Meditation

Training for the Mind

Meditation can make life simpler, happier and more peaceful. It is easy to start, doesn't cost a penny and can have immediate benefits. Everything you need to know here.

The Basics

22 Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Further Exploration – Articles & Media

Your Take – Comments

"Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity."

Voltaire

Meditation Basics

What is Meditation?

Simply put meditation is the practice of being still and focussed in order to achieve a clear, calm and peaceful state of mind. It is a way of training the mind, similar to how exercise trains the body. It is about being in the here and now, clearing your mind & thoughts and finding a quiet space to reflect. Being present will make you focussed and appreciate & understand life infinitely more.

Why Do It?

People meditate for a variety of reasons however the main reason is in order to feel happier, more calm and peaceful. People meditate in order to train their brain. Some for spiritual and/or religious reasons, in order to find enlightenment or self-realisation. And some to help relieve the symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress or general pain. There are a number of benefits to meditation, find a comprehensive list further down this article

How to Meditate

The most common and well known practical meditation practice is completed by sitting still with legs crossed and eyes shut. The meditator then breathes in through the nose and out through the mouth concentrating on the breath. The idea is to clear the mind of thoughts and when a thought enters, see it for what it is, a passing thought.
Meditation is generally very simple (and free). Find a simple practice further down this article.

10 Basic Meditation Facts

The word itself has a mixture of origins, including from the French meditacion meaning, “thought, reflection, study”. It may also be derived from the verb Latin Meditari meaning, “to think, contemplate, devise, ponder.” Another school of thought is that it comes from Euro-Indo roots from the word “Med-” meaning to “take appropriate measure”
It has been around for thousands (2,500+) of years and originates from many religious and spiritual sources
Nearly all major religions embrace meditation in one form or another including; Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism & Christianity
However in itself, it is not a religion or religious act. It can be used in religious ceremony however it is not a religious practice
A rough estimate at the number of people practicing globally is between 200-500 million
The amount of people meditating since 2012 has nearly tripled
It is a highly effective, scientifically proven method of changing the brain’s neuroplasticity, i.e. way the brain works and processes information
Meditators are able to sustain a higher range of gamma waves which allows them to be in better control of their thoughts
Meditation has a number of proven health benefits from lowering blood pressure to decreasing stress and anxiety levels
To gain the full benefits, a full twice daily 20 minute meditation is recommended however any small amount can bring positive benefits

7 Interesting Meditation Facts

It is said that the focussing of attention that meditation brings helped bring about the most recent form of human evolution
Many companies, corporations, local trusts and groups now run courses on meditation due to the number of benefits that it has been proven to bring. Disney were one of the first corporations to offer meditation classes at work. Google offers multiple meditation classes to it’s employees
The use of drugs while meditating varies by religion. Buddhists & Hindus advise against avoiding intoxicants whereas the use of psychoactive substances is prevalent in many religious rituals (e.g. the use of Cannabis by Rastafarians or the use of Peyote in North American rituals)
The largest online meditation lesson was held by the Chopra Wellbeing Centre to over 30,000 people
Meditation can be as effective as morphine as a painkiller
Women are more likely to meditate than men
The meditation market in the US is said to worth more than $1billion

"The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind."

Caroline Myss

22 Amazing Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is scientifically proven to provide a number of health and other benefits. 20 amazing benefits below:

Increase in happiness
Enhanced sense of calm
Help in interpreting and understanding our thoughts and emotions
Changing the way our mind works – Allows us to be in control of our thoughts and ways of thinking
Can help lessen stress, anxiety and depression
Enhanced and improved memory function
Can help deal with pain – in fact, it can be as effective as morphine at dealing with pain
Boosts health
Improved productivity
Reduce blood pressure
Can help slow the ageing process
Helps improve concentration span
Boost to our Social Life
Increase in Self Control
Can provide greater Wisdom
Gain deeper spiritual connections
Can help prevent heart disease and heart attack
Helps relaxation and aids sleep
Can be used to help conquer addictions
Increases sex drive and libido
Children with ADHD who are taught meditation are proven to be able to concentrate better at school
Can help us increase our kindness and sense of gratefulness

The benefits of meditation have been written about countless times with many different views and studies conducted. See the further exploration section for more information on the benefits

"Life is a mystery - a mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. Meditation is the art of unfolding that mystery"

Amit Ray

7 Types of Meditation

There are many types of meditation. Detailed information on the most popular types below. Take a look at the further exploration for more in depth information.

