Recommended Resources

  • Book: Mindful Parenting in a Messy World by Michelle Gale More
  • Mindfulness for Kids: Annika Harris Meditations More
  • The Mindful Day: Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm, and Joy From Morning to Evening Published by National Geographic, author and Founder of PurposeBlue, Laurie J. Cameron's new book. Designed for busy professionals looking to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives, this ultimate guide draws on contemplative practice, modern neuroscience, and positive psychology to bring peace and focus to the home, in the workplace, and beyond. More
  • Our minds can be hijacked: the tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia by Paul Lewis Google, Twitter and Facebook workers who helped make technology so addictive are disconnecting themselves from the internet. Paul Lewis reports on the Silicon Valley refuseniks alarmed by a race for human attention More
  • Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body by Dan Goleman and Richie Davidson More
  • Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright More
  • Awakening Joy for Kids by James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna James Baraz shares the practices for adults—parents, caregivers, and teachers. Michele Lilyanna offers her own experiences as a parent and as a teacher, showing how the themes work with kids, followed by the tried and true lessons that she’s used herself in the classroom and at home. More
  • Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids by Eline Snel This little book is a very appealing introduction to mindfulness meditation for children and their parents. In a simple and accessible way, it describes what mindfulness is and how mindfulness-based practices can help children calm down, become more focused, fall asleep more easily, alleviate worry, manage anger, and generally become more patient and aware. More
  • Guided Meditations: Mindful Self Compassion by Christopher Germer and Kristen Neff A wonderful app with free guided audio meditations by Christopher Germer on Breathing, Compassion, and Self-Compassion. More
  • Guided Meditation: Self-Compassion Break by Kristen Neff [5 minutes] The pioneer in the field of self-compassion, Kristen Neff translates her three-step process for applying mindfulness and self-compassion into an accessible practice you can do anywhere. More
  • Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Christopher Germer Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions is one of my favorite books on mindfulness and self-compassion. Dr. Christopher Germer has a wise, insightful way of explaining the fundamentals of learning to bring a kind attention to our experience, and deepen our capacity to increase our skills of mindfulness. More
  • Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership by Joe Jaworski When I first read Joe Jaworski's book Synchronicity in 2004, it fundamentally transformed my work in leadership development.  Jaworski is a close colleague of Peter Senge and Otto Scharmer - a group of friends and thought leaders that catapulted leadership and systems change research into the broader field of presence, flow, and the unfolding mystery of how events and people seem to miraculously come together. I recommend all of his books, and in this one Jaworski uses Campbell's Hero's Journey as the backdrop of his own beautifully told story of personal transformation. More
  • Immunity to Change by Kegan and Lahey What really gets in the way of change? I use this approach with my executive coaching clients to help them increase their self-awareness, unlock what might be blocking change, and move into actionable steps.  In clear language, Kegan and Lahey lay out a step by step methodology that facilitates a person's conscious understanding of his or her intentions, aspirations and goals to an identification of hidden "competing commitments", which may unintentionally hinder reaching these goals. Kegan and Lahey link theory and practice to help leaders reflect on themselves and their competing committments in a clear way. More
  • Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  Flow is a classic and one of my all-time favorite books, and one that I re-read every few years. Csikszentmihalyi conducted famous investigations into what makes an experience truly satisfying. His book on "optimal experience" describes a state of consciousness called flow.  During flow, people typically experience focus, creativity and a deep enjoyment. Flow is more than happiness, and his insights about mental challenge and flow are integrated into our teachings at PurposeBlue. More
  • Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson In Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, Rick Hanson reveals how to tap the hidden power of everyday experiences to change your brain and your life for the better. I teach his practice "Taking in the Good" to my clients and we use it at home as a family. -LJC     More