Summer is a beautiful season to pause.
To set down your phone.
To sit in a patch of sunlight with a story that fills you up instead of drains you.
Mindfulness isn’t always about meditating or doing everything perfectly.
Sometimes it’s as simple as reading words that remind you to be here.
These are some of my favorite books—thoughtful, tender, and perfect for any summer moment when you want to feel more grounded and whole.
🌿 1. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
A beautifully illustrated guide to mindfulness and stillness.
Gentle reminders to pause, soften your expectations, and treat yourself with compassion.
✨ Perfect for reading one short chapter at a time when you feel overwhelmed.
☀️ 2. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
Even though it’s called Wintering, this book is for any season of life that feels tender.
It’s about honoring the quiet times instead of rushing through them.
✨ Perfect for summer evenings when you want to accept where you are.
🌸 3. How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
A thought-provoking exploration of reclaiming your focus and rediscovering meaning away from constant noise.
✨ Perfect for reading outdoors, unplugged, with your phone on airplane mode.
🌿 4. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
An honest look at stepping out of performance mode and learning to live with presence, grace, and rest.
✨ Perfect for when you feel pressured to be everything to everyone.
🌺 5. The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno
100 short, practical lessons on creating a calmer, more centered life.
It’s beautifully minimalist and easy to dip into any time.
✨ Perfect for mornings on the porch or quiet breaks during the day.
Your Summer Mindfulness Ritual
🌿 Pick one of these books.
🌿 Find a cozy spot—a hammock, a park bench, your favorite chair.
🌿 Bring iced tea or cold water.
🌿 Read without any goal except to enjoy being right here.
🌿 Let the words be an invitation to slow down.
Your Moment of You
🖊 “What does slowing down look like for me this summer—and which small daily ritual would help me feel more present?”
Write it down.
Then begin, one page and one breath at a time.
You deserve a season of softness.
Of presence.
Of words that feel like home.
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