What is meditation?
Webster’s dictionary defines the term ‘to meditate’ as ‘to engage in contemplation or reflection.’ But, to just drift aimlessly thinking about “things” is more like daydreaming.
To "engage" implies that we are focused and doing this for a specific purpose. We could to add the word “concentration” to one definition. Concentration, attention, or intention. …..prolonged concentration, attention, or intention on something, or nothing.
You will find that the definition will vary with each meditation technique and the culture where it originated. Ultimately, the goal is the same, to practice detachment from our egos, thoughts and emotions and connecting to something greater than ourselves.
You will find that the definition will vary with each meditation technique and the culture where it originated. Ultimately, the goal is the same, to practice detachment from our egos, thoughts and emotions and connecting to something greater than ourselves.
Meditation - prolonged concentration, attention, or intention while engaging in mental activity either focusing on specific thoughts or focusing on nothing at all.
There are three categories of meditation:
- Awareness methods are traditionally associated with Buddhist practices such as Vipassna or Insight Meditation. This involves detaching from ones thoughts and emotions to observe them rather than to participate in them.
- Concentrative methods which direct the meditator to focus their attention on words, visualizations, or something. A common practice is to use a mantra, a word or phrase to repeat silently in the mind to help tame the mind and connect with a higher power.
- Surrender methods are a simple approach where there is no concentration or observation, but rather a letting go as thoughts or distractions emerge in the consciousness.
But, in our world and in our recovery, we can see how busy our minds are, how powerful our emotions are and how much our bodies cry out for our attention.
To begin our journey towards meditation we need to learn and to practice overcoming our thoughts, our emotions and our physical bodies.
For me, meditation is spending quality time within the presence of my higher power. The practice of meditation helps me to develop the conscious contact with God throughout my day just as it states in Step 11.
It helps to imagine that we have several different bodies that combine to make-up the person that we imagine we are – our physical bodies, emotional bodies, and mental bodies. Often, they seem to be operating independently and in conflict with each other – this is the inner unmanageability that is then reflected throughout the other aspects our lives.
Meditation affects us physically in many wonderful ways. It increases the production and flow of endorphins, that naturally calm and soothe our body. It lowers our blood pressure, helps to re-align our brain patterns and thought processes, and allows our body to begin healing itself.
Emotionally, meditation helps to reduce the intensity and frequency of negative emotions and increases feelings of caring, compassion and love. Mentally, meditation allows us to detach from our addiction to thinking, our re-living of past events and projecting our worries and fears into the future.