Book Description In Walking With The Saint， a spiritual practitioner and teacher takes the reader on her journey through Christian mysticism and an exploration of Oriental religion based upon her travels and in-depth study of ancient Sanskrit texts， along with the meeting of yogis， sages and a living saint. The author， Mary Anne Ayer， provides insights and analysis of a topic rarely understood on this level. She offers explanations that readers may not get from religious institutions， as well as a gateway to the benefits of spiritual practices and enlightenment. About the Author Mary Anne Ayer began asking more about spirituality and metaphysics than her Catholic upbringing and parochial school provided. She graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in cultural anthropology and became interested in meditation and Christian mysticism. In search of more answers， she attended an intense two and a half year course of study in India in Vedanta in the Sanskrit medium. This was a twelve-year course condensed into two and a half years， designed to create monks and nuns who would teach the ancient scriptures embodied in "the path of knowledge" to students around the world. Mary Anne was a teacher of Vedanta， meditation and Eastern philosophy and religion for over ten years in Seattle， Vancouver Canada and Boston. With a profound longing for greater insights and spiritual experiences， May Anne expanded her understanding with the study of other systems of Yoga such as Hatha， Kriya and Raja Yoga. In her search she traveled throughout India meeting many yogis and sages. She broadened her search to the study and practices of Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in monasteries and retreat centers as well. Receiving a Masters Degree at Tufts University to teach foreign languages， as well as the study of foreign language at Harvard University and The Sorbonne in Paris， she was able to study the writings of Spanish and French speaking saints and mystics of Catholicism in their native tongue. Her studies and her spiritual practice culminated in the meeting of a Living Saint and with the meditation practices of the Sant Mat (Path of the Masters) tradition， where she has been a student and practitioner for the past 20 years. She felt compelled to write about her experiences not only to benefit her children but for others who may share her interest in spirituality. She now lives in Naples， Florida with her husband and two children.