What is meditation?

What is the purpose of meditation?

Meditation has existed for thousands of years. It has origins in many parts of the world, where different cultures developed different techniques that are still practiced today.

All of these meditation techniques have one thing in common: the experience of inward contemplation.

Meditation practices in general tend to place an emphasis on stillness, an awareness of the body, and sometimes a focus on breathing. The resulting quietness of this internal reflection delighted our ancestors thousands of years ago, and is a reason why meditation continues to be popular today.

Across centuries and continents, people have meditated with a variety of intentions:

• spiritual enlightenment
• greater self-awareness
• to help make decisions
• emotional regulation
• decreased stress

Nowadays, people frequently turn to meditation as a means to reduce their stress and anxiety, but the truth is that the benefits of meditation go far beyond treating stress.

What are the benefits of meditation?

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Different meditation techniques offer different benefits. Some techniques, such as Transcendental Meditation and mindfulness, have undergone extensive scientific research.

Mental health benefits of meditation

Meditation is known to help relieve symptoms of:

• depression
• anxiety
• PTSD
• burnout
• ADHD, and more.

Cognitive benefits of meditation

Meditation can improve cognitive processes, such as:

• memory
• organization
• learning ability
• productivity
• creativity

Physical health benefits of meditation

Meditation is known to improve physical issues, including:

• blood pressure
• heart health
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• chronic pain
• the
  risk of heart attacks
  and strokes, and many other ailments.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness is a type of meditation practice that encompasses a range of techniques, yet all these techniques share a set of aims.

These include:

• being present
• living in the moment
• increasing awareness of physical sensations
• observing your thoughts without labeling them as good or bad

With regular mindfulness practice, you can expect to face stressful situations with greater calm, avoid racing thoughts, and have more agency in your own life.

Mindfulness can be incorporated into daily activities. For example, while eating you can consider the meal with all five senses. How does the food look? How does it smell? What flavors can you taste? What are the textures? How does it sound when you eat it?

Enjoy the meal without distractions. Put your phone away, and slow down as you really think about what you're doing and experiencing.

Another example of a mindfulness technique is focusing on breathing. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and monitor your breath: feel the sensations as air moves in and out of your body. Notice how with slower, deeper breathing, your heart rate slows and your body relaxes.

You can also practice mindfulness while walking. Find a large, quiet space and walk around. Notice the different sensations you feel and what you perceive with each of your senses. Whenever your mind wanders, try to bring it back to how you’re feeling in the present moment.

What is guided meditation?

While mindfulness meditation can be done alone, without any external prompts, guided meditation requires a teacher or recording to lead the practice.

Often these resources are available for free or for a low cost, with platforms such as YouTube and apps like Calm and Headspace providing pre-recorded material or live sessions with a meditation teacher.

During guided meditation, you might be given visualization prompts or instructions for when to inhale and exhale.

Some people use guided meditation to help them sleep at night. A soothing voice and peaceful music can help people with busy thoughts to drift off.

Whether you prefer mindfulness or guided meditation is down to personal preference. Some people feel their mind wanders too much without an external source to re-focus the attention. Other people may not want to be tied to their phone, computer, or schedule of meditation classes.

You may find it easier to start your meditation practice with a guide, and in time become self-sufficient to practice the breathing and visualization exercises on your own.

What is Transcendental Meditation?

A final example of meditation is Transcendental Meditation, also known as TM. TM practice is distinct from both mindfulness and guided meditation.

But what is TM meditation? Why have millions of people around the world learned the technique? And what makes it unique?

Transcendental Meditation is an effortless technique practiced with the eyes closed, sitting comfortably, for twenty minutes twice a day. Unlike other meditation techniques, there is no effort or concentration required.

During the personalized TM course, taught by a certified TM teacher, the learner is given a mantra. The mantra is a sound without meaning which brings many benefits when repeated internally.

TM practice is easy: anyone can do it. It allows the mind to transcend, as unlike guided or mindfulness meditations, you reach the source of thought instead of staying on the surface level.

Research demonstrates that the TM technique produces a distinct brainwave to focused activities, such as concentration, and guided meditation. The increased brainwave coherence means that cognitive function is more integrated and results in feelings of relaxed happiness and