Biography

Stephan Bodian is author of the bestselling guidebook Meditation For Dummies®. He's an internationally known meditation teacher and a licensed psychotherapist who offers meditation-inspired counseling for personal growth and stress management to clients throughout the world.

Stephan is also the founder and director of the annual eight-month School for Awakening, which features weekend retreats and individual mentoring in the art of living a more self-aware, joyful, stress-free life. His latest book, Wake Up Now: A Guide to the Journey of Spiritual Awakening, was published in 2008 by McGraw-Hill.

Stephan began practicing Zen in 1970 after studying Asian language and culture at Columbia and Stanford. Ordained a Zen priest in 1974, he trained with several Zen masters and directed the training program at the Zen Center of Los Angeles. He also practiced with several Tibetan Buddhist teachers and spent 10 years studying Indian nondualism with Jean Klein.

Stephan is the former editor-in-chief of the magazine Yoga Journal and a contributing editor of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and he has written extensively on meditation and related themes. His articles have appeared in numerous national magazines, including Fitness, Natural Solutions, Cooking Light, Tricycle, and, of course, Yoga Journal.

His popular guidebook Meditation For Dummies has sold over 125,000 copies and is now in its second edition with instructional CD. The book is available in English, Dutch, German, Italian, French, Russian, Portuguese, and Spanish editions. His other books include Living Yoga; Timeless Visions; and Healing Voices.