Book List: Mindfulness and Wellness

'Blue Zones Kitchen,' by Dan Buettner

Building on decades of research, longevity expert Dan Buettner has gathered 100 recipes inspired by the Blue Zones, home to the healthiest and happiest communities in the world. Each dish uses ingredients and cooking methods proven to increase longevity, wellness, and mental health. Complemented by mouthwatering photography, the recipes also include lifestyle tips, all gleaned from countries as far away as Japan and as near as Blue Zones project cities in Texas. Innovative, easy, and delicious, these recipes make the Blue Zones lifestyle even more attainable, thereby improving your health, extending your life, and filling your kitchen with happiness.

'Braving the Wilderness,' by Brene Brown

In Braving the Wilderness, social scientist Brené Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. In a culture that's rife with perfectionism and pleasing, it's easy to stay quiet and hide in our ideological bunkers. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it's a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other – and that path cuts right through the wilderness.

'After the Rain,' by Alexandra Elle

In After the Rain, celebrated self-care storyteller Alexandra Elle delivers 15 lessons on how to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and cultivate abundance.

Part memoir and part guide, Elle shares stirring stories from her own remarkable journey from self-doubt to self-love.

This soulful collection is filled with illuminating reflections on loss, fear, bravery, healing, love, acceptance, and more.

'Fitness for Everyone,' by Louise Green

An exercise book for everybody! No matter who you are or what body type you have, there's the perfect exercise waiting for you in this incredible exercise guide.

Whether you've been working out for years or you're just getting started, you'll find something new, challenging, and exciting throughout the pages of this self-help book. The exercises included have variations for people of all body types and abilities. From pushups and burpees to planking and triceps dips, you'll soon start saying, "I can do every exercise in this book!"

'Help Yourself,' by Lindsay Maitland Hunt

Despite eating healthfully, author and recipe developer Lindsay Maitland Hunt never felt right - until a gut-friendly way of eating helped bring her back to a state of balance. Out of Lindsay's journey comes this practical guide, with irresistibly recipes that make you feel good too.
 
Dishes emphasize ingredients like vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole grains, along with eggs, fish, and some meat and dairy. It's an approach you can tailor to your own lifestyle, whether you're vegan, gluten free, or just love to eat! Recipes cover any time you eat, from quick weeknight dinners to party-worthy treats!

'Chatter,' by Ethan Kross

Acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world case studies, Kross explains how these conversations shape our lives, work, and relationships. He explains how we’re already equipped with the tools we need to make our inner voice work in our favor. These tools are often hidden in plain sight--in the words we use to think about ourselves, the technologies we embrace, the conversations we have with our loved ones, and the cultures we create in our schools and workplaces.

'Essentialism,' by Greg McKeown

Essentialism is more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.
 
By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for what is essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy, instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.

'Real Change,' by Sharon Salzberg

In Real Change, Sharon Salzberg shares sage advice and indispensible techniques to help free ourselves from negative feelings and actions. She teaches us that meditation is not a replacement for action, but rather a way to practice generosity with ourselves and summon the courage to break through boundaries. Whether you're resolving conflicts with a crochety neighbor or combating global warming, Real Change will help guide you with the fundamental principles and mindfulness practices that will lead to the clarity and confidence that lets us lift a foot and take our next step into a better world.

'Broke Millennial,' by Erin Lowry

Financial expert Erin Lowry goes beyond the basics to tackle tricky money matters and situations most of us face, including:

• Understanding your relationship with money: do you treat it like a Tinder date or marriage material?
• Managing student loans without having a full-on panic attack
• What to do when you're out with your crew and can't afford to split the bill evenly
• How to talk with your partner and find out his or her "number" (debt number, of course)

Broke Millennial is the essential roadmap every financially clueless millennial needs to become a money master.

'Calming Magic,' by Nikki Van De Car

Organized into three sections -- Peace, Clarity and Creativity -- Calming Magic offers a pathway to tranquility, from quieting anxious thoughts and focusing the mind to cultivating the imagination. Each section incorporates magical practice that fortify the body (with teas, yoga practices and home remedies), the mind (with meditations, spells and feng shui), and the heart (with crystals, tarot readings and rituals). With primers on the foundations of mystical practices, and creative DIYs to customize rituals and spells, this beautiful volume brings magic and harmony into today's hectic world.

'Why We Sleep,' by Matthew Walker

Within the brain, sleep enriches a diversity of functions, including our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Charting the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and marshalling his decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood and energy levels, regulate hormones, prevent cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes, slow the effects of aging, and increase longevity. He also provides actionable steps towards getting a better night's sleep every night.

'Stay Woke,' by Justin Michael Williams

We are modern people in a high-tech world. We have first world problems and long to-do lists. And if you grew up in struggle--overcoming homophobia, sexism, trauma, shame, depression, poverty, toxic masculinity, racism, or social injustice--you need a different type of meditation... one that doesn't pretend the struggle doesn't exist. Whether you've tried meditation but it never sticks, or you've heard about it but never gave it a shot, Justin Michael Williams guides you step by step in creating a custom meditation ritual that fits in with your busy (and sometimes messy!) modern life.