Top Five Books on Meditation and Yoga

If you walk into my office, and look to your left, you'll see my book shelf stacked to the brim with books. My book shelf gives away my personalities and interests right away. I wanted to share some of my favorite books that I have read recently. Here are my top 5 books on meditation and yoga:

1.) Buried Treasures by Guru Singh:
Buried Treasures is about Guru Singh's life journey. "Gerry Pond(Guru Singh) was 20 years old in 1965 when his heart and breathing stopped in a Seattle hospital from a ruptured appendix and peritonitis. This near-death-experience gave him the courage and resolve to deliver on his dream of being a musician for freedom and peace instead of hiding from the Vietnam War." I have been a student of Guru Singh's class for three in a half years now. His teachings and views on the world are unique, interesting and nothing like your science books. I have read Buried Treasures twice now and highly recommend it. I wrote a segment on Guru Singh in my blog post about another book called ...And I breathed by Jason Garner. I'll link it at the end of this blog post.


2.) Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh:
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and human rights activist.  In 1967 he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and has written over 60 books. Being Peace was published in 1987 and translated into more than thirty languages.

Amazon's summary summarizes the novel as "a book for everyone concerned about the state of the world and the quality of our lives, it has lost none of its timeliness since it was first published in 1987. It is filled with practical suggestions how to create a more peaceful world "right in the moment we are alive." Contains Thich Nhat Hanh's key practices, including a guide to the practice of reconciliation which has become a peacemaking tool in many other religious traditions."

One of my favorite quotes: "Meditation is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a reentry into society."

3.) The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo:
Oprah Winfrey described The Book of Awakening as "a year's supply of inspiration every day and the perfect gift for yourself and your friends." 

The novel is a day's worth of inspiration over a course of one year that "provides small doses of what really matters, simple truths and stories from everyday lives."

One of my favorite quotes: On May 24th, Nepo writes "Like that old saying, "Water fills a hole," the ways of others will fill the space we live in if we don't fill that space with our own authentic presence."

4.) The Mind Its Projections and Multiple Facets by Yogi Bhajan:

The back of the book describes The Mind Its Projections and Multiple Facets as a book "filled with techniques and meditations to help direct and develop your mind. Yogi Bhajan has given us a tool to befriend our minds and elevate our spirits so that we can lead and serve in the Aquarian Age with consciousness and confidence."

Yogi Bhajan brought Kundalini Yoga to the United States and has been a big influence on so many people, including myself. I wrote a blog post on the History of Kundalini Yoga and Yogi Bhajan. I'll link it at the bottom of this post if you're interested in reading it.

5.) Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer (audible book):
Audible.com's summarizes the book as an "extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to let go of his personal preferences and simply let life call the shots. As Singer takes you on this great experiment and journey into life's perfection, the events that transpire will both challenge your deepest assumptions about life and inspire you to look at your own life in a radically different way."

I usually don't listen to audio books, but I came across this one and really enjoyed it. Sometimes listening to your books instead of reading them helps you absorb the information better. Plus, I can listen to a book while driving in my car which is a nice change from the radio.


...And I Breathed: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/04/and-i-breathed.html

The History of Kundalini Yoga: http://ridewithmark.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-history-of-kundalini-yoga.html 

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