Being mindful is something that we all should look forward to. It helps us to improve the quality of our lives and encourages us to live in the present moment and enjoy it.
There are many interactive smartphone apps and online courses available for teaching you how to be mindful, but today we have brought something a little different. Mindfulness audiobooks.
Listening to audiobooks can offer a more relaxing experience than actively reading books. They are narrated by a suitable voice, and you can hear them whenever you want to. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a look at these audiobooks that can help you be mindful.
Best Mindfulness Audiobooks for Everyone
1. Best Mindfulness Audiobooks: 10% Happier by Dan Harris
10% Happier. The name has a little science touch to it, right? Yes, it does, and so does the contents in the book. This book, written by Dan Harris, recounts his conversion to being a believer in the health-promoting benefits of meditation. Harris uses a humorous tone to tell how he was at first suspicious of meditation and then learned to love and value it as a daily tool to foster health and mindfulness. He even believes that meditation has the potential to transform society. He includes a section in the book describing how a beginner can get started in meditation.
It’s a great audiobook to enjoy and it is available for free in your audible free trial.
Pros:
- Explains the science behind meditation in a funny and engaging way
- Helps you understand all the aspects of being mindful
- Ideal for those who love a good story
Cons:
- Focused more on Harris’s personal journey rather than meditation
2. Best Mindfulness Audiobooks: Mindfulness Meditation: Nine Guided Practices to Awaken Presence and Open Your Heart
This audiobook can be called a mindfulness audio exercise guide rather than an audiobook. It comes with detailed instructions and guidelines for meditation and mindfulness exercises. Written by Tara Brach, a clinical psychologist, and meditation teacher, this book offers nine effective, guided meditation sessions that are geared towards mindfulness practice.
As it is an instruction book, it requires your full attention when listening. You cannot listen to this audiobook and drive. Rather, you need to be at home, following the guided directions in the audiobook.
Pros:
- A series of guided meditations
- Explains all the principles in mindfulness meditation
Cons:
- Not ideal for listening to in the car
- Requires your full attention and action while listening
3. Best Mindfulness Audiobooks: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Are you looking for something to take a walk with? Are you a Zen fan? Then you will surely love this book. Maybe you have heard of this book before from your friends or your instructor. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice is a timeless American classic. It’s been three decades since the original publishing of this book. Readers, and now listeners, come back to this book over and over again.
The writing and descriptions in this book are noteworthy. It’s remarkably clear and insightful. Many sentences strike our hearts in a profound way that we won’t easily forget.
We highly recommend you listen to this audiobook. And don’t worry about listening and driving. It is not a detailed mindfulness meditation guide. But it will surely throw you into a world of mindfulness with its sentences and inspire you to practice.
You can get this mindfulness audiobook free with your audible free trial.
Pros:
- An all-time classic Zen book
- Talks on the importance of practicing Zen and meditation
- Can listen while driving
Cons:
- It is not a detailed guide on mindfulness meditation
4. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation
All the audiobooks, or regular books, on guided mindfulness meditation are focused on common themes which usually don’t involve our daily lives. Doesn’t it feel a little odd? Well, not anymore with this book. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen master and world-renowned teacher of meditation and mindfulness and has published many bestselling books on the subject.
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation has a very unique take on the concept of mindfulness meditation. Rather than putting you in a different environment separated from your daily life, this book takes the meditation and injects it into your daily life.
Have you ever thought that you can practice meditation while doing the dishes, or cooking food, or answering the phone? You can learn all of that from this audiobook.
Rather than focusing on teaching you about how to do meditation, this book introduces you to the practice of meditation in your daily life. This will let you judge for yourself and inject a dose of meditation into all your daily tasks and chores. That is the magic of this wonderful audiobook, which is available for free with your audible free trial.
Pros:
- A different take on mindfulness meditation
- Talks you into the practice of mindfulness meditation in daily activities
- A perfect book for beginners to gain interest for meditation
Cons:
- It is not designed to be your step-by-step guided meditation book
- Does not offer advanced training in mindfulness meditation
5. The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now
Did you like the previous audiobook that talked you into the practice of mindfulness meditation? Then you will love this one too. It is from the same world-renowned author as the previous one, Thich Nhat Hanh.
This book, The Art of Living, explores how mindfulness meditation can help us explore life’s deepest questions, experience happiness, and lead a better life. In short, he talks about improving our quality of life with mindfulness meditation.
And just like the previous book, he talks about how we can find meditation in our everyday activities. This eliminates the need of using meditation as an escape.
It is a great mindfulness audiobook. You can hear most of it whenever you want. He does offer seven guided transformative meditations that are meant to guide the listener towards freedom, understanding, and love. Again, it helps us to discover mindfulness and joy in our day-to-day activities.
Pros:
- One of the best books for helping you discover joy in life
- Teaches you to find meditation in your daily activities
- A classic from Thich Nhat Hanh
- Available on Audible for free with trial
Cons:
- It is not a step-by-step guide for teaching you how to meditate in a quiet environment
Why is it important to stay Mindful?
There are many benefits of being mindful in your daily life. Here are just some of them.
- Improved Physical Health
The mind and body are integrated. One cannot stay healthy without the other. So, when you stay mindful, it triggers a lot of positive responses in your body. Those responses do many things like reducing blood pressure, control your heartbeat, and improve your sleep.
All this leads to a healthier body with less susceptibility to diseases.
- Reduce Stress
Being mindful will reduce your stress. Stress is a silent killer, shortening our lives and causing dis-ease. It can worsen our lives and make us unhappy and unhealthy if we don’t do something about it when we have the chance.
Being mindful helps you fight off stress and keep it in check.
- Satisfaction in Life
Being mindful allows you to be healthy and mentally content with what you have. It allows you to be optimistic no matter what the situation is.
Satisfaction is the best way to experience joy in life, and being mindful is an important element of being satisfied.
FAQ
Why use audiobooks?
Audiobooks can boost our moods and reduce negative thinking. They are a great meditating tool because we can listen to guidance with our eyes closed. We can’t read print books with our eyes closed!
Is it safe to drive and hear audiobooks?
Yes, it is safe to listen and drive. However, if the audiobook has sections in which you are supposed to close your eyes and practice meditation, then clearly that should not be undertaken while driving. Save those sections for when you aren’t behind the wheel.
Should I be in a relaxed environment and position when hearing an audiobook about mindfulness meditation?
If it is a guided mindfulness meditation audiobook, then yes, it’s best to be in a relaxed environment to cooperate with the guide.
Conclusion
Audiobooks themselves are excellent tools for instruction in mindfulness meditation. Audiobooks offer a wealth of knowledge and instruction. While it’s always best to learn mindfulness with the help of a meditation teacher or a breathing coach, if that’s not available to you, audiobooks can be the next best thing.
Our recommended audiobooks are great tools and great choices for mindfulness meditation. Get one now with just a click, and start practicing mindfulness to improve your health and wellbeing. Happy listening!
You can also read: Best Breathing and Meditation Books for a Guided Experience at Home