One of the most powerful acts of devotion is also one of the most simple: bowing down and surrendering to the earth. This is the basis for the Five Prostrations, a time-honored Buddhist meditation practice that joins the mind and body.

On Touching the Earth, Buddhist masters Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister Chân Không update this ancient teaching for the modern student. You learn each phase of this practice, which will help empty your body of resentment while opening it to compassion for all life.

Through the songs of Sister Chân Không (whom Thich Nhat Hanh has called a living bodhisattva, or one dedicated to the enlightenment of all beings), you also gain an ancient Buddhist technique for communicating tenderness and healing to your body. Touching the Earth comes to you with a foldout explaining this artful meditation in detail.