What is Meditation?
Meditation involves focusing ones thoughts, engaging oneself in inner contemplation or reflection. Meditation techniques vary, but what most of them have in common is the relief of suffering and the promotion of healing. There are four kinds of meditation. One is based on body control in order to unite body and mind as in Yoga. Another is based on control of the mind and requires concentration, contemplation and visualization. Concentration is accomplished by focusing on an object. Contemplation is achieved through continuous repetition of a word or a syllable, as in (mantra). A third approach is based on letting go of the body, using techniques to achieve relaxation of muscle tensions. The fourth focuses on letting go of the mind. The mind remains open to whatever enters it thus obtaining insight. There is a fine line between meditation and hypnosis. Meditation and self-hypnosis can be induced in similar ways. Both techniques may begin by the person being asked to stare at a certain p
• interrupting what is reactive, • opening what is closed, • exploring what is hidden, • balancing what is disturbed, and • cultivating what is beneficial to ourselves and others.The logic of meditation is really very simple: our experience of hosting, clarity and love brings us home and can be used as a resource for calling us back to the path of manifesting these qualities throughout our life. Meditation is the conscious placing and maintenance of attention. The capacity for intentionally using attention is one the precious gifts of life. Meditation is a path which is rooted in the ground of a vision of the human design and possibility. This path of spiritual practice is a process of growth which initially involves relaxing the body and the mind, training the mind to stabilize attention, training the will, witnessing and hosting whatever arises, cultivating wisdom qualities and training the body/mind to manifest those qualities, and to rest in our essential nature.
Meditation is a method for development and healing that has been used for thousands of years. The words meditation and medicine come from the Latin word mederi that means, “to cure.” Medicine is the science of curing health disorders, curing conditions that reduce the normal range of capabilities of human function, physical and mental. Meditation goes deeper and brings those who practice it to an unconditioned state, free of conditions, the unlimited ground of being where the body/mind and spirit resume full potential.
The basic idea generally associated with why people meditate is that during our day we are constantly subjected to sensory input and our minds are always active in the process of thinking. We read the newspaper, study books, write reports, engage in conversation, solve problems, etc etc. Typically, as we do these normal activities we engage in a constant mental commentary, sort of an inner “The Drama of Me.” Usually people aren’t fully aware of all the mental thought activity that we are constantly engaged in. Meditation allows all this activity to settle down, and often results in the mind becoming more peaceful, calm and focused. In essence, meditation allows the awareness to become ‘rejuvenated’. Meditation can be considered a technique, or practice. It usually involves concentrating on an object, such as a flower, a candle, a sound or word, or the breath. Over time, the number of random thoughts occuring diminishes. More importantly, your attachment to these thoughts, and your iden
