In my experience, the recent proliferation of celebrity-endorsed meditation guides in mainstream bookstores is steering beginners towards performance over presence.

3 comments

3 Comments

Barnes & Noble's front display is always stacked with those celebrity mindfulness books. They prioritize aesthetic over substance, making beginners feel like they're failing if they don't achieve instant calm. Grab a used copy of 'The Miracle of Mindfulness' instead and actually learn to sit with your thoughts.

the_betty2h ago

Totally agree with @the_patricia. I bought one of those sleek books and it just made me feel worse about my racing thoughts. Found a worn-out copy at a thrift store and actually started to get it.

murphy.gavin1h ago

I spent thirty bucks on 'The Headspace Guide to Meditation' last year. The cover was so calm it made my anxiety look amateur. I'd stare at the perfect spine on my nightstand and feel guilty for not magically becoming zen. Then I borrowed my dad's dog-eared copy of 'Wherever You Go, There You Are' from 1994. The underlined passages and coffee stains somehow made the advice feel earned, not prescribed.