Delaria Journal · Mindfulness

A mindfulness alternative: literary meditation

Mindfulness helps many people. Others prefer images, stories, and authors — that is literary meditation.

Breath vs words

Counting breaths is not the only door to calm. Reading or listening to resonant passages can offer similar effects: distance, presence, slowing down.

Delaria calls this bibliotherapy and Calm journeys: two ways to use literature for inner balance.

Search the classics for what you feel

Name your mood and semantic search finds authors who crossed similar states — anxiety, hope, fatigue, wonder.

Explore literary meditation← Journal