Basics of Meditation

The Elusive Practice of Meditation

There is Peace in The Stillness

             The practice of meditation is a practice that is now a modern trend thought to bring about mental hygiene; its roots are drawn from a practiced used by yogis thousands of years ago to attain a mind of enlightenment and to understand the truest nature of the self. The word meditation is derived from both the Latin and Sanskrit languages; the word "Meditari" is a Latin word meaning "to dwell upon or strengthen the mind" and the Latin word "Mederi" meaning "to heal", which has even older roots in Sanskrit with the word, "Medha" meaning "Wisdom". So as you can see the practice of meditation travels very far back in the human past; perhaps humans have always mediated in some form or another even before they had yet to name it.

             I personally see the practice of meditation to be an elusive topic because so many people have many different things to say about it that sometimes opinions conflict and it can be hard to get to the heart of the matter. In today's world of new age meditation there are different schools of thought: some that focus on concentration, some on relaxation, and some that are free form contemplation; though some ideas over lap they are still drawing their ideas from old yogi traditions, adding and subtracting here or there. 

            In the old yogic traditions there are different social and personal preparations to begin yogic meditation and these stages are taken seriously. There are various positions of the body and hands that signify different ideas that a person must learn and master. Then there is breath control, a very important matter, due to the breaths effect on our life force. This process is said to bring about advanced and profound levels of concentration and inner peace, as well as control over the mind and ego.

            Yogic meditation can be described as a state of only consciousness or a state of singular consciousness. Some people feel that it is a way to become one with God or the universe. Science is now showing us that it does transform the mind and can bring about brain waves that are associated with deep relaxation or sleep. For some it is a way to deal with personal problems, like fears, anxieties and hatred, and gaining emotional clarity which is not the natural state of the human condition in modern society.  It also gives us some perspective to see the true nature of things; sometimes in meditation new perspectives arise that the hurried mind would not have come to on its own. If we can observe that our thoughts are on a continuum and one thought is leading to the next then we can also see meditation as a calming disruption in the continuum that can change and transform the way we interpret the world around us.

         It is important to observe the patterns and habits that make us who we are, otherwise it is harder to understand where the improvement is needed. In this way we can cultivate the person we truly want to be and live in accordance with our highest desires, not being a slave to our animal instincts and desires, but rising above like a phoenix above the flames. In this vain we are able to reach new levels of understanding, deepening the experience of our own life.

        Freeing the mind from all distraction can be difficult at first but the benefits can be far reaching and profound. Imagine a mind full of scattered thoughts replaced with the ebb and flow of clarity.