Meditation

Definition


The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Natural Healing defines mediation as “training your attention or awareness to bring mental processes under voluntary control.” In the West, meditation is used as a self-help technique to improve well-being by allowing the mind and body to relax and does not require particular religious beliefs.

Types of Meditation

There are many different “schools” of meditation. Two well-known schools are Buddhist meditation and transcendental meditation. Meditation is also an integral part of other mind-body techniques including yoga, qigong, and tai chi, which have gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years.

Buddhist meditation:

Buddhist meditation has been practiced for over 2,500 years in Asia. There are two main branches in Buddhist meditation: tranquility meditation (samatha) and insight meditation (vipassana). Loving-kindness meditation (metta bhavana) is supplemental or complementary to the other forms of meditation.

The basic purpose of samatha meditation is to still the mind and train it to concentrate.

The techniques of samatha meditation are many, some older than Buddhism, others developed after the time of the Buddha. Among the most commonly practiced is anapanasati, or “mindfulness with breathing.”

Attentiveness on the in-going and out-going breath does not call for any interference with the normal breathing, the breath being merely used as a point on which to fix the attention, at the tip of the nostrils. The attention must not wander, even to follow the breath, but must be kept rigidly on the selected spot. In the initial stages it is advisable to mark the respiration by counting, but as soon as it is possible to keep the mind fixed without this artificial aid, it should be discontinued and only used when it is necessary to recall the attention.

Mantra meditation, in which you repeat a few words over and over, is also widely practiced. Followers of this technique may chant “Buddh” as they inhale, and “dho” as they exhale. The words may vary, but the purpose of chanting is really to get the mind focused.

Another widely taught technique is kasinas, where meditators concentrate on an object outside themselves, such as the flame of a candle, or a crystal ball.

The practice of insight meditation — vipassana meditation — centers around the notion of mindfulness. Mindfulness is related to, but different than, concentration. When one is concentrating, one’s entire focus is on the object of concentration in an almost trancelike manner — whether the object is a lotus, one’s own breathing, or a television program. But to be mindful of something is to think about it and observe it carefully. It is not only to focus on a television program, but to comprehend its content. It is not only to block out everything but breathing; it is to observe what the breathing is like and attempt to learn something about it.

Gaining the skill of mindfulness is the first step of insight meditation. The most common methods prescribed to develop mindfulness are:

*walking mindfulness
*sitting mindfulness
*mindfulness of daily activities

Loving-kindness is a central virtue of Buddhism, and metta bhavana meditation is a way of developing this virtue. It is a practice that is seen as supplemental or complementary to other forms of meditation; its purpose is to develop the mental habit of altruistic love for the self and others. It is said to “sweeten the mind.”

Transcendental meditation:

Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, transcendental meditation is a technique of meditation derived from Hindu traditions that promotes deep relaxation through the use of a mantra. Stressing natural meditation and the liberating pleasures such practices could invoke, the movement's meditation method is believed to help individuals achieve a higher level of consciousness. Brought by Maharishi from India to the West in 1959, transcendental meditation was a distinct subculture within the 1960s youth movement, attracting actress Mia Farrow, cultural philosopher Marshall McLuhan, and the Beatles, who eventually rejected the Yogi's teachings.

How Does It Work?

According to The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Natural Healing it is not clear exactly how meditation works. “Some believe that it enables us to get in touch with our inner beings and draw on this source of inner strength. Others suggest that being able to focus the mind allows for greater productivity in problem solving — we can learn what is and what is not important and what we should or should not be focusing on.”

The book lists various physiological and psychological changes brought about by meditation.

Physiological changes:

*Slowing of the heartbeat
*Slowing of the breathing rate
*Lowering of blood pressure
*Lowering of metabolism
*Change in brainwave frequency to the long alpha waves signifying deep relaxation coupled with mental alertness
*Reduction in cholesterol
*Increased energy
Psychological changes:

*Increased inner calm
*Heightened powers of creativity
*More efficient decision making
*Increased work efficiency
*Decreased mental tension
*Decreased negative emotions
*Increased reactions
*Improved memory
*Health Benefits

Today, meditation is widely accepted as an adjunct therapy for pain reduction and stress management, and is taught and practiced in many hospitals and medical centers throughout the U.S.

A 1998 study in Alternative Therapies showed that mindfulness meditation was part of a program that helped decrease symptoms such as achiness and sleeplessness in patients with fibromyalgia, a disease characterized by muscle pain, fatigue, and mild-to-moderate depression.

In a 1998 study at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, psoriasis patients who listened to a mindfulness meditation audiotape during their ultraviolet light therapy experienced faster healing than those who had the light therapy alone.

Meditation has also been associated with a longer life span, better quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, and reduced health-care costs. It has also shown promise as an adjunct therapy in relieving mild depression, insomnia, tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), as well as in controlling substance abuse.