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Meditation
Meditation is the state achieved from intense concentration on a single
object until all other thoughts vanish and all that is left is an intense
awareness of the object.
For some traditions, that's all there is to it. In yoga, however, the
ultimate goal is a bit more ambitious. James Hewitt, in The Complete Book of
Yoga defines the goal of yoga meditation like this: 'meditation means sense
withdrawal (pratyahara) and concentration (dharana), sustained into
contemplation (dhyana), with the aim of triggering a super-conscious state
(samadhi), which is one of intuitive realization of the identity of the
individual soul or spirit and the cosmic soul or spirit.'
There are lots of other
benefits to be had along by meditating. Meditation helps reduce stress and
anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve concentration, clarity and
creativity.
However, meditation is not always easy. The
"fluctuations of the mind" do not like to be calmed. It's amazing how many
thoughts, how many stories, how many little movies can run through your head
in the space between two breaths -- especially when you're trying to
meditate.
Whether your goal is enlightenment, revelation, relaxation, simple clarity
or low blood pressure, the process of mediation puts you in touch with
something good and quietly profound.
A simple meditation
 Sit in a comfortable position, either in a chair or on the floor, with your
back and head straight.
You can "warm up" with a couple of deep breaths.
Close your eyes. Breathe through your nose.
Focus on your breath - cool air
in, warm air out. If the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the breath.
That's it. Start with a 5-10 minute meditation and work your way up to 15,
20, 30 minutes or more.
A variation that may make things a little easier at the beginning is to
count your breaths. Count up to four and then repeat, over and over. You can
add an "and" between counts to fill up the space between breaths.
It goes
like this: inhale (1) - exhale (and) - inhale (2) - exhale (and) and so on
up to four.
Adapted from section on mediation www.yogasite.com/postures.html
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