While meditation is viewed in many ways, it's essentially the slowing down of your thoughts in order to achieve awareness. Many use it as a daily form of prayer. Meditation can help focus your thinking, lower your stress levels, lower risks for medical issues (such as high blood pressure, glucose levels, and heart disease) and is considered to be preventative medicine. It promotes mind-body balance and fitness, mindfulness, and creativity. Idiot's Guides: Meditation offers a concise, easy-to-grasp primer on the numerous types of meditation and how to practice them. The book includes:

* The definition and fundamental basics of meditation
* Preparing to meditate: What, when, and where to meditate
* Tips for dealing with distractions while meditating
* Working meditation into your daily life
* Types of meditation: Zen, Vipassana (breathing), Tibetan Buddhist, Mindfulness, Jewish meditation, Christian prayer, Sufi meditation, and Native American meditation
* The physical and mental benefits of each type of meditation.
* Mind/Body connection (dealing with emotional challenges and habitual patterns)
* Meditation in adults and children
* Healing mediation (dealing with pain)