There is some mystery and misinformation surrounding the practice of meditation. Some think of it as a prayer or pagan ritual and avoid reading or trying the practice. However, this is technically not correct. Meditation is a practice designed to heighten awareness.
Although some use meditation as part of a spiritual or religious practice, it isn’t necessarily religion nor does it interfere with any religion, despite the misinformation that exists. In fact, for some people, meditation is used in combination with prayer. One practitioner once told me that, for her, prayer is talking to God and meditation is when she listens. This misunderstanding of the nature of meditation often happens because people don’t really understand the practice of meditation or its many benefits.
Meditation can be a lot of things. Basically, this can be anything that frees the mind of distraction and results in a state of awareness in the present moment. It’s an interruption of the thought process that works to free the mind of random thoughts and patterns of thoughts.
Simply relaxing in the moment and focusing on the breath can be meditation, as long as the mind is free of the constant thought pattern that is so common, and often destructive to our well being. Breaking that constant stream of thought and gaining an awareness of the present moment is the basic idea behind the practice of meditation.
There are several types of meditation and the process varies slightly depending on the form. For example, some require no movement in the body, while other forms allow for movement. Some of the types of mediation include Zen meditation, transcendental meditation and mindfulness meditation. Although there are some differences in the practice, each form has the same ultimate goal of clearing the mind and enhancing awareness.
Regular practice of meditation is said to bring clarity and serenity to the person. In the normal stream of conscious thought, we react to stimuli with reactions that are both emotional and physical. During meditation, concentration helps gain control over the mind and tuning out thoughts.