How To Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind

Chödrön (Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears) is an American Buddhist nun who has written many well-received books that introduce and explore the essential elements of Buddhist living. This new instructional title on meditation enters a publishing field that is crowded, but Chödrön's credentials, reputation, writing and teaching skills, and supportive tone make this book rise above the rest. This is a practical, workbook-like text; its five sections detail how to work with technique, thoughts, emotions, sense perceptions, and "opening your heart to include everything." There are also occasional exercises including the steps to complete a body scan and use "sound as the object." At all times Chödrön is careful not to overwhelm readers or make meditation feel like an Everest expedition, and she features her own practice as an example of challenges and successes.