1. Mindfulness (or Breath)

Mindfulness meditation is about remaining present and focussed throughout the meditation, analysing thoughts that come into the mind without judgement. It is taking a step back from the conscious mind and looking at thoughts processes and behavioural interpretation of thoughts. This has origins in traditional Buddhist forms of meditation however it is now extremely popular in the West

2. Spiritual

An essential part of Buddhism, Taoism & Hinduism and mainly an Eastern form of meditation however also creeps into many other religions (e.g. Christianity). This type of meditation provides a deeper spiritual link to a divine presence or being

3. Transcendental

The aim of transcendental meditation is total enlightenment, i.e. to transcend and rise above the self. This is not a beginners type of meditation and often takes teaching to perfect.

Some transcendental meditation teachers will provide their students with their own personalised mantra to chant whilst transcending. This is personalised to the student and can never be shared or even spoken aloud.

4. Chanting

Type of meditation where a word, phrase or sound is continually repeated to allow the meditator to focus. A popular, well known sound being “Om.” Om represents the consciousness of the universe condensed into a sound. Per Transcendental meditation above, some chanting meditation involves a personalised chant or “Mantra.”

5. Chakra Mediation

Focuses on the seven Chakras within the body. Chakra is sanskrit for wheel and embodies the smooth movement, power and harmony of the body. Chakras are centres of energy across the body. Chakra meditation focuses on these 7 areas to improve the balance between them and overall physical and mental wellbeing

6. Movement (or Yoga) Meditation

Utilising movement for focus whilst meditating. Any yoga poses or deliberate body movements can be used to concentrate the mind

7. Guided or Unguided

Not an actual type of meditation as such however any of the above can be guided or unguided meditations. A spiritual leader or meditation guide can lead you through a meditation or you can (very easily) undertake meditation on your own.

"While meditating we are simply seeing what the mind has been doing all along"

Allan Lokos

How Meditation Works

Meditation has powerful effects and brings many benefits. It has been studied by scientists for many years and is proven to alter the way brain works in a way that brings us peace and happiness. So how does it work? See further exploration for further in depth information

Meditation & Brain Waves

In short, meditation works by slowing down brain waves. If we can slow down our brain waves we can have more time to analyse our thoughts and have the ability to clear our mind.

There are 5 different types of brain waves (below). The first 3 account for our day to day thinking. No’s 4 & 5 are deeper, more reflective states of being

Gamma Waves – Hyper alert state, most commonly seen in learning
Beta Waves – Our general day to day thinking. These are the most common thought waves while we are awake
Alpha Waves – Ingrained thinking
Theta Waves – A state of relaxation and calm
Delta Waves – Deep sleep waves

As we go through no’s 1 -5, the brain waves slow down. Meditation allows us to train the brain to slow down our thought processes as far as theta waves above. Over time the brain is retrained to be more calm and reflective

"Quiet the mind, and the Soul will speak."

Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

How to Meditate

A simple breath meditation practice to try at home

It can takes years to master however just one session can be beneficial. You do not need to pay for meditation, it can be done completely free and from the comfort of your own home. Try the simple breath practice in 10 steps below

Sit in a comfortable position
Ensure your back is straight where possible (strong back, soft front)
Set a timer for 5 minutes
Close your eyes
Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth
Concentrate on your breath
See your thoughts as they are, just mere thoughts gliding through your mind like clouds through the sky. Allow them to pass refocusing on the breath as needed
Every time a thought comes into your head observe how you react to it and then let it go. Refocus on your breath and focus on keeping a clear mind
Stay in position until the timer ends
When the 5 minutes is up, open your eyes and continue with your day

See if you can build the 5 minutes up to 10 minutes. Meditating in the morning is a great way to start the day. Meditating in the evening is helpful in relaxing after a hectic day.