Meditation

The word meditation has evolved from the Indo-European root ‘met’ which means, ‘to measure.’ The English word meditation is a derivative of the Latin word meditatio, which initially meant any physical or intellectual activity. However, over time, the meaning of the word evolved to have a more specific meaning – ‘contemplation.’

Today meditation is defined to be a state of mind when it is removed from the earthly realities and reaches a state of complete relaxation and at a higher level – complete awareness. This state of mind is exemplified by the Reclining Buddha. To someone who is not so familiar with Buddhism, a Reclining Buddha might appear to be relaxing or even sleeping, but this is far from the truth. While other images of the Buddha standing, sitting, or walking show aspects of his quest to attain Enlightenment, a Reclining Buddha symbolizes his arrival at Nirvana, a state of all-knowing awareness that is the complete antithesis of relaxation or sleep.

The Beginnings

Meditation had started off as a religious and spiritual activity and almost all the major religions of the world have some reference to meditation. Christianity imbibes meditation in the form of various monastic practices such as the Catholic practice of Adoration and the tradition of hesychast in Eastern Orthodoxy. Islam too has its own take on meditation and every time a devout Muslim says his prayers to the Allah he is actually meditating. In Buddhism meditation holds a central role to the practice of the religion. In fact Buddha himself attained enlightenment through intense meditation. Hindu religious texts also have extensive references to meditation and yoga has often been suggested as way to practice meditation. Hence, it is quite evident that meditation has its roots in the antiquity, and as it has evolved over the centuries, it has attained relevance beyond just the religious and spiritual spheres.

The Techniques

As meditation made its transformation from the spiritual to the secular domain, it was observed that there was a need to develop techniques of meditation so that the common man can also get involved. Over time several different techniques have evolved and they can be broadly classified into two broad categories – the Zen-based meditation and the one based on Hinduism. The basic difference in these two forms is that while the former is mostly based on gaining an insight about the world around us, the latter teaches its followers to concentrate on a single object.

The Benefits

The obvious benefit from practicing meditation is to reduce the stress that we experience in our day-to-day life. It helps us to stay calm and relaxed. Studies have also indicated that meditation can assist us to lose weight, enhance our immune system, help us maintain a stable blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, lower the effects of asthma, and also increase skin resistance. Beyond these physiological benefits, meditation also builds our self-confidence and develops our ability to concentrate. So the benefits of meditation can also be felt at a psychological level.