Our picks have one shared message: meditation is whatever you need it to be. There are no hard-and-fast rules, no fancy equipment needed. All you need is the desire to begin your journey to inner peace. Each of these listens focuses on a different element to the practice—so find the one that speaks to you and get started on your meditative journey.
After having a panic attack on live television, ABC News anchor Dan Harris knew he needed to make a change. He'd always thought meditation was a strange hobby reserved for hippies and mystics. But when he approached it from a different perspective, he realized meditation isn't at all what he'd assumed it was. Harris dug into the science of the practice and found that meditation can bring about a host of benefits, including lowering blood pressure and easing depression and anxiety. In Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, Harris and meditation instructor Jeff Warren travel the country to find out what all kinds of people—parents, police officers, and even a few celebrities—believe about meditation, and deliver science-based facts to overcome the excuses of avoiding it. Narrated by Harris himself, this audiobook offers a warm, personal telling of his own meditative journey and a guide for skeptics.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Thien Buddhist, is one of the most influential Zen masters in history and the champion of what he termed engaged Buddhism.
This approach encourages the application of Buddhist principles to achieve social justice by working to alleviate the suffering of others. Hanh practiced his own principles powerfully throughout the Vietnam War, after which Martin Luther King, Jr., personally nominated him for a Nobel Prize. Narrator John Lee is a practiced expert in the narration of such influential works, among them One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Splendid and the Vile. He was also named AudioFile’s Golden Voice in 2009. Written during the 39 years Hanh was exiled from Vietnam, The Miracle of Mindfulness provides an unparalleled foundation for building a meditation practice in a style of Buddhism that focuses on the interpersonal as much as the internal.
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind is a compilation of teishos, or Zen talks, given by the Soto Buddhist monk Shunryu Suzuki at his center in San Francisco. Suzuki is known for establishing the first Zen Buddhist monastery outside of Asia, so it’s no surprise that his collection of lectures has become one of the foremost classics in spiritual literature. Separated into three parts—right mind, right attitude, and right understanding—Suzuki’s teachings prioritize the value of maintaining a beginner’s attitude throughout your study in order to maximize openness and opportunity. Narrator Peter Coyote is an expert performer, with classics like The Four Agreements and The Voice of Knowledge under his belt, and his calm, authoritative voice combined with the vintage tone of this recording make this one of the best forays into the genre of zen audiobooks.
Jesse Israel was a successful music executive running his own label when debilitating anxiety and panic attacks forced him to step back and seek help. When he found meditation, it inspired him to switch gears in a big way. He founded The Big Quiet, a mass meditation movement that gathers and unites thousands of people around the world in moments of silence (including for Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour with WW). In this Crystal Bowl Breathing meditation, Jesse guides you to synchronize your inhalations and exhalations to the deeply relaxing sounds of vibrating crystal bowls, played by Jackie Cantwell, to quiet your mind and body before bed. This title is part of a collection of audio experiences created to help you get a good night’s sleep—which can be challenging during this difficult time. While we’re giving this away for free, we’ll also be donating meals daily through Newark Working Kitchens, so those in need and first responders don’t go to bed hungry.
Andy Puddicombe, former Buddhist monk and co-founder of guided meditation app Headspace wants everyone to meditate for 10 minutes a day. He used to be like the rest of us—a busy person with overwhelming to-do lists—but once he added meditation to his daily routine, he found that his life became a lot more manageable. The author-narrated The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness is a wonderful guide for getting started with a small meditation practice. It offers meditation techniques to better every area of your health, from focus to weight loss to sleep.
People are busy. Schedules are chaotic. Work is stressful. But Emily Fletcher wants to change that. In Stress Less, Accomplish More, she shares her favorite methods of meditation, focusing on stress relief and mental clarity. The practice doesn't require any fancy equipment—just a place to sit, a little bit of training, and some time to yourself. Alongside Audie-winning narrator Emily Woo Zeller and voice actor Sean Pratt, Fletcher boils meditation down into something manageable that the average, everyday person can grasp and practice.
Meditation teacher davidji breaks down the mystery behind meditation in his calming and practical audiobook on the subject. He shares his path to awakening and offers ways to begin your own meditative journey. Removing the barriers that stand between many people and this ancient practice, he loosens the rules and reveals simple truths to bring you to a happier, healthier life. Secrets of Meditation is a perfect audiobook for learning how to start meditating, narrated in davidji's own serene voice.
Millions rely on Gabby Bernstein’s disarmingly candid and life-affirming wisdom; in You Are Here, the celebrated meditation guru and motivational speaker speaks directly to you. Trust one of Oprah’s favorite spiritual guides to gently take you inward and help you rest easy. In less than 10 minutes, this meditation will allow you drift off to sleep by guiding you to focus on your breath and imagine each part of your body completely releasing. This title is part of a collection of audio experiences created to deliver your best sleep during this difficult time. While we’re giving this away for free, we’ll also be donating meals daily through Newark Working Kitchens, so those in need and first responders don’t go to bed hungry.
