Meditation for Life

"A wise and inviting introduction to meditation. Martine's wisdom and humor shine through."

--Joseph Goldstein, author of Insight Meditation: The Path to Freedom

There are many good reasons to start meditating. Meditation can relieve stress, promote relaxation, and improve your outlook--but most of all, meditation is about waking up to life, to all its choices and possibilities.

With an engaging mix of anecdote, humor, and clear instruction, Martine Batchelor shows that you don't have to be a Buddhist to benefit from meditation. She explains the life-enhancing techniques of three major traditions--Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen--demystifying meditation and presenting it in a way that will speak to readers of any background.

Each chapter of Meditation of Life contains a time-honored guided meditation on such themes as loving-kindness, equanimity, death--and even cooking! And nearly every page presents an evocative photograph from Stephen Batchelor, inviting us to see the world around us with new eyes.

This vividly photographed book encourages us to bring creative awareness to every aspect of our lives--from making conversation to making dinner--and reveals how every situation and every moment can be an opportunity to break negative habits, foster compassion, and find joy. Whether you want to learn to meditate, revitalize your practice, or share the joys of meditation with others--Meditation for Life is a beautiful way to start.

Martine Batchelor spent ten years in a Korean monastery studying Zen Buddhism. She works as a lecturer and spiritual advisor, and her books include Principles of Zen, Walking on Lotus Flowers, and Buddhism and Ecology. She lives in the south of France.