Begin to meditate—or renew your practice—with this straightforward guide that is free from pretension and complication. Is there a way you can learn to slow down and experience yourself more fully, your life more deeply, and other people in the present moment without adopting a new religious or philosophical ideology? Clark Strand answers with a clear and simple "yes!" Short, compelling reflections show you how to make meditation a part of your daily life, without the complication of gurus, mantras, retreats, or treks to distant monasteries. What is the proper way to breathe? Where should I meditate? What should I sit on? How often should I practice? You'll find the answers surprising as Strand breaks down modern-day stereotypes about meditation and leaves the one thing a successful meditation practice truly needs: you.

Clark Strand is a former Zen Buddhist monk and contributing editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. The author of Seeds from a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey, he currently leads the Koans of the Bible Study Group in Woodstock, New York.