Resources

Recommended Resources on Meditation, Yoga, and Mind-Body Wellness

Books

Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life – Jon Kabat-Zinn

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times – Pema Chodron

Open Heart, Open Mind – Tsoknyi Rinpoche

The Wisdom of a Broken Heart – Susan Piver

Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior – Chogyam Trungpa

Loving-Kindness – Sharon Salzberg

A Path with Heart – Jack Kornfield

Buddha’s Brain  – Rick Hanson

Hardwiring Happiness – Rick Hanson

The Way of Liberation – Adyashanti

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life – Thich Nhat Hanh

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma – Peter Levine

Yoga for Emotional Balance: Simple Practices to Help Relieve Anxiety and Depression – Bo Forbes

Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Chronic Pain – Kelly McGonigal

Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing – Dr. Timothy McCall

Yoga for Wellness: Healing With The Timeless Teachings of Viniyoga – Gary Kraftsow

The iRest Program for Healing PTSD – Richard Miller

The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works – Shinzen Young

The Essence of Enlightenment: Vedanta, The Science of Consciousness – James Swartz

I Am That – Nisargadatta Maharaj

Audio

Yoga Nidra – Richard Miller

Guided Meditations for Self-Healing – Jack Kornfield

Self-Inquiry – James Swartz

Websites

Insight Meditation Community of Washington
Local mindfulness community started by Tara Brach. Website has abundant resources on mindfulness meditation including classes, retreats, podcasts, and guided practices.

Shinzen Young
Resource on mindfulness from one of the world’s leading teachers (and one of my personal favorites!).

Shining World
Resource on self-inquiry and vedanta (or the yoga of self-realization) by teacher James Swartz.

Shambhala Meditation Center of Washington DC
Local meditation community in the Shambhala meditation tradition started by Chogyam Trungpa. The center offers a variety of classes and mini-retreats.

Sounds True
Excellent resource for meditation, yoga, and holistic healing books, audio, and courses.

The Mind-Body Medicine Program at Walter Reed Military Hospital
Free guided meditation downloads by Alex.

Integrative Restoration Institute (iRest)
Information and products related to iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation.

Yogaville
Yoga ashram a few hours from DC with a variety of classes, workshops, and retreats on yoga, meditation, and mind-body healing

Phone Apps

Insight Timer : Free resource for guided meditation and timing practice sessions

Calm : Free resource for guided meditation and breathing with a variety of sound options.

Breath2Relax : Free tool for optimizing breathing that includes voice guidance and customizable options like music and scenery.

MyCalmBeat : Free tool for optimizing breathing that includes voice guidance or guidance by watching the lungs fill.

Relaxation Music

Liquid Mind
Deuter
Anugama
R. Carlos Nakai

Plant-Based Diet Resources

While I am not a physician or dietician, I am an integrative therapist interested in the health and wellbeing of the whole person. I view the mind, body and spirit as intimately interconnected. As such, my view is that food affects not just our bodies but also our minds and spirits.  Based on my personal experience, the experiences of others, and modern science, I advocate a plant-based diet as being optimal for the health and wellbeing of ourselves, all beings and the planet. A plant-based diet is a diet based on foods derived from plants, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, with few or no animal products. The following are educational resources in case you are motivated to learn more:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position on vegetarian and vegan diets

Forks Over Knives: A film about the health benefits of a plant-based diet and website with excellent resources on making the transition.

Cowspiracy: A documentary about the environmental devastation caused by animal agriculture industries.

What The Health: An investigative documentary that is eye-opening about our nation’s health and how big businesses influence it.

Earthlings: A 2005 American documentary about human’s dependence on animals for economic purposes. Warning: It graphically depicts the industry standard for animals bred as pets, food, clothing, for entertainment and research.

21-Day Vegan Kickstart (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

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