This is the most popular book in the “How To” series with advice, practices, and food for thought from a Zen Master on our most universal emotion.

Nhat Hanh brings his signature clarity, compassion, and humor to the thorny question of how to love. He distills one of our strongest emotions down to four essentials: you can only love another when you feel true love for yourself; love is understanding; understanding brings compassion; deep listening and loving speech are key ways of showing our love.

How to Love shows that, when we feel closer to our loved ones, we are also more connected to the world as a whole. Here are sections on love versus need, being in love, reverence, intimacy, children and family, reconciling with parents, and more, including meditations you can do alone or with your partner to go deep inside and expand your own capacity to love. Scientific studies indicate that meditation contributes tremendously to well-being, general health, and longevity.

How to Love is a unique gift for those who want a comprehensive yet simple guide to understanding the many different kinds of love, along with meditative practices that can expand the understanding of and capacity for love, appropriate for those practicing in any spiritual tradition, whether seasoned practitioners or new to meditation.

The bestselling Mindfulness Essentials series, a back-to-basics collection from world-renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, introduces everyone to the essentials of mindfulness practice.