| Meditation is a way of private devotion or mental | | | | occupation, or level of education. Having a general |
| exercise, in which techniques of concentration and | | | | foundation of understanding in Yoga, Confucianism, |
| contemplation are used to reach a heightened level | | | | Buddhism, and Taoism will enhance one's meditative |
| of spiritual awareness. Meditation "arrived" in the | | | | experiences as well as concentration of attention, |
| Western World via the East bringing with it the | | | | visualization, and being aware of one's own body and |
| capabilities of developing and controlling the mind | | | | inner resources. Meditation provides a means of |
| (mental faculties) and the mind's own psychic abilities. | | | | listening to or tuning-in to your inner being or higher |
| Meditation has existed in all religions since ancient | | | | self. What this means for the practitioner is that |
| times. In Hinduism, for example, it has been | | | | there is a mechanism for use in her or his further |
| systematized into the many philosophical schools and | | | | personal growth and development throughout life. |
| classifications of Yoga. One aspect of Yoga, Dhyana | | | | Your personal growth and development can be in the |
| (Sanskrit meaning "wheel, turning, concentrated | | | | manner of psychic (higher consciousness) and/or |
| meditation, whorls of energetic forces"), gave rise to | | | | spiritual (communing and communicating with divinity |
| a school of its own among the Buddhists, thus | | | | and the spirit realm). |
| becoming the basis of Zen. | | | | With regular practice, meditating can bring about a |
| In many religions, meditation involves verbal or mental | | | | higher sense of individual and inner awareness as well |
| repetition of a single syllable, word, or text known as | | | | as inner peace. Meditating has many benefits and |
| a "mantra". Visual images, such as a "mandala", or | | | | advantages such as healing and overcoming illness, |
| mechanical devices as candles, prayer wheels, | | | | psychic or mental development, overcoming one's |
| rosaries, brass bells and cymbals, metal singing bowls, | | | | fears, and communing with the Knowledge of the |
| and meditation pillows can be useful in focusing one's | | | | Cosmic Universe. You can train your mind to |
| concentration. These tools can assist in channeling the | | | | overcome sickness, solve life challenges and |
| Shakti (energy) of one's Qi or Ch'i (internal vital or | | | | problems, and control your emotions or emotional |
| biophysical energy of the human body) thus having | | | | state of being. For instance, you can discipline |
| the potential to bring one deep within their | | | | yourself and your mind to improve specific areas |
| subconsciousness. This internal vital energy connects | | | | within your life including family, relationships, business, |
| your physical and spiritual bodies through the energy | | | | career, and prosperity. There are meditation |
| centers or sacred portals of your Seven Major | | | | techniques which can lower one's blood pressure, |
| Chakras: | | | | improve health and well-being, increase vigor, reduce |
| During the 20th century, for example, TM emerged | | | | anxiety and stress through relaxation, slow down |
| as a non-religious meditation form and technique that | | | | aging, change breathing, improve perception, increase |
| did not required, and still does not, a particular belief | | | | productivity, promote deeper restful sleep, shift your |
| system or change in one's lifestyle. TM can be | | | | brain waves from the Beta to the Alpha state, and |
| learned by anyone regardless of age, race, | | | | more from thought to action to self liberation. |