What is Meditation?

Meditation is a practice in which a person trains attention and awareness by focusing the mind on a specific object, thought, or activity.

Meditation is practiced in a wide range of religious traditions. The Upanishads contain the earliest records of meditation (dhyana), and meditation plays an important role in the contemplative repertoires of Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures since the nineteenth century, where they have found application in non-spiritual contexts such as business and health.

Meditation has been shown to significantly reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, as well as improve peace, perception, self-concept, and well-being. There is ongoing research to better understand the effects of meditation on health (psychological, neurological, and cardiovascular) and other areas.

Meditation is an acquired skill.

Learning to meditate is no different than learning any other skill. Consider it like working out a muscle you've never worked out before. It takes time and practice to become comfortable. And having a teacher usually makes things easier. We have you covered there.

Meditation is not about becoming a different, new, or even better person. It's all about developing awareness and a healthy sense of perspective. You are not attempting to suppress your thoughts or feelings. You're learning to observe them objectively. You may eventually gain a better understanding of them as well.

Here are the five top benefits of meditating