What is Meditation; its purpose, benefits and impact on the human mind.

Meditation is the ultimate tried and tested thousands of years old technique of mindfulness wherein the entire focus of your brain remains on one specific thing while blocking out other thoughts. Meditation is derived from the Latin word Meditatum which means to ponder.

The practice of Meditation allows one to become fully aware of the present, concentrate and direct their attention completely towards one direction. It sharpens focus, enabling a better body, breath and mind connection.

In ancient days, through Meditation, humans were believed to connect with the divine, explore mystic forces and deepen their understanding of what lies beyond the consciousness. Meditation holds the reins of your consciousness and can lead you to infinite possibilities of the impossible, even unattainable endeavours.

Psychological Impacts

Just as much as Meditation helps with increased concentration and focus, it also assists in achieving a peaceful state of mind. Through the practice of Meditation, one definitely learns to focus only on the present. As a result of which, it gets easier to distance yourself from attachments and avoid letting worldly concerns disturb your peace of mind. This is the prime reason why Meditation is employed as a way to get rid of stress and anxiety. It also poses an effective way to declutter your head of unnecessary or negative thoughts.

It leads you to notice and focus on your breaths, the sensations of your body and yet not dwell on it. You’re hooked to just the very feeling of it, not the emotions attached to it, the implications of the past actions or uncertainties lingering over the future. Your focus lies entirely on your breathing, the rising of your chest when you inhale and how it deflates when you exhale. The action or moment at hand is where all your focus should be directed towards, which is breathing ideally when one is beginning towards their Meditative journey. The beauty of Meditation is such that it extends its benefits even when you inculcate it into simple activities such as cooking, walking, dancing, painting, reading or playing sports.

For instance, cooking in itself is a great form of Meditation. One can channelize all their concentration on the washing of vegetables, the rhythmic chopping, the sound of oil crackling in a pan, the aroma of spices. Meditation as a practice of mindfulness can be achieved by any activity which can retain your interest similarly.

An increase in self-awareness, patience, promoting imagination and keeping negative thoughts at bay too can be achieved through the calming effects of Meditation.

Religious Meditation 

The benefits of Meditation have been covered by nearly all prominent religions of the world including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and more. Through this technique of mindfulness and the ability to devote undivided attention to one subject, it is an unbeatable form of even worshipping as it allows the devotees to concentrate on their prayers unconditionally. It is through the routine of rigorous Meditation, that tales of discovering the supreme forces have surfaced across religions countless times.

Although it can take a great amount of time, patience and dedication to achieve superior states of mindfulness, anyone can begin with only a few minutes every day. By making it a habit and weaving a routine out of it, the time spent can be increased for more substantial effects. Once you are able to lose yourself in the present and present alone while in the act of Meditation, you can start incorporating it into your daily lives too.

There are various forms of Meditation too, such as Spiritual, Mindful, Focused, Mantra Chanting, Visualisation, Loving-Kindness, Transcendental Meditation and many more, depending on your ultimate goal for regular Meditation.

Whether the goal is to reach samadhi, the profound and highest state of meditative consciousness devoid of attachments, or peace and happiness or heighten your awareness and acquire immense knowledge through undisturbed concentration, Meditation is the answer and can be customised to suit your needs, there is something for everyone.

Despite the common belief that understanding of the powers of meditation is a recent phenomenon, they had been understood, realized and preached 5000 years ago. In Chapter 6 of Bhagvad Gita – Atma Sayyam Yog, Lord Krushna tells Arjun about the benefits of meditation.