Readers seeking insight into Eastern-inspired health and wellness practices have several titles to look forward to this season, including a data-driven advice book on improving meditation and a collection of alternative therapies and home remedies from the Mayo Clinic.

Altered Traits
Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson
Avery/Krauss, Sept.
Asserting that casual meditation fails to bring lasting change, Goleman (Focus) and Davidson (The Mind’s Own Physician, with Jon Kabat-Zinn) describe methods, developed in part using data from Davidson’s Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, for enriching one’s practice.

The Eight Immortal Healers
Johnathon Dao and Mantak Chia
Inner Traditions, Aug.
Chia, the founder of the Universal Healing Tao System, and Dao, a Universal Healing Tao instructor and natural healing expert, offer health advice inspired by the Eight Immortals, figures from Chinese mythology. The authors pair each one with a Taoist health principle: one represents hydration; another, detoxification.

The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga
Marlynn Wei and James Groves
Da Capo Lifelong, July
Drawing on their work with clients, psychiatrists Wei and Groves lay out an eight-week yoga program that touches on the various limbs of the practice, such as breathing and meditation. The book includes illustrations and information on safety.

Mayo Clinic: The Integrative Guide to Good Health
Brent A. Bauer
Oxmoor, Aug.
This compendium by Bauer, the director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, compiles advice on practices such as meditation and acupuncture, and suggestions for home remedies for ailments from pink eye to psoriasis.

The Longevity Plan
John D. Day and Jane Ann Day, with Matthew LaPlante
Harper, July
Inspired by his study of a Chinese village where centenarians abound, this book by cardiologist John Day lays out seven principles for improving overall health. Day took the proverb “Physician, heal thyself” to heart: after incorporating the seven principles into his own life, he lost 30 lbs., lowered his blood pressure and cholesterol, and rid himself of his acid reflux and insomnia.

Waking Energy
Jennifer Kries
Harper Elixir, June
Pilates master teacher Kries synthesizes tools from a range of Eastern practices, including qigong and various types of yoga, into a plan focused on combating physical and mental fatigue.

The Yogi Code
Yogi Cameron
Enliven, May
Cameron, a former fashion model turned student of yoga and ayurveda, lays out seven practices to help readers incorporate the principles of yoga into their daily lives, especially when they aren’t on the mat.

Return to the main feature.