The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words: meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation ‘medha’ means wisdom.
Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means ‘a cessation of the thought process’. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.
Meditation can be defined as thinking continuously about something. Most of the time people are meditating on one thing or another, but they are unaware of it. For instance, when we are thinking about a problem, we can say that we are meditating on that particular problem for a given period of time. Therefore, one can say that when different people talk about meditation, they are essentially talking about the same process. However the major difference lies in the object upon which we are meditating. It is the final goal and actual features of the practice that mark its uniqueness.
Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded ‘eastern’. But yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach and application.
Preksha Meditation is the combination of knowledge from our ancient religious books, modern science and our experience. It is the practice of purifying our emotions and our conscious (chitta) and realizing our own self. and a technique of mediation for attitudinal change, behavioral modification and integrated development of personality.
Benefits of Meditation
To get rid of tension, panic, anxiety, heart disease, insomnia, arthritis, migraines, anger and other mental illnesses; and if you want to achieve a state of happiness and bliss, then step into the process of this meditation.
One of the most important benefits of meditation is how it releases stress from our bodies. Meditation practised regularly will lead you to a deeper level of relaxation and contemplation. If you want to be free of constant worry, pressure and stress the benefits of meditation can give you a life that is calm, peaceful, happy and relaxed.
Be it work, sport or music, concentration is essential to fulfill our potential. In one pointed concentration there is great power; our energy and focus do not get dissipated. When we have concentration we can do more in less time. Through meditation we gradually improve our powers of concentration; this focus can be used for both meditation, and also other activities we engage in.
Meditation can also help us to understand our own mind. We can learn how to transform our mind from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative minds and cultivating constructive thoughts is the purpose of the transforming meditations found in the Buddhist tradition. This is a profound spiritual practice you can enjoy throughout the day, not just while seated in meditation.
When we live in the mind it is easy to get distracted by small irritations. For example, maybe we find it intolerable to be kept waiting in a line, or we get upset by a small misdemeanour of another person. The solution is not to avoid these minor problems, because they will keep appearing no matter how hard we may try.