Suggested reading

Mindfulness in Eight Weeks Michael ChaskalsonThis is a book which gives you the additional opportunity to sign up for and attend group sessions of practice and discussion that I participated in a few years back in the UK. Even without the physical attendance it is an excellent book and gives simple practical exercises throughout each section. It is also a pre-cursor to those that want to go further and train to become Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teachers themselves. "Expert instructor, Michael Chaskalson, who teaches on an acclaimed university-based mindfulness programme, brings new ease to practising the art of Mindfulness in his do-it-yourself, step-by-step guide Mindfulness in Eight Weeks.Praised by the UK's National Institute for Health and Excellence and prescribed by the NHS, Mindfulness is fast becoming a revered and popular method used by healthcare professionals and lay people alike to help alleviate anxiety, depression and stress".
Sitting Still Like a FrogMindful Exercises for Kids - Eline SnelWhilst doing my own MBSR course,  Michael, the teacher explained how mindfulness is now being taught to children. Indeed, a teacher friend of mine told me since that it is now something they teach in her school.I was so impressed with this book that I bought one for my nieces and nephews. I think all children should learn these techniques as early as possible and even have it as an integral part of their daily school life. Just think of how it would help them to navigate through adolescence never mind their adult lives!"Simple mindfulness practices to help your child (ages 5-12) deal with anxiety, improve concentration, and handle difficult emotions—with a 60-minute audio CD of guided exercises
Mindfulness—the quality of attention that combines full awareness with acceptance of each moment, just as it is—is gaining broad acceptance among mental health professionals as an adjunct to treatment. 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. The book contains eleven practices that focus on just these scenarios, along with short examples and anecdotes throughout.

Included with purchase is an audio CD with guided meditations, voiced by Myla Kabat-Zinn, who along with her husband, Jon Kabat-Zinn, popularized mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) as a therapeutic approach"
A Path With Heart A Guide Through The Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life - Jack KornfieldThis book was given to me by a dear friend just after my mam died. I have read it from cover to cover and still dip into it regularly, selecting specific chapters or just going for a ´lucky dip'. For each section there is a guide to a suggested focused meditation to try.  If I had to give all my books up and keep just one, then I think this would be the one. "Perhaps the most important book yet written on meditation, the process of inner transformation, and the integration of spiritual practice into our western life, A Path with Heart brings alive the possibilities of inner peace, wholeness and the achievement of a happiness that is not dependent on external conditions"
The life of the author, Maya AngelouOver 3O years ago I was introduced to the Poetry of the Amazing Maya Angelo. I later watched videos of her reciting her poems and WOW, what I had first discovered as amazing became SO much more! She published so many works that to suggest one would be doing her a disservice. This is just a recommendation to introduce her to you. Check out some of her other works. Two of my favourite poems are "And Still I Rise" and "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings"
The Buddha in Your MirrorPractical Buddhism and the Search for Self - Woody Hochswender, Greg Maartin & Ted MorinoThis was the first book on Buddhism I read. It just made sense of all that I had been trying to figure out on my spiritual journey to that point and at the same time pushed me to discover more."While the notion that “happiness can found within oneself” has recently become popular, Buddhism has taught for thousands of years that every person is a Buddha, or enlightened being, and has the potential for true and lasting happiness. Through real-life examples, the authors explain how adopting this outlook has positive effects on one’s health, relationships, and career, and gives new insights into world environmental concerns, peace issues, and other major social problems".
The Joy of LivingUnlocking the Secret & Science of Happiness, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche When a friend lent this to me after a lunch I promised to return it as soon as possible. I not only did that but bought several copies, one for me and others to give to friends."World renowned Buddhist teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche - the  "happiest man in the world" - invites us to join him in unlocking the secrets to finding joy and contentment in the everyday. Using basic meditation practices he provides, we can discover paths through our problems, transforming obstacles into opportunities to recognise the unlimited potential of our own minds"
Joyful Wisdom, Embracing Change and Finding  Freedom, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Well, having read the book above, I went looking for other works he had written and the title and particularly sub-title grab my attention. I wasn´t disappointed."Profound, practical, and graced with the author´s irresistible charm, Joyful Wisdom, is as once wise, funny and informed - an invaluable and inspiring guide to life".
Integral Life PracticeKen Wilber et alHow to put Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory—which synthesizes the teachings of the world’s great wisdom traditions—into practice in all aspects of everyday life, so you can reach your full human potential.This highly flexible system will help you develop your physical health, spiritual awareness, emotional balance, mental clarity, relational joy, and energy level, within a framework that integrates all aspects of your life. Combining original exercises, vivid examples, cutting-edge theory, and illustrative graphics, Integral Life Practice is the ultimate handbook for realizing freedom and fullness in the 21st century.Over the last thirty-five years, Ken Wilber has developed an Integral “theory of everything” that makes sense of how all the world’s knowledge systems—East and West; ancient, modern, and postmodern—fit together and can elevate our awareness. Drawing on science, psychology, human development, spirituality, religion, and dozens of other fields, Integral Theory is a revolutionary framework for understanding ourselves and the world we live in.
The Complete Guide to Fasting, (heal your body through Intermittent, Alternate-Day and Extended Fasting)- Jason Fung, MD with Jimmy MooreA few years ago I decided to do a 10 day fast. Just water, infusions and the occasional broth and electrolyte supplements. Before embarking on this fast I did a great deal of research on the benefits of fasting. It´s quite incredible when you realise just had good it is for you. This is just one of the reference books I used. I think it´s time to do it again but I think this time I will do a shorter period and possibly introduce intermittent fasting into it. I am sure I will blog about this in due course when I do."The ultimate resource on intermittent fasting, the incredibly effective therapeutic approach to weight loss that produces life-changing results—no matter which diet you’re following.

Whether you’re new to intermittent fasting or you want to fine-tune your fasting plan, this is the intermittent fasting manual for beginners and experts alike, packed with loads of good information on how to build the right fasting program for the best results."