Meditation

A statue of the Buddha meditating, Borim Temple, Korea This article is about the mental discipline. Meditation is a holistic discipline during which time the practitioner trains their mind in order to realize some benefit. People generally meditate without any external aid, oftentimes invoking a state of being, such as the non-dual state , or compassion state , or attending to some focal point , etc. The term can refer to the process of reaching this state, as well as to the state itself. Meditation is a component of many religions, and has been practiced since antiquity. It is also practiced outside religious traditions. People meditate for many different reasons, including reaching Enlightenment , increasing one's compassion and lovingkindness , and/or receiving spiritual inspiration or guidance from God , achieving greater focus, creativity or self-awareness, and simply cultivating a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind. Eastern meditation techniques have been adapted and increasingly practiced in Western culture resulting in some opposition from organizations such as the Catholic Church .

A statue of the Buddha meditating, Borim Temple, Korea Meditation is a practice in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness , either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content, or as an end in itself. The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force ( qi , ki , prana , etc.) and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity. The word meditation carries different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions and beliefs. Meditation often involves an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way. Meditation is often used to clear the mind and ease many health concerns, such as high blood pressure , depression , and anxiety . It may be done sitting , or in an active way—for instance, Buddhist monks involve awareness in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training. Prayer beads or other ritual objects are commonly used during meditation in order to keep track of or remind the practitioner about some aspect of the training. Meditation may involve generating an emotional state for the purpose of analyzing that state—such as anger, hatred, etc.—or cultivating a particular mental response to various phenomena, such as compassion . The term "meditation" can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state. Meditation may also involve repeating a mantra and closing the eyes. The mantra is chosen based on its suitability to the individual meditator. Meditation has a calming effect and directs awareness inward until pure awareness is achieved, described as "being awake inside without being aware of anything except awareness itself." In brief, there are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice, and many different types of activity commonly referred to as meditative practices. PMID 18329323 . : Explicit use of et al. in: |author= ( help ) Watts, Alan. "11 _10-4-1 Meditation." Eastern Wisdom: Zen in the West & Meditations. MP3 CD. @4:45 University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008, March 27). Book on Buddhist methods for developing single pointed concentration. Archives de sciences sociales des religions . 1 (48).

Mental practice of focus on a particular object, thought or activity to improve one's mind This article is about the induction of specific modes or states of consciousness. Various depictions of meditation: The Hindu Swami Vivekananda , the Buddhist monk Hsuan Hua , Taoist Baduanjin Qigong , the Christian St Francis , the Stoic sage Epictetus and Muslim Sufis in Dhikr . Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness , or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Scholars have found meditation difficult to define, as practices vary both between traditions and within them. Meditation has been practiced since 1500 BCE antiquity in numerous religious traditions, often as part of the path towards enlightenment and self realization . The earliest records of meditation ( Dhyana ), come from the Hindu traditions of Vedantism . Since the 19th century, Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health. Meditation may be used with the aim of reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, and increasing peace, perception, self-concept , and well-being . Meditation is under research to define its possible health ( psychological , neurological , and cardiovascular ) and other effects. "The Dalai Lama explains how to practice meditation properly" . 3 May 2017.

Mental practice of focus on a particular topic This article is about the induction of specific modes or states of consciousness. Various depictions of meditation (clockwise starting at the top left): the Hindu Swami Vivekananda , the Buddhist monk Hsuan Hua , Taoist Baduanjin Qigong , the Christian St Francis , Muslim Sufis in Dhikr , and social reformer Narayana Guru Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness , or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness , and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions. The earliest records of meditation ( dhyana ) are found in the Upanishads , and meditation plays an important role in Hinduism , Jainism and Buddhism . Since the 19th century, Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health. Meditation may significantly reduce stress , anxiety , depression , and pain , and enhance peace, perception , self-concept , and well-being . Research is ongoing to better understand the effects of meditation on health ( psychological , neurological , and cardiovascular ) and other areas. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education . 2019 (161). This chapter discusses the use of mindfulness relaxation activities in adult and higher education settings for holistic education and well-being. The author shares their personal experience of teaching a first-year seminar called "Eastern Thoughts and Western Practice" that incorporates Eastern ancient meditation methods as an alternative to Western contemplative inquiry. The chapter explores the background context, course design, and results of the seminar, which aimed to introduce students to Eastern perspectives on life and learning. The author highlights the importance of meditation and relaxation activities in managing distractions and fostering relaxation, focus, attentiveness, confidence, and presence in teaching and learning. Eastern meditation techniques from Osho and the influence of Confucius are discussed, along with their relevance to education. The chapter concludes with implications for teaching, learning, and well-being, emphasizing the value of incorporating mindfulness practices in educational settings. "The Dalai Lama explains how to practice meditation properly" . 3 May 2017. There are <ref group=web> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).

Practice of mindfulness This article is about the induction of specific modes or states of consciousness. Various depictions of meditation (clockwise starting at the top left): the Hindu Swami Vivekananda , the Buddhist monk Hsuan Hua , Taoist Baduanjin qigong , Siddhar Agastyar , Chan monk Bodhidharma , and social reformer Narayana Guru Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditation process itself. Techniques are broadly classified into focused (or concentrative) and open monitoring methods. Focused methods involve attention to specific objects like breath or mantras , while open monitoring includes mindfulness and awareness of mental events. Meditation is practiced in numerous religious traditions, though it is also practiced independently from any religious or spiritual influences for its health benefits. The earliest records of meditation ( dhyana ) are found in the Upanishads , and meditation plays a salient role in the contemplative repertoire of Jainism , Buddhism and Hinduism . Meditation-like techniques are also known in Judaism , Christianity and Islam , in the context of remembrance of and prayer and devotion to God. Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health. Meditation may significantly reduce stress , fear , anxiety , depression , and pain, and enhance peace, perception , self-concept , and well-being . Research is ongoing to better understand the effects of meditation on health ( psychological , neurological , and cardiovascular ) and other areas. There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ). "The Dalai Lama explains how to practice meditation properly" . 3 May 2017. There are <ref group=web> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).