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 ''to join together or to yoke’. 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.

Benefits Of Meditation

Internal Benefits

Meditation will bring mental balance when done regularly and correctly. It seems to balance brain chemistry. Calmness comes to the mind that is anxious and heavily burdened. Meditation is a time of escape from the attachments of the external world. A way to recognize that occurring thoughts can be observed and removed if undesired. Thoughts have a way of appearing and then becoming a chain of thoughts continually changing; when they are undesired they can be removed before they cause negativity in its many forms.
Some of the most negative mind patterns are related to fear and anger. Undesired thoughts create inner chaos within us. This affects us mentally, emotionally and physically. Meditation practice allows these thoughts to be turned off before they occur within us for too long. A more disciplined mind manifests and we are no longer a slave to its scattered directions. Learning that they can be shut off and applying this regularly is the art of practicing meditation in our daily lives. Each day is a step closer to complete control of our own minds. This requires continual effort and self study. After some time a blissful mind will reveal itself with a deep peace and tranquility.