Introduction
Everyone from Swamis to Scientists seems to be recommending this thing called meditation. It has been around for thousands of years and yet people seem to treat it like a passing fad. Honestly, if you ask my dad, he may actually confuse it with yoga. Hahaha!
The Many Faces of Meditation
When we speak about meditation, the rational-minded will give you benefits like stress relief, lowered blood pressure, improved heart condition, etc. Ask a person with good language understanding, and they will tell you it is something you focus on. But ask a spiritual seeker, and they will tell you that the things the rational-minded person said were just a by-product of meditation, and the focus part, mentioned by the language person, was just one aspect of meditation.
Defining Meditation: Perspectives and Perceptions
Meditation: A Multifaceted Concept
So does that mean the spiritual person will give you the right definition of meditation?
Oops, sorry to disappoint, but it is most likely that the answer to the question “What is meditation?” will change from one spiritual person to another! How frustrating, huh? So what is meditation?
Your Mind's Canvas: The Nature of Meditation
Whatever you concentrate on, that becomes your meditation. If you dwell in inner seeking or spiritual seeking, that becomes your meditation. If you dwell on manifestation or visualization, that becomes your mediation. If you dwell on something positive, that becomes your meditation. Conversely, if you dwell on something negative, that too has the potential to become your meditation. And whichever state of meditation you keep going back to, or dwell predominantly in, that state becomes your reality.
So when we speak generally of “meditation” what we are actually talking about cultivating a “meditation practice,” i.e., training yourself with a meditation practice that is beneficial to you and will lead you to the goals you want to fulfill. That is why some people can only see health benefits in meditation but others find it leading to their awakening.
The Meditative Path: Whatever You Focus On
Meditation: A Natural Evolution
Most often, when we speak about meditation, it is the act of the mind concentrating on something. But in spiritual practices, this focus leads to joy that comes from a deeper understanding of who you are. As you keep meditating, it becomes a part of your natural state. Just like a child learning to walk may struggle to do it, but once it gets a hang, it does not think twice about it, in the same way, initially, we try to cultivate a practice of meditation, but after doing so regularly it becomes a natural part of our lives, of who we are.
Journeying through the Meditative States
Stages of Meditation According to Ancient Wisdom
Wise ancient men like Patanjali and Swami Vivekananda speak of meditation in three stages - Dharna, Dhyana, and Samadhi. In simple terms, Dharna is when you start meditation - you just focus on one thing - your breath, an idol, a mantra, a visual, etc. Dhyana is when you stop seeing a distinction between the object and yourself. This leads into the realization of what you actually are - Supreme consciousness, and this leads to the Oneness of Samadhi.
The Fruits of True Meditation
Connecting to Joy, Stillness, and Awareness
So in all fairness, we should say real meditation, the true meditation connects, you to the reality of what you are - it connects you to the joy, to the stillness, to the silence, to the awareness. Naturally, as you connect to these, your life becomes smoother, stress-free, and peaceful. Health improves, and all the great benefits that the people of science talk about happen.
The Timing of Meditation: Habitual Cleansing of the Mind
Raina's Story: A Lesson in Consistency
So is it okay to meditate only when you feel disturbed or need to feel still? Well, let us talk about little Raina here. Raina hated to wash her hands. She thought that washing her hands once in a while was enough - she did not go out, she was not lazy during corona, surely, they did not need to be cleaned? This led to a major argument between Raina and her mother. So one day, her mother let Raina be. By the night, Raina’s palms had become dirty and greasy even without doing much. That’s exactly how our minds are. They can get corrupted even when they don’t seem so. Clean it all the time with meditation, and it becomes a habit, and then the mind becomes sparkly clean all the time. The more often you do it, the less dirt gets accumulated.
Meditation: A Practice of Movement and Stillness
Tai Chi Masters' Perspective
So does that mean we need not sit in one place to meditate? Yes. Tai Chi masters often classify meditation into two types: Meditation of movement and Meditation of stillness. That is why there are these walking meditations or pebble meditations; even simple activities like washing your dishes can become a meditation if you focus your awareness on it. That’s why sportsmen, actors, inventors, and all kinds of skilled people are actually connecting to the divine in them when they are focusing on something. That is why they are able to do things that seem extraordinary to a layperson like you and me.
But meditation in stillness often tends to be more inward-facing, more of a self-inquiry whereas meditation of movement tends to be more outward-facing.
The Purpose of Meditation: Creating and Recharging
Connecting with the Creator Within
Meditation, at the end of the day, helps us to get connected to what we seek and it connects us to the reality we want. In doing this, we become one with the creator and start operating as the creator.
So is meditation done to relax ourselves? Well, in all honesty, meditation is done to recharge ourselves and give us new vigor to create the world we want. We acknowledge and accept the richness of what we are and the richness of the life we live.

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