Meditation has many techniques that are as varied as the people who practice them. Some people compare it to prayer, while others view meditation as a religion. It is often feared that if they practice meditation, it will commit them to a particular religion such as Buddhism or Hinduism, yet meditation may be practiced with or without religious connotations, according to personal preference. For sake of simplicity, my discussion of meditation will be based on an ayurvedic and yogic perspective, as meditation is an essential practice of yoga and is used by ayurvedic practitioners as one of its main therapies.

Meditation, in the broadest sense, means placing the mind in its most peaceful and calm state. As the mind's natural tendency is to be full of thoughts, giving it an object on which to focus, such as repeating mantra, visualizations, and pranayama, may help promote a more peaceful and quiet state of mind. Like any goal in life worth attaining, meditation takes practice! It doesn't just happen instantaneously at first. It is not as simple as merely closing one's eyes. Over a period of time, we can eventually set aside the techniques, settle into a feeling of freer expansiveness, and eventually reach the stage of samadhi (ultimate bliss), which is our true nature and the goal of meditation.

The process of discovering our true nature is a unique process that varies from person to person and unfolds in stages. Usually the first stage of the meditation process is the most difficult. When we first start to meditate, the immediate obstacles encountered are both physical and mental. We experience such physical sensations as vague aches and pains, itches that we want to scratch, not being able to sit still, and become painfully aware of discomforts in certain areas of our bodies. The mind also serves to distract us with constant thoughts, sleepiness, or inability to concentrate.

As we begin to spend more time in meditation, we begin to notice our awareness expanding, preoccupation with the physical body diminishing, and our concentration deepening. In the silence, we begin to connect with our true self. Once we allow ourselves to slow down, our breathing starts to slow down and the mind starts to quiet its incessant chatter. When our minds become quieter, we begin to see ourselves with greater discernment. In this stillness, we can come to states of happiness and bliss we never thought possible.

On a more therapeutic level, meditation can also be a powerful "tool" for healing the body and mind. In his book, "Yoga and Ayurveda", Dr. Frawley states, "Meditation is an important therapy for psychological and nervous disorders, from simple insomnia to severe emotional disturbances. It is useful in chronic and debilitating diseases like allergies or arthritis, in which stress or hypersensitivity of the nervous system are involved."
Meditating on a daily basis and doing yoga for the past eleven years has brought me relief from ear noises, back and abdominal pain, and provided relief from anxiety, tension and worries!

Ideally, meditation should be practiced for at least 10-15 minutes a day, yet more important than time spent in meditation is consistency of practice, as it is only over time that we can truly reap the lasting benefits of peace, clarity and well-being!