Understanding Meditation

A simple Google search engine can give varieties of definition on meditation. There is nothing special which we can claim that this is my definition or my creativity. Whatever we want to expressed is already expressed by someone. We don’t have choice; we are bound to suffer from inferiority complex of belatedness, we are living in the world of copy and paste.

Let us come to the topic, what is meditation? Let us try to define it new way, Meditation is being with self, in-light instead of out-light or introvert instead of being extrovert. We all are out-lighted or gathered lots of information through different agencies like parents, family, school/university, society and nation based on their policies. We are guided by the mass consciousness, we are expressing mass, and whatever we are expressing is kind of copy and paste. We ate lots of information from ears, nose, mouth, eyes and other sensory organs and act accordingly, even the meditation is guided by outsider.

Meditation is giving space to self, not being with mass, the technique to explore inner potentiality or trying to tune with the inner world of self which is like infinite cosmos beyond time and space.  It is the tools to get away from the mass consciousness which is imprinted in our memory disk since ages. Meditation is letting existence to express through us, not by self because we have expressed lots and lots of junk information has been eaten up by us which are giving stress in our mental digestive system. Meditation is like taking fast for a while to give the rest to the memory disk or to refreshing the system to perform efficiently. Meditation is the gate way to going to the original source of self, trying to find originality instead of copy and paste, own wisdom instead of outer knowledge, keeping self away from crowd. The origin of meditation is unknown; however the popular belief is that meditation practices originated in ancient India. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. Mediation is referred to as the mental yoga, or the yoga of the mind, because its emphasis on awareness of one's state of mind. Meditation is directing our attention inwardly, toward our true nature which can enhanced our physical and emotional well-being. Meditation is a stepping stone to enlightenment.

The original definition of meditation speak about the Eight-Fold Path of Raja Yoga to achieve the targeted goal; Raja yoga is the best among Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyana Yoga, The King of Yoga, which includes observation of the following:

1. Yama (Abstentions): It means not participating in following five activities.

a. Ahimsa (non-injury): It means non-violence or non-injury, implies non-killing, ahimsa means entirely self-denial from causing any pain or harm whatsoever to any living creature, either by thought, word or deed.

b. Satya (truth): It is more than just telling the truth, one's actions should be in accordance with one's words and thoughts.

 c. Brahmacharya (chastity): It is celibacy or controlling of the senses or indriyas. Sex is the one that will be the most depleting to the psychic and nervous system. Most people don't like to hear this but, like the other yamas, everyone should practice brahmacharya to the best of their ability.

d. Asteya (non-stealing): Asteya is non-stealing, Asteya also includes the concept that we should try to be content with what comes to us by honest means.

e. Aparigraha (non-greed): Aparigraha is non-covetousness; Aparigraha includes the notion of not accepting gifts that would bind us to the giver.

2. Niyamas (Moral Observations): It means practice following five things

a. Saucha (purity): The deepest and most subtle aspect of Saucha is purity of thoughts and feelings. But it also means cleanliness of the body; a yogi must also keep his surroundings (home, car, workplace, etc.) very tidy and clean.

b. Santosha (contentment): Santosha is contentment, out of worldly lust.

c. Tapas (austerity): The luxury and comfort of our modern society, with all its advantages, makes our mind soft and weak. To strengthen ourselves physically and mentally we must practice austerities. The highest tapas is meditation on God or the divine Self. Daily practice of yogic disciplines is considered tapas.

d. Swadhyaya (study of the scriptures): Swadhyaya literally means study of the Self. The main practice is the study of the yogic scriptures but it also includes japa (mantra repetition). The best scriptures are the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Brahma Sutras etc.
e. Ishwarapranidhana (surrender to God): Ishwarapranidhana is surrender to God's will and devotion.

3. Asana (posture or seat):  Body and mind are intimately connected and if the body is agitated the mind will be agitated as a result. In order to meditate successfully one must develop a very steady posture. One thing necessary for the posture is to hold the spinal column free, sitting erect, holding the three parts- the chest, neck, and head -- in straight line. Let the whole weight of the body be supported by the ribs. Furthermore the posture must be kept still for a long time and therefore it needs to be extremely comfortable.

4. Pranayama (control of vital energy through breath work): Air is the primary physical medium of prana and breathing is our best method to gain control over the prana. To meditate, the practitioner should calm his/her breath down until it is very shallow and even.

5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of the senses): Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from their objects. The natural tendency of the senses is to go out towards the objects of the world, in doing so they pull the mind out and away from the inner Self and create powerful waves on the lake-mind.

6. Dharana (concentration of the mind): Our mind is wild horse which is roaming here and there, the meditator has to watch the wild horse running here and there until and unless it get tired and take rest or meditator has to fully focused on the object of concentration till the state is maintained long enough, it will lead to dhyana.

7. Dhyana (Meditation): Dhyana means meditation in translation. It is a natural flow of thought or consciousness between the meditator and the object of meditation. It is a very joyous state and is compared to the flow of oil from one vessel to the next.

8. Samadhi (Enlightenment, union with the Divine): The Samadhi is the final destination for meditator where thinker and thought become one in perfect absorption of the mind.

If we follow the non-participants and moral rules like Yama and Niyama than it will help us to arrive in our targeted destination in time, Yama and Niyama is the basic tools which is hardly applicable in our modern living.

Benefits of Meditation

To experience the benefits of meditation, regular practice is necessary. It takes only half an hours  every day. Once imbibed into the daily routine, meditation becomes the best part of our day. Meditation is like a seed. When we cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. Similarly, the sapling of consciousness is within us. It needs to be nurtured with simple meditation techniques. Meditation can help us to come closer to our  true personal, It is tools for personal  transformation. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both our emotional well-being and overall health.

I am a simple meditation practitioner, benefited mental and physical health out of it. I can't explain in detail what is the pros and cons of medical benefit of mediation, despite of that I would like to add some of the thought given by medical expert on the physical and mental benefit of meditation.

Mental Benefits of Meditation

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:

• Intuition develops
• Peace and clarity of mind
• Creativity increases
• Happiness increases
• Problems become smaller
• Anxiety decreases
• Emotional stability improves
• Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
• A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
• The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

Physical Benefits of Meditation

With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This result in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.

• Improves the immune system
• Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
• Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems

By Giri Bahadur Sunar