The question on what is meditation comes up quite often in related meditation forums and online groups. So before we delve into the various meditation techniques available to us, I think it's useful to understand what is meditation at its core and why it is used.
When browsing online or reading through various books, you will find many different definitions about meditation and the various practices. Some are esoteric, others are philosophic, others are mystical, yet others are written in words that us, the average folks simply don't understand.
And this is partly the reason why people shy away from practicing it, as from the very start, they come across a heavy wall: the very confusing and mixed set of definitions of the process they want to learn. So what is meditation?
In short, meditation is a process - a fun and relaxing one at that - which allows the mind to get into a state of calm and relaxation that helps the body restore its depleted energy.
While many of the meditation gurus might argue with me that I am trivializing the subject, for the busy Westerner - like me and you - that's all that meditation has to achieve.
![]()
Meditation can be anything you want it to be. In other words you can achieve from it anything that you really want to achieve: bliss, a state of zen, enlightenment, communion with God or other higher power, de-stress, relaxation, or body and mind rejuvenation.
You can find out who you really are at your core - who your inner self is - if this is what you are searching for when embarking on learning this practice.
Or, like me when first starting out - you might simply be burned out by the ongoing stress at your 9-5 dayjob, the endless meetings, angry words with your co-workers, money and financial problems, stress at home, you name it.
And just like me, you want to find something that will help you in just a few minutes a day, find your inner piece, find your lost strength, and find yourself again.
Applying the right echnique can give you all that with ease.
Wikipedia's definition of meditation comes really close to what we want to achieve here. It says:
When you have a conversation with a person about it, you will notice that he or she will generally have a different definition from another person. If you talk with 20 people, each will give you a different understanding of it.
![]()
Here is a great book on meditation that I heartily recommend for anyone who is starting now with this relaxing and exciting past time:How To Meditate By Kathleen McDonald
What is meditation? Why practice it? Which technique is best for me? How do I do it? The answers are in this book.
here are in a nutshell the main meditation benefits:
Psychological and emotional benefits of meditation
Spiritual benefits
![]()
All these meditation benefits are attainable, depending on your personal goals. However achieving them needs perseverance and working at it.
While initially some people find it frustrating to not experience one of these benefits of meditation right away, over time they will become part of life. Several people find themselves experiencing more benefits and advantages of meditation than they were initially trying to get. This is an added benefit to the practice of meditation: gaining more good from it than you ever thought possible.
However there is one simple step to start getting these benefits: start practicing the various meditation techniques today!
When browsing online or reading through various books, you will find many different definitions about meditation and the various practices. Some are esoteric, others are philosophic, others are mystical, yet others are written in words that us, the average folks simply don't understand.
Understanding what is meditation good for
And this is partly the reason why people shy away from practicing it, as from the very start, they come across a heavy wall: the very confusing and mixed set of definitions of the process they want to learn. So what is meditation?
In short, meditation is a process - a fun and relaxing one at that - which allows the mind to get into a state of calm and relaxation that helps the body restore its depleted energy.
While many of the meditation gurus might argue with me that I am trivializing the subject, for the busy Westerner - like me and you - that's all that meditation has to achieve.
You can find out who you really are at your core - who your inner self is - if this is what you are searching for when embarking on learning this practice.
Or, like me when first starting out - you might simply be burned out by the ongoing stress at your 9-5 dayjob, the endless meetings, angry words with your co-workers, money and financial problems, stress at home, you name it.
And just like me, you want to find something that will help you in just a few minutes a day, find your inner piece, find your lost strength, and find yourself again.
Applying the right echnique can give you all that with ease.
Wikipedia's definition of meditation comes really close to what we want to achieve here. It says:
"Meditation refers to any of a family of practices in which the practitioner trains his or her mind or self-induces a mode of consciousness in order to realize some benefit."
When you have a conversation with a person about it, you will notice that he or she will generally have a different definition from another person. If you talk with 20 people, each will give you a different understanding of it.
What is meditation? Why practice it? Which technique is best for me? How do I do it? The answers are in this book.
Common truths about meditation
- It is an internal process, a state of mind.
- It is a personal practice. While you can meditate in groups, it is really a personal experience and every meditator will feel it and experience it in a different way.
- It is profound and can be a life changing process - even when meditating for simple relaxation, if done right, it usually changes the person to the better.
The individual often starts to become more compassionate, more understanding and less stressed out by every small thing. Many people say that they feel they are better persons since they have started meditating on a regular basis. - Many people meditate because they gain access to a deep spiritual or even mystical experience.
- For some people, itis a form of prayer - or the prayer is a form of meditation.
- For a few, it can become a way of life.
- For me, it is a way to relax at the end of the day, to quiet and calm my mind, to find my inner peace and recharge my inner mental, emotional and spiritual batteries.
here are in a nutshell the main meditation benefits:
Psychological and emotional benefits of meditation
- Helps with stress relief
- Slows down the mind aging process
- Helps with eliminating various bad traits and habits from your life
- Builds up self-esteem and self-confidence
- Helps remove various phobias, fears and addictions (such as smoking or drug use)
- Helps with learning as it sharpens the concentration and ability to focus
- Increases productivity and job satisfaction at work
- Improves personal and business relationships
- Enhances the empathic abilities
- Gives better tolerance to petty issues
- Enhances social behavior and minimizes anti-social or aggressive tendencies
- Enhances the positive personality of the person
- Helps the brain to solve more complex problems
- Minimizes tendencies to worry over things too much, which automatically reduces the levels of stress
- Develops emotional balance and maturity
- Ability to see things for what they really are
- Develops detachment from insignificant, irritating thoughts
- Helps enhance creativity and spontaneity
Physiological, functional body benefits
- Regulates the blood flow and the heart beating rate
- Helps with anxiety and panic attacks
- Minimizes muscle tension
- Increases the energy of the body, making it stronger and healthier
- Lowers risks of cholesterol and heart diseases
- Slows down the aging process
- Helps with weight loss, allergies, asthma and other health issues
- Helps with PMS (premenstrual) symptoms
- Minimizes stress and enhances physical relaxation abilities
- Ability to control chronic disease pains or migraines
- Is known to help with fertility problems
- Helps in healing after an operation or long and heavy illness
- Better brain function
- Symptom relief of menopause
Spiritual benefits
- Improves life attitude
- Improves relationship with God or other higher entity
- Helps living in the now
- Improves the occurrence of synchronicities in life
- Experience an inner sense of peace and oneness with the world
- Helps attain enlightenment
- Helps find happiness, peace of mind and true contentment
- Unifies the mind, body and spirit
- Enhances the capabilities to love and gives a different understanding of what love is
- Helps leave yourself more
- Helps understand others better and be more empathic towards them
- Enriches your soul
- Helps discover the true purpose in life
While initially some people find it frustrating to not experience one of these benefits of meditation right away, over time they will become part of life. Several people find themselves experiencing more benefits and advantages of meditation than they were initially trying to get. This is an added benefit to the practice of meditation: gaining more good from it than you ever thought possible.
However there is one simple step to start getting these benefits: start practicing the various meditation techniques today!
No comments:
Post a Comment