Meditation has gone mainstream. Across the country, in doctor's offices, classrooms, and corporate wellness pamphlets, mindfulness and yoga are touted as science-backed tools for self-improvement. But a generic idea of meditation-an image, a vibe-is in danger of eclipsing meditation itself.

Journalist Jennie Rothenberg Gritz grew up in the small town of Fairfield, Iowa, the home of Transcendental Meditation, where two thousand people would gather twice a day to meditate together in enormous golden domes. Now, she sets out to trace the many forms of meditation available today back to their roots. From the arrival of Swami Vivekananda, who first brought yoga to spiritually curious Americans in the 1890s, through the rise of Western Buddhism and mindfulness, she reveals how ancient Eastern practices transformed American culture-and how America, in turn, transformed the meaning of meditation.

Along the way, Gritz visits laboratories at the forefront of new research, delving deep into the science of how meditation changes our bodies and our minds-how some practices can lower your blood pressure, while others thicken your cerebral cortex-and she makes an irresistible case for "mind-wandering," which has been proven to enrich our creativity. Concluding with a practical guide that emphasizes just how accessible and diverse the meditation world truly is, The Inward Trip is an essential read for anyone looking to enhance-or begin-their own journey inward.