"Each of the meditations in this book is a small conversation with the Buddha. Everyone can benefit from them and find a part that speaks to his or her own experience," writes Zen Buddhist monk, peacemaker, poet, and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. These 40 guided meditations are to be read aloud and followed by a ritual practice of touching the Earth in silence to receive its energy of stability and fearlessness: "We release all our instability, fear, anxiety, disease, and anger. We know the Earth can absorb our negativity without reacting to us or judging us. In this way, we are able to transform what is painful and difficult to accept within us." Thich Nhat Hanh notes that this ritual can nurture compassion within us and cultivate a meaningful relationship with the Earth.

Here are some of our favorite guided meditations:

• True Happiness
• Living in the Present
• Nourishing Love and Understanding
• Living Deeply
• Nourishing Our Ancestors and Descendants
• Walking in Freedom
• Right Speech
• Expressing Gratitude
• Oneness with the Earth
• The River of Life
• Oneness With All Beings.