Additional Mindfulness Resources

This resource guide was compiled by Freeman. They are his recommendations of mind-and-heart nourishing books and websites, retreat centers that offer 100% free meditation retreats, and other resources to help you deal skillfully with health problems. Enjoy!

Freeman chose these resources based on the quality of the wisdom they contain, and, their applicability to all people. That said, the source wisdom tradition is listed after each resource in parenthesis.

 

Recommended Mind and Heart Nourishment

Bring good conditioning and good fortune into your life by reading or listening to wise teachings.

Books

  • Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words by Peace Pilgrim. (Nonsectarian) Download or order a free copy of this extraordinary book at PeacePilgrim.org.
  • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (Nonsectarian)
  • A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (Nonsectarian)
  • Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Indigenous and Scientific)
  • Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master (Buddhist) by Amy Schmidt
  • Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chodron (Buddhist)
  • The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux by Saint Therese of Lisieux (Christian)
  • The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer (Nonsectarian)

Websites

PeacePilgrim.org (Nonsectarian)
Contains free PDFs, videos, and online content of Peace Pilgrim’s teachings. You can also order free books and videos about her teachings.

Center for Action and Contemplation (Christian)
Contains free audio sermons and reflections by Father Richard Rohr and other CAC teachers.

DharmaSeed.org (Buddhist)
Contains free talks by hundreds of Buddhist teachers which are searchable by subject.

 

Meditation Retreat Centers

Meditation retreats provide the opportunity to significantly deepen your practice, heighten mindfulness and concentration, and strengthen your wisdom. Many meditators, including Dipa Ma and Freeman, have experienced piercing insights while on retreat. These deep insights fundamentally rewired their subconscious mind, allowing them to effortlessly live with greater skill.

Retreats offer great benefits, but can also be quite challenging and difficult. Don’t expect them to be a blissful walk in the park.

Worldwide

Dhamma.org (Buddhist)
S.N. Goenka's organization has retreat centers all over the world. S.N. Goenka teaches the retreats via video, and with the aid of teacher's assistants. They offers 100% free, ten-day meditation retreats to train you in a sensation-based insight meditation. They are Buddhist, but offer their teachings in a nonsectarian manner. Check their website, Dhamma.org for times and info on how to register. Vipassana Meditation has meditation centers all over the world. Their nearest center to the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area is in Menomonie, Wisconsin, which is an hours drive east on I-94.

Minneapolis and St. Paul Metro Area Meditation Resources

Common Ground Meditation Center (Buddhist)
2700 East 26th St., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406
612-722-8260
CommonGroundMeditation.org

Common Ground Meditation Center has regular meditation sits, talks by local and traveling speakers, trainings and regular half, full-day, and longer meditation retreats. All of their events are offered freely and funded through the free-will offerings of others.

 

Health Resources

For many of us, the suffering triggered by debilitating injuries or illnesses bring us to meditation and mindfulness. We turn to meditation and mindfulness to find relief and a skillful way to cope with our life situation. Here are some skillful, natural, often-neglected, and mindfulness-based means for restoring health and well-being.

 

Wise Attitude

Numerous anecdotal stories, as well as research, shows us that our mental attitudes dramatically impact our physical health. Hatred, judgment, resentment, stress, vengeance, and other afflictive emotions worsen physical illness, while attitudes of love, compassion, appreciation, generosity, peace, and patience help heal and strengthen the body.

  • How To Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregiver by Toni Bernhard (Buddhist)
  • Love, Medicine, & Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing from a Surgeon’s Experience with Exceptional Patients by Bernie Siegel, M.D. (Nonsectarian)
  • Peace, Love, & Healing: Bodymind Communication & The Path to Self-Healing: An Exploration by Bernie Siegel, M.D. (Nonsectarian)
  • Faith, Hope, & Healing: Inspiring Stories Learned from People Living with Cancer by Bernie Siegel, M.D. (Nonsectarian)

 

Spending Time In Nature

Nature and wildlife has much to teach us about living skillfully in the present moment. Time spent in nature helps us to feel the healing powers of peace, love, and joy that imbue the natural world. Here are some resources with more information about this:

  • Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Indigenous and Scientific)
  • Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv (Nonsectarian)
  • Use this guided walking meditation to help you enjoy nature mindfully.

 

Plant-based Eating

Plants have over ten-thousand phyto-nutrients, loads of other nutrients, lots of fiber, no cholesterol, and few calories, making them an ideal base for a healthy and nutritious diet. Here are more resources to help you up your plant food intake.

DOCUMENTARIES

  • Forks Over Knives (2011) (Science)
  • Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (2010) (Science)

BOOKS (Books marked with an * contain recipes)

  • Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss* (Science) by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
  • Eat for Health: The Mind Makeover (book 1) (Science) by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
  • Eat for Health: The Body Makeover* (book 2) (Science) by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
  • Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly* (Science) by Dean Ornish, M.D.
  • The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health* (Science) by John McDougall, M.D.
  • Prevent and Reserve Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure* (Science) by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, M.D.
  • The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health (Science) by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas Campbell II
  • Dr. Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proved System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs* (Science) by Neal Barnard, M.D.
  • Foods that Fight Pain: Revolutionary New Strategies for Maximum Pain Relief* (Science) by Neal Barnard, M.D.

WEBSITES

ChooseVeg.com (Nonsectarian)
Order a free Vegetarian Starter Guide, read tips for how to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet.

MercyForAnimals.org (Nonsectarian)
If you need motivation to embrace plant-based eating, this website exposes how animals are raised on modern farms.

 

Breath Retention and Cold Exposure

CAUTION: Cold exposure is a powerful healing approach, but if used too aggressively, too quickly you risk possible injury and death. Use good judgment, and take appropriate precautions as outlined in the resources below so you can enjoy the myriad health benefits without the risks.

  • What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength (Science) by Scott Carney
  • The Way of the Iceman: How the Wim Hof Method Creates Radiant, Longterm Health Using the Science and Secrets of Breath Control, Cold-Training, and Commitment (Science) by  Wim Hof and Koen De Jong
  • Becoming the Iceman: Pushing Past Perceived Limits (Nonsectarian/Christian) by Wim Hof and Justin Rosales
  • WimHofMethod.com (Nonsectarian)
    Free instructions on the Wim Hof Method breathing technique and cold exposure to help you start enjoying the health benefits of both.
  • Wim Hof Method App (Nonsectarian)
    It is free to download and you can track your progress. The app also has free training videos and PDF document to teach you the technique.

Fasting

CAUTION: Prolonged fasting (lasting more than three days) is a powerful healing approach, but for some people, complications can arise that puts them at risk for death. Take the appropriate precautions as outlined in the resources below so you can enjoy the benefits without the risks.

Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor’s Program for Conquering Disease (Science) by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

 

Loving-Energy Healing

Because of our conditioning, many of us write this method off as dubious and woo woo. However, Freeman includes these resources because he has seen them benefit people. It may be placebo, or it may have its own merits. Either way, it does no harm and people benefit. Do your best to remain open-minded. If it calls to you, check it out.

  • Quantum Touch: The Power to Heal (Nonsectarian) by Richard Gordon
  • Quantum Touch 2.0: The New Human (Secular/Atheist) by Richard Gordon