Meditation Resources

by Daniel Coyle

A New York Times bestselling author explores cutting-edge brain science to learn where talent comes from, how it grows―and how we can make ourselves smarter.

SUMMARY

• Where does talent come from, and how does it grow?
• New research has revealed that myelin, once considered an inert form of insulation for brain cells, may be the holy grail of acquiring skill.
• A solid strategy for skill acquisition―in athletics, fine arts, languages, science or math―that can be successfully applied through a person’s entire lifespan.

by Charles Duhigg

In The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed.

SUMMARY

• The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work.
• By harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.
• Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential.

by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

With over a quarter of a million copies sold, Mindfulness in Plain English is one of the most influential books in the burgeoning field of mindfulness and a timeless classic introduction to meditation.

SUMMARY

• A rich view of mindfulness in the simplest language possible.
• Reduce stress, improve physical and psychological
  well-being, be more effective, skillful, and kind in relationships,
  at work, and throughout your life.
• Clear pointers to an incomparably beneficial path.

‍

by Joseph Goldstein

The fruit of some twenty years' experience leading Buddhist meditation retreats, this book touches on a wide range of topics raised repeatedly by meditators and includes favorite stories, key Buddhist teachings, and answers to most-asked questions.

SUMMARY

• Practical, every day talks on meditation and living life with mindfulness.
• A whirlwind tour of vipassana.
• An unparalleled immersive course in meditation and philosophy, presented by the cofounders of the Insight Meditation Society

by Richard J. Davidson

Richard J. Davidson discovered that each of us has an Emotional Style, composed of Resilience, Outlook, Social Intuition, Self-Awareness, Sensitivity to Context, and Attention. Where we fall on these six continuums determines our own “emotional fingerprint.”  

SUMMARY

• Fascinating case histories and experiments for treating conditions like autism and depression as it empowers us all to better understand ourselves—and live more meaningful lives.
• Answering questions like, "Why are some people so quick to recover from setbacks? Why are some so attuned to others that they seem psychic? Why are some people always up and others always down?"
• Diving into the fascinating world of how our world is shaped by our emotions and what we can do to alter our emotional styles.

by Victor Frankl

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival.

SUMMARY

• Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.
• Frankl's theory-known as logotherapy holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.
  
• A 1991 reader survey for the Library of Congress that asked readers to name a "book that made a difference in your life" found Man's Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America.

by Dan Harris

Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

SUMMARY

• A tour into what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we’re not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present.
• A guide to the incessant, insatiable voice in our head.
• Most of us would assume we’re stuck with this voice–that there’s nothing we can do to rein it in–but Harris stumbled upon an effective way to do just that.

by James R. Doty, MD.

The award-winning New York Times bestselling autobiography of a renowned Neurosurgeon who explores his career, life path and the extraordinary things that can happen when we harness the power of both the brain and the heart.

SUMMARY

• Meditation relaxes the body, calms the mind and brings us closer to our goals in life.
• The heart communicates with the brain and can change the way it functions.
• By practicing meditation, we can allow ourselves to be more compassionate and learn how to go beyond thinking with our minds, and think with our hearts.

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Whether over an extended period of time, or in one instant of anger—one of the most powerful emotions—lives can be ruined, and health and spiritual development can be destroyed. Thich Nhat Hanh gives tools and advice for transforming relationships, focusing energy, and rejuvenating those parts of ourselves that have been laid waste by anger.

SUMMARY

• Anger begins and ends with ourselves, with our conscious awareness of what we are feeling.
• We are the direct objects of our anger.
• Includes meditations designed to help release anger.

by Pema Chödrön

Whether over an extended period of time, or in one instant of anger—one of the most powerful emotions—lives can be ruined, and health and spiritual development can be destroyed. Thich Nhat Hanh gives tools and advice for transforming relationships, focusing energy, and rejuvenating those parts of ourselves that have been laid waste by anger.

SUMMARY

• Anger begins and ends with ourselves, with our conscious awareness of what we are feeling.
• We are the direct objects of our anger.
• Includes meditations designed to help release anger.

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow.

SUMMARY

• During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life.
• Demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance.
• This is not a “how-to book”. He guide the read to find what it is , what we love, and how to better do it. We can then discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

by Jon Kabat-Zinn

We may long for wholeness, suggests Jon Kabat-Zinn, but the truth is that it is already here and already ours. The practice of mindfulness holds the possibility of not just a fleeting sense of contentment, but a true embracing of a deeper unity that envelops and permeates our lives.

SUMMARY

• The value of coming back to our bodies and to our senses over and over again.
• How our thoughts “self-liberate” when touched by awareness.
• Stabilizing our attention and presence amidst daily activities.

‍

by Gary Zukav

Zukav explains that we are evolving from a species that pursues power based upon the perceptions of the five senses -- external power -- into a species that pursues authentic power -- power that is based upon the perceptions and values of the spirit. He shows how the pursuit of external power has produced our survival-of-the-fittest understanding of evolution, generated conflict between lovers, communities, and superpowers, and brought us to the edge of destruction.

SUMMARY

• Shows how infusing the activities of life with reverence, compassion, and trust makes them come alive with meaning and purpose.
• Illustrates how the emerging values of the spirit are changing marriages into spiritual partnerships, psychology into spiritual psychology, and transforming our everyday lives.
• Describes the remarkable journey to the spirit that each of us is on.

by T. H. White

White shows the reader how the forces of light and darkness interplay in the shaping of each of our lives. His main character, Arthur is taught the concepts of oneness with life and the way of all creatures in a vibrant and meaningful story.

SUMMARY

• A classic book that weaves a story of life, love and acceptance of “what is”.
• Arthur, the main character, through the guidance of a wise teacher develops into an authentic person and leader and faces life’s challenges with grace and humility.
• A vivid and subtly power message about understanding life and the real forces of the unknown.

by Richard Rohr

This popular and bestselling book of the renowned Franciscan guides people to move beyond the comfort of a settled life toward an understanding of themselves that is rooted in their connection to one’s higher power.

SUMMARY

• It may challenge you. If you are open-minded to new perspectives and have an inclusive world view, you may well enjoy it.
• Religions should be understood as only the fingers that point to the moon, not the moon itself.
• The present moment is the only thing we have. It is not judged in comparison to any other. It has never happened before and will not happen again.