• The Nest in the Stream: Lessons from Nature on Being with Pain by Michael Kearney, 2018, 177 pages

**Consider audiobook versions to practice along with the guided meditation exercises.