WHAT IS MEDITATION

An ordinary person may consider meditation as a worship or prayer. But it

is not so. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is
meditation. "Watching your breath" is meditation; listening to the birds is
meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to
the mind, it is effective meditation.

Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means 'a

cessation of the thought process' . It describes a state of consciousness,
when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns . The
observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the
mind is reduced to one.

A Tibetan Lama was being monitored on a brain scan machine by a

scientist wishing to test physiological functions during deep meditation.
The scientist said - "Very good Sir. The machine shows that you are able to
go very deep in brain relaxation, and that validates your meditation". "No",
said the Lama, "This (pointing to his brain) validates the machine!".

These days it is commonly understood to mean some form of spiritual

practice where one sits down with eyes closed and empties the mind to
attain inner peace, relaxation or even an experience of God. Some people
use the term as "my gardening is my meditation" or for jogging or art or
music, hence creating confusion or misunderstanding.

The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words : meditari(to think, to
dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit
derivation 'medha' means wisdom.

Many years ago meditation was considered something just not meant for
modern people, but now it has become very popular with all types of
people. Published scientific and medical evidence has proved its benefits,
but it still needs to be much understood.

Traditionally, the classical yoga texts, describe that to attain true states of
meditation one must go through several stages. After the necessary
preparation of personal and social code, physical position, breath control,
and relaxation come the more advanced stages of concentration,
contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that
one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral
yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together.
Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they
refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration
techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative
activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation
without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded 'eastern'. But
yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach
and application.

With regular practice of a balanced series of techniques, the energy of the

body and mind can be liberated and the quality of consciousness can be
expanded. This is not a subjective claim but is now being investigated by
the scientists and being shown by an empirical fact

Meditation ... Its Benefits

Meditation : an enrichment to your soul
While a meditative state is the natural outcome of yoga
and the spiritual benefit of meditation is supreme bliss or
enlightenment, these words are unlikely to be understood
by many.

However, progress towards meditation and meditative

techniques have several benefits at the gross body or
material level:

Improvement of body luster and general health-

When your mind focuses on a particular part of the
body, the blood flow to that part increases and
cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in
abundance. Today, many of the film stars and
fashion models include meditation in their daily
regimen.
Improvement in concentration - Many of the
athletes and sports professionals regularly employ
meditation methods. Studies have found a direct
 correlation between concentration exercises
(meditation) and the performance level of sports
professionals. Meditation strengthens the mind, it
comes under control and is able to provide
effective guidance to the physical body to
effectively execute all its projects. Psychological
Exercises are a powerful way of improving
concentration and improving mental strength.
Health benefits of Meditation:
Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely
spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The
yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in
management of life threatening diseases; in
transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in
reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning
programs, in perceptions and communications beyond
the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear
physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in
management of lifestyle and future world problems. Some
benefits of meditation are:

It lowers oxygen consumption.

It decreases respiratory rate.
It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.
Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.
Good for people with high blood pressure as it
brings the B.P. to normal.
Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of
blood lactate.
Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to
tension) and headaches.
 Builds self-confidence.
It increases serotonin production which influences
mood and behaviour. Low levels of serotonin are
associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and
headaches.
Helps in chronic diseases like allergies , arthritis
etc.
Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.
Helps in post-operative healing.
Enhances the immune system. Research has
revealed that meditation increases activity of
'natural-killer cells', which kill bacteria and cancer
cells.
Also reduces activity of viruses and emotional
distress.

Benefits of meditation on Women's health and

Pregnancy:
Identity of your own - besides daughter, wife,
mother etc.-
Women begin life as someone's daughter, and
then someone's lover, wife, someone's mother.
Yes, but who am I- who am I really? Not only does
a woman need an understanding of her body but
also needs to connect with the essence of her true
self. A true self, which is an identity beyond
everyday change- beyond gender, beyond
fluctuations of hormones, beyond family
expectations and other superimposed personality
patterns. Discovering this true self is not as easy.
Just when you know who you are , it all changes
again.
 The process of self discovery involves, stripping off
false layers of identity, going back through all the
conditionings , realizing- "I am not that, and not
that, and not that", an emptiness out of which
arises the realization - "Ah ha! I am that".

The place for this self discovery is not the

psychiatrist's couch, the matrimonial bed, the
mother's group, or even a yoga retreat, but within
your own private meditation times.
Resolve Phobias -
Meditation can help to resolve the deepest of
neuroses, fears and conflict which play their part in
causing stress and ill health.
For mothers-to-be -
Meditation puts mothers in tune with their babies.
Manta Japa is especially appropriate for pregnant
women. [ See box Mantra Japa for pregnant
women ] After birth, daily meditation becomes a
precious time to refocus and make sense of the
many new thoughts and feelings which can be
running through your mind, brought about by the
events of childbirth and new motherhood

The benefits of meditation are many, and can bring about feelings of
confidence and self control, increased concentration, better relationships and
reduced stress levels to name just a few.

Once you have found your own inner stillness, through regular meditation,
you will be able to access it again and again and with ever greater ease. This
brings with it many far-reaching and profound benefits. You will start to
notice some changes within yourself fairly quickly; others will take more
time. If you are so inclined, it is worth keeping a diary, so that, after some
experience of meditating you can look back on how you have changed.
Discovering your own inner stillness will have a ripple effect on the rest of
your life, bringing surprise benefits as well as some that are more
predictable, such as better health and a longer attention span.

Regular practitioners say they develop a feeling of greater emotional

equilibrium. In psychoanalytic terms, they involve their egos less in
everyday situations. According to Buddhists, one of the results of meditation
should be a feeling of compassion – much easier when your ego is dissolved.
Self control, in turn, increases self confidence and a person’s sense of
certainty. Simply put, this means meditation could make you ‘nicer’ to your
fellow beings.

Meditation does not mean ‘zoning out’. In fact, regular practice will make
your mind much sharper and quicker. The ability to concentrate is hugely
enhanced, so that tasks take less time and feel easier to accomplish. When
you decide to do something, you will be able to just do it, instead of wasting
time agonizing about it.

Benefits of Meditation

• Confidence and self control

• Improved concentration
• Inner certainty
• Ability to focus and work efficiently
• Ability to let go of negative emotions such as anger and paranoia
• Improved posture
• Greater enjoyment of the physical
• Better personal relationships
• Improved health

On a purely physiological level, meditation has been subject to many

scientific studies since the 1960s. These have shown that among its benefits
are lower blood pressure, alleviation of some pain, increased levels of the
sleep hormone melatonin and lower stress levels.

It also seems to help people trying to quit smoking or taking hard drugs.
Some doctors have prescribed meditation for insomniacs, chronic pain
sufferers and heart patients, with good results.

However, it is worth knowing that severe depressives and people suffering

psychotic illness have been shown in some studies to become worse after
practicing meditation over a sustained period. If you are concerned about
such rare negative side effects you should consult with a medical
professional, but otherwise, the benefits of meditation can apply to anyone
willing to devote some time to regular meditative sessions.