From Christian centering prayer to Sufi dhikr (chanting the names of God) to Zen Buddhist zazen (formal silent meditation), this book demystifies the kinds of meditation practiced in different spiritual traditions¢and gives you a real feel for which method might suit you best. Meditator and journalist Marcia Z. Nelson takes you on visits to seven different meditation centers representing a wide range of spiritual traditions. She shows what a typical visit to each is like and talks to the teachers and the people who go there to discover how they got started, why they keep going, and what benefits they derive from the practice. A list of further resources for in-depth exploration of each tradition, a directory of centers and a glossary of terms make this guide exactly what you need to start meditating.