Philosophy

Santosha is a nondenominational, unaffiliated, nondevotional retreat center. Resources listed here are for informational purposes, but Santosha does not endorse any specific philosophical tradition. We drafted this list after many retreat guests asked “where do I begin reading about mindfulness and yoga?” We believe that reading yogic texts, Buddhist Dharma, Jewish philosophy, Christian mysticism, Sufi poetry, Indigenous traditions, secular self-help books, and perennial wisdom from a broad cross-section of philosophical traditions is the most beneficial way to learn about mindfulness.

This list changes regularly, so stay tuned.

  • The Art of Happiness (The Dalai Lama)

    The Art of Living (Thich Nhat Hanh)

    Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be: Lessons on Change, Loss, and Spiritual Transformation (Lama Surya Das)

    The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice (Deborah Adele)

    Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha (Tara Brach)

    The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology (Jack Kornfield)

    Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga (B.K.S. Iyengar)

    Man’s Search for Meaning (Viktor E. Frankl)

    Be Here Now (Ram Dass)

    Walking Each Other Home: Conversations on Loving and Dying (Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush)

    Being Ram Dass (Ram Dass)

    How Can I Help?: Stories and Reflections on Service (Ram Dass and Paul Gorman)

    One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism (Joseph Goldstein)

    Buddhism for Beginners (Thubten Chodron)

    In Search of Buddha’s Daughters: The Hidden Lives and Fearless Work of Buddhist Nuns (Christine Toomey)

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

    Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Sharon Salzberg)

    Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life (John Kabat-Zinn)

    Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—And Keep—Love (Amir Levine, M.D. and Rachel S. F. Heller, M.A.)

    The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life (David Brooks)

    Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga

    The Gifts of Imperfection (Brene Brown)

    How to Change Your Mind (Michael Pollan)

    Autobiography of a Yogi (Paramahansa Yogananda)

    Silence in the Age of Noise (Erling Kagge)

    The Prophet (Khalil Gibran)

  • Podcasts:

    The Good Life Project (Jonathan Fields)

    The Art of Happiness (Arthur C. Brooks)

    Heart Wisdom (Jack Kornfield)

    Hidden Brain (Shankar Vedantam)

    Ten Percent Happier (Dan Harris)

    How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality (David DeSteno)

    Ram Dass, Here and Now (Love, Serve, Remember Foundation)

    Tara Brach Podcast

    Unlocking Us (Brene Brown)

  • Becoming Nobody (Ram Dass and Jamie Catto)

    Breath of the Gods: A Journey to the Origins of Modern Yoga (Jan Schmidt-Garre)

    How to Cook Your Life (Edward Espe Brown)

  • App: Insight Timer

  • @lamasuryadas

    @babaramdass

    @jack_kornfield

    @insightmeditationsociety

    @tarabrach@michael.pollan

    @arthurcbrooks

  • Death Cafes: deathcafe.org

    Kopan Monastery: kopanmonastery.com

    Caroline Wybar: carolinewybaryoga.com

    WeCroak: app