On Meditation...

Throughout history, meditation has been an integral part of many cultures. Records indicate that meditation was practiced in ancient Greece and India more than 5,000 years ago. In the Buddhist religion, meditation is an important part of their spiritual practice. Different forms of meditation are practiced in China and Japan, and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have traditions similar to meditation. The word meditation comes from the Latin meditari which means: exercise, turn something over in one's mind, think, consider. It is defined as consciously directing your attention to alter your state of mind.

Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies that in recent years have been classified under mind-body medicine therapies. It is continuing to gain popularity, as more and more health experts believe that there is more to the connection between mind and body than modern medicine can explain. According to researchers, meditation has been shown to aid the immune system and improve brain activity. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, to improve exercise performance, to help people with asthma to breathe easier, to relieve insomnia, and generally relax everyday stresses of life. Many hospitals now offer meditation classes for their patients because of the health benefits. All promote physiological health and well-being.

Traditionally, meditation has been used for spiritual growth, but more recently has become a valuable tool for managing stress and finding a place of peace, relaxation, and tranquility in a demanding fast-paced world. Benefits resulting from meditation include: physical and emotional healing; easing stress, fear, and grief; improved breathing; developing intuition; deep relaxation; exploring higher realities; finding inner guidance; unlocking creativity; manifesting change; emotional cleansing and balancing; and deepening concentration and insight.

Meditation elicits many descriptive terms: stillness, silence, tranquility, peace, quiet, and calm. All counter stress and tension. Lama Surya Das in his book Awakening The Buddha Within says, Meditation is not just something to do; it's a method of being and seeing an unconditional way of living moment by moment. In other words, learning to live in this moment because this moment is all we have. Henry Winkler is quoted as saying; A human being's first responsibility is to shake hands with herself. Meditation is an opportunity to shake hands with ourselves in a safe, simple way and to balance our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

According to Buddhism, a person can reach Nirvana or the highest state of enlightenment through continuous meditation and by participating in the Buddha’s daily service, among other things. Over time, many people have benefited from the practice of meditation.

Meditation, as practiced by Buddhist monks and practitioners, has become a spiritual tool and health enhancer. More than just the chants and meditative posture, meditation is about proper breathing and concentration of one’s thoughts. As a health and spiritual practice, meditation came into prominence centuries ago.

How do we know if we are already in a state of meditation or just wasting away time with our eyes closed? Meditation is a state of mind that leads to inner peace, self-fulfillment, self- improvement, and the development of a positive outlook in life. There are two types of meditation; the concentrative and the mindfulness type. Concentrative is focused on the person’s concentration, sitting quietly and calmly with good breathing patterns. It is said that one's mind is somewhat connected to one’s breath of air. Continuous rhythm of inhales and exhales of the breath will make the person feel more calm and relaxed, focusing on the steady flow of air in and out of their bodies. This will result in the mind being more aware and tranquil at the same time. 

Mindfulness, on the other hand, involves attention and awareness on passing waves of sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, sounds, smell, anything that your body can interact with. This in turn will give the person a more non-reactive mind state, much like looking at a television, without any feeling or thoughts that can bother you.

Meditation and relaxation often go hand in hand. In scientific studies, it has been proven that there are health benefits in regularly practicing meditation. By being in a relaxed state of mind, the person is also regarded as being in an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes good healing. Since people are constantly moving, being in a state of relaxation and stillness can enhance our overall well-being. Knowing all this, one can see the connection of both scientific and spiritual factors that are brought together by meditation. 

Indeed, this activity shows a unique philosophy that can really help. In practicing meditation, a person can see their innermost self at its fullest. This can help a person dealing with external difficulties to see past all the challenges and become more humble and calm in dealing with situations. This relaxed state of meditating can also help take away simple headaches, stress, or even mild anxiety. There are no known ways that meditation can be harmful, so why not give it a try?

Meditation is an art that has been around since the dawn of humankind. This is not a statement to be brushed over. After all, many things about humankind have changed over time, but the profound art of meditation is something we have clung on to dearly. This is because there is no substitute for meditation. Nothing else, single handedly, bestows the many wonderful blessings that meditation brings. In fact, nothing else even comes close. Hopefully, this article will inspire you to also learn and practice this timeless art.

The mind of one who meditates is like the easy, leisurely flow of the Ganges River, as compared to the ordinary mind, which is like Niagara Falls. In other words, your mind is at peace, deeply silent and so you are at peace. Meditation opens up the channels of communication between all levels of your being. What this means is that you have access now to the guidance that is coming directly from your Divine Self. This link gives rise to the flow of intuition and wisdom.

Meditation strips away the layers of false identity that mask your True Self from shining through. Once you eliminate these false egos and stop catering to their nonsense you can reside in your True Nature. This brings forth joy and happiness as it allows you to be at ease with life, existence and yourself.

All serious meditators know how much their brain function has been enhanced by meditation.

Now, empirical studies every day are indicating this link. Meditation will undoubtedly increase your awareness. This will give you insight into who you really are and what you really love in life. That is the secret of mastering the art of living and discovering your true talents, gifts and purpose. That which you love, you do for its own sake without the need for reward or accolades. Once this is discovered, life can be lived with passion, zeal and independence.

The one ultimate purpose of meditation is enlightenment. To help you discover the true nature of reality. To make you realize that your True Self is Divine and One with the Universe. Take your time and practice meditation today so that you can start feeling better soon. This is going to be a life changing experience for you.  If you make the most out of it you will start being a more positive person, and feel more complete. Good luck and enjoy your meditation practices each day.