The World of Meditation

The practice of meditation is one of the oldest ways to relieve stress and tension, and for many centuries those who practice the art of meditation have benefited from a greater level of self awareness and a healthier mind and body.

Meditation harnesses the virtually endless capabilities of the mind. For centuries traditional healers have understood the power the mind has over the body, and modern science is beginning to understand the awesome power of the mind as well.

Normally, of course, the mind is turned outward, buy with the many details of the day. The mind allows our five senses to make sense of the world around us, constantly interpreting the many signals we receive from the world around us.

The purpose of meditation is to redirect the mind and help it tune into our inner self. The process of meditation can open up a completely new world of total awareness, resulting in a great deal of personal growth. By simply looking within ourselves, meditation can allow us to see all parts of our body. During meditation, we can examine each cell, and each part of the body, and look for signs of disease and illness.

The process begins with a deep state of relaxation, preferably while sitting in a comfortable chair, or reclining on a mat or blanket. It is important for the location you choose to support you comfortably as your muscles begin to relax.

One effective way to start is to look at the mind as a body of water, with the ripples flowing across it representing our thoughts. Many people spend the majority of their lives in this state, their senses tuned toward the outside world, experiencing and analyzing each new thing as it comes.

Through the practice of meditation, however, we can turn our mind toward the unconscious part of our experience. This focusing on the unconscious mind helps to expand our awareness of ourselves, just as the conscious mind is aware of the world around us.

A good metaphor for this meditation is that it is more akin to diving into the body of water, rather than simply watching the ripples move across the surface. During meditation, we experience the water itself, and we can actually watch those thoughts being born from under the surface of the water.

This looking into the mind can be a wonderful, and enlightening experience. Meditation allows us to find out where our thoughts are coming from, and as we learn this we also learn how to prevent negative thoughts from being born. Meditation gives us a level of insight into our minds that few other practices can match.

Rather than simply experiencing our thoughts, we instead begin to experience the bursts of energy which make up those thoughts. This can be perceived as a beam of light, or as a break in the silence of the mind. This expansion of consciousness can come as a sudden revelation, or it can come slowly over time. Either way, it is one of the chief benefits of regular meditation.

Note from Chet: As someone who has been meditating daily since 1980, I've created several CDs featuring an advanced audio technology that'll help you meditate as deeply as a Zen monk. Click here to learn about the most popular one.

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