What is Meditation?
What comes to mind for you when the subject of meditation comes up? Some common associations include:
Chanting om…
Sitting cross-legged on the floor…
Touching your pointer finger to your thumb, closing your eyes, and looking peaceful…
Trying to make your thoughts stop…
These images are accurate representations of some forms of meditation, but there’s so much more. So much more, in fact, that meditation is actually a very broad term, defined differently by many people and many traditions. This post presents a definition that encompasses much of what is referred to as “meditation.”
This is not an easy task since meditation is a “catch-all” term and refers to a range of contemplative practices that benefit the body and mind. It is kind of like the word “sports” in that it refers to a variety of physical activities. (And like sports, the end results vary depending on what you actually do and how much you practice.)
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to meditate means to
focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation
think deeply about (something)
plan mentally; consider.
The word “meditation” comes from Latin meditat- ‘contemplated’, from the verb meditari, from a base meaning ‘measure’
At Meditation Bar, we believe that there is no one right way to meditate--there are techniques that can work for everyone, and everyBODY.
sitting up, walking, lying down...
counting, breathing, chanting…
building attention and focus, or letting go of all effort...
secular, spiritual, mystical, woo...
sitting in silence
or bathed in sound...
In short, there is a vast world of meditation for you to explore.
With more than 7 years of experience in offering meditation classes and helping people establish meditation practices to meet their individual goals, we have formulated and refined a definition of meditation that emcompasses that vast world:
Meditation is a mental practice that employs a wide variety of techniques to attain psychophysical well-being and to explore consciousness.
So, let’s break this down:
Mental—an internal journey that regulates attention and suspends logical thought processes
Practice—a focused action repeated regularly for a set period of time, using techniques to attain a goal
Technique—a method specifically designed and taught to create a particular psychological, physical, or consciousness state
Psychophysical well-being—rest, mental relaxation, physical relaxation, equilibrium, stability, self-regulation, emotional tranquility, healing
Consciousness—concentration and focus, control of mental processes, self-knowledge, clarity, intuition, spiritual experiences, bliss
Meditation is a mental practice that employs a wide variety of techniques to attain psychophysical well-being and to explore consciousness.
We know that meditation makes everything better, and we have developed a wide variety of classes with trained and experienced teachers to help you find and practice the type of meditation that’s right for you and meets your goals. Click here to see our programs.
Watch for our next post about different types of meditation